The hollows and caves of the park complex have long attracted the peoples of Ohio. Evidence of the ancient Adena culture illustrates man first inhabited the recesses more than 7,000 years ago.  In the mid 1700's several Indian tribes traveled through or lived here including the Wyandot, Delaware and Shawnee. Their name for the river from which the park gets its name was Hockhocking of "bottle river." The name comes from the bottle-shaped valley of the Hocking River whose formation is due to its one-time blockage by glacial ice.

After the Greenville Treaty of 1795, numerous white settlers moved into the region and Hocking County was organized in 1818. The area around the parks began to develop in 1835 when a powder mill was built near Rock House and a grist mill was constructed at Cedar Falls.  The cave areas were well-known as scenic attractions by 1870. In 1924, the first land purchase by the state was made to preserve the scenic features. This first parcel of 146 acres included Old Man's Cave. Subsequent purchases built acreage while the areas existed under the Department of Forestry as State Forest Parks.  The Department of Natural Resources was created in 1949 and the new Division of Parks assumed control of the Hocking Hills State Park complex, which today includes the six park areas.  A dining lodge and cottages were opened in 1972. These cottages, together with a campground, provide overnight facilities in one of the most beautiful areas of our state.  

Photos  © Leslie Dellovade, ODOT

• With more things to do than you can shake a hiking stick at, Hocking Hills visitors return again and again because they keep discovering new things to experience.  Each of the six distinct Hocking Hills State Park areas offers its own brand of adventure. Discover the personalities of Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Lake Logan and Rock House. Plus, wander Conkle’s Hollow and the Hocking State Forest. Whether your idea of outdoor adventure is a gentle hike in the woods or rappelling down a massive rock face, the Hocking Hills are for you. There are more than 10,000 acres of deep forests, hidden trails, soaring cliffs and sheltering caves.  After exploring the caves, try something new! There are canoe trips down the Hocking River, historic train rides, washboard factory tours, small towns to discover and museums to wander.  Whether you’ve got destination shopping in mind or are "just looking," you’ll find whatever suits your fancy in the Hocking Hills. From dozens of treasure-filled antique stores to galleries exhibiting works from local artists, it’s all here.  With busy days during your trip to the Hocking Hills, you’ll need to feed your soul at one of our many restaurants. Treat yourself to a family style meal, a gourmet dinner cooked in your cabin or cappuccino at a quaint coffee shop. Corporate planners and wedding parties will find abundant choices for large gatherings, while extended families can share holidays and reunions in an old-fashioned setting.

• Old Man's Cave - The most popular of all the Hocking areas is Old Man's Cave, located on State Route 664. Here at the Upper Falls, the Grandma Gatewood Trail begins its six-mile course connecting three of the park's areas: Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls to Ash Cave. This same trail has been designated as part of Ohio's Buckeye Trail as well as part of two national systems - the North Country Scenic Trail and America's Discovery Trail.   Old Man's Cave derives its name from the hermit Richard Rowe who lived in the large recess cave of the gorge. His family moved to the Ohio River Valley around 1796 from the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a trading post. He and his two dogs traveled through Ohio along the Scioto River in search of game. On one side trip up Salt Creek, he found the Hocking Region. Rowe lived out his life in the area and is buried beneath the ledge of the main recess cave. Earlier residents of the cave were two brothers, Nathaniel and Pat Rayon, who came to the area in 1795. They built a permanent cabin 30 feet north of the cave entrance. Both brothers are buried in or near the cave. Their cabin was later dismantled and relocated on the nearby Iles farm to be used as a tobacco drying house.   The Old Man's Cave area can be divided into five principal sections found along the valley of Old Man's Creek. In order, they are: Upper Falls, Upper Gorge, Middle Falls, Lower Falls and Lower Gorge. Along the length of the trail the magnificent gorge cuts through the entire 150-foot thickness of the Blackhand sandstone. Carved by the creek, the gorge serves as an avenue for visitors to peer into the earth's subsurface. The full distance of the gorge is approximately one half mile.

• Ash Cave - In the southernmost reaches of Hocking Hills is Ash Cave - beyond doubt the most spectacular feature of the entire park. Ash Cave is the largest, most impressive recess cave in the state.  The approach to Ash Cave is through a narrow gorge lined with stately hemlocks, massive beech trees and various other hardwoods. The valley floor offers brilliant displays of wildflowers in the all seasons including large flowered trillium, Dutchman’s breeches, trout lily, Jack-in-the Pulpit and jewelweed. The narrow gorge is approximately one-fourth mile in length and with astonishing suddenness gives way to the tremendous overhanging ledge and cave shelter.

Additional Information and Byway Highlights

Calendar of Events

Hocking Hills Scenic Byway Map