Hocking Hills State Park
Encyclopedia
Hocking Hills State Park is a non-contiguous state park
in the Hocking Hills
region of Hocking County
, Ohio
, United States
; it is contiguous with the Hocking State Forest
. Within the park are several spectacular features based around rock formations, including Old Man's Cave, a narrow, deep gorge featuring waterfall
s; Rock House, a cliffed area with a rock shelter
; Cantwell Cliffs, a broad gorge at the head of a hollow with a unique stone stairway; and Ash Cave a large rock shelter
s with a small waterfall
, and Cedar Falls, a larger waterfall south of Old Man's Cave.
The park is in four separate sections. The largest includes Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls. Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, and Rockhouse are each separate sections.
. The campground is close to all of the hiking trails in the area and has flush toilets, shower houses with hot water, vending machines, a camp store, a pool, and other amenities. The area also has many cabins and hotels in this area. The guest lodge lacks lodging but has a restaurant, a snack bar, a pool, and a game room.
, Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, Lake Logan State Park, and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
. The North Country Trail
passes through the complex, where it is coincident with the Buckeye Trail
and the American Discovery Trail
. The most important segment of this trail in the Hocking Hills is the Grandma Gatewood
Trail.
The deep gorges and high cliffs result from the erosion-resistant Blackhand Sandstone
, which extends well to the northeast of the Hocking Hills. Other open-space areas have been established within the range of the Blackhand, including Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve
. Several rare plants are known from this area, including plants that are outside their normal range. Canadian yew, bigleaf magnolia
, and many others are here.
Many of the locations in Hocking Hills State Park, such as Old Man's Cave, provided inspiration for location names in Jeff Smith
's Bone
series.
The area is very popular with tourists, and collectively is known as the Hocking Hills
Region. It features many private inns, campgrounds, cabins, restaurants, and other related businesses, including a recently-developed zipline.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the Hocking Hills
Hocking Hills
The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau in Ohio, primarily in Hocking County, that features cliffs, gorges, rock shelters, and waterfalls...
region of Hocking County
Hocking County, Ohio
Hocking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 29,380. Its county seat is Logan. Its name is from the Hocking River, the origins of which are disputed but is said to be a Delaware Indian word meaning "bottle river".-Geography:According to the...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; it is contiguous with the Hocking State Forest
Hocking State Forest
Hocking State Forest is a state forest in Hocking County, Ohio, United States. The forest adjoins Hocking Hills State Park and three nature preserves including Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve....
. Within the park are several spectacular features based around rock formations, including Old Man's Cave, a narrow, deep gorge featuring waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s; Rock House, a cliffed area with a rock shelter
Rock shelter
A rock shelter is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff....
; Cantwell Cliffs, a broad gorge at the head of a hollow with a unique stone stairway; and Ash Cave a large rock shelter
Rock shelter
A rock shelter is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff....
s with a small waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
, and Cedar Falls, a larger waterfall south of Old Man's Cave.
Tourist Accommodations
There are about 200 campsites in the park, most equipped with electricityElectricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. The campground is close to all of the hiking trails in the area and has flush toilets, shower houses with hot water, vending machines, a camp store, a pool, and other amenities. The area also has many cabins and hotels in this area. The guest lodge lacks lodging but has a restaurant, a snack bar, a pool, and a game room.
Attractions
Nearby are also other attractions of the Hocking Hills, including Hocking State ForestHocking State Forest
Hocking State Forest is a state forest in Hocking County, Ohio, United States. The forest adjoins Hocking Hills State Park and three nature preserves including Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve....
, Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, Lake Logan State Park, and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
Rockbridge State Nature Preserve
Rockbridge State Nature Preserve is located in Hocking County, Ohio, United States, west of the city of Logan. It is part of the Hocking Hills Region, but the actual natural bridge in the preserve is formed of sandstone lower in the stratigraphic sequence than that which forms most of the notable...
. The North Country Trail
North Country Trail
The North Country National Scenic Trail , which stretches approximately from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota in the United States, is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress...
passes through the complex, where it is coincident with the Buckeye Trail
Buckeye Trail
The Buckeye Trail is a 1,444 miles long-distance trail that loops around the state of Ohio. Part of it is on roads and part is on wooded trail...
and the American Discovery Trail
American Discovery Trail
The American Discovery Trail is a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. It starts on the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and ends on the northern California coast on the Pacific Ocean, and is signed on over of trail. This includes the doubled...
. The most important segment of this trail in the Hocking Hills is the Grandma Gatewood
Grandma Gatewood
Emma Rowena Gatewood, better known as Grandma Gatewood , was an extreme hiker and ultra-light hiking pioneer who was the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail from Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine solo, and in one season.- Family life :Gatewood was born in Guyan Township,...
Trail.
The deep gorges and high cliffs result from the erosion-resistant Blackhand Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, which extends well to the northeast of the Hocking Hills. Other open-space areas have been established within the range of the Blackhand, including Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve
Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve
Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve is located in Jackson County, Ohio, United States, just northwest of and outside the city of Jackson. It is owned and administered by the State Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and comprises ....
. Several rare plants are known from this area, including plants that are outside their normal range. Canadian yew, bigleaf magnolia
Bigleaf magnolia
Magnolia macrophylla, the bigleaf magnolia, is a deciduous magnolia native to the southeastern United States and eastern Mexico. This species boasts the largest simple leaf and single flower of any native plant in North America.-Classification:...
, and many others are here.
Many of the locations in Hocking Hills State Park, such as Old Man's Cave, provided inspiration for location names in Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith may refer to:*Jeff Smith , coach in the Minnesota Twins' organization*Jeff Smith , councillor in Manchester*Jeff Smith , creator of the comic book Bone...
's Bone
Bone (comics)
Bone is an independently published graphic novel series originally serialized in 55 irregularly released issues from 1991 to 2004. Bone was drawn and written by Jeff Smith....
series.
The area is very popular with tourists, and collectively is known as the Hocking Hills
Hocking Hills
The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau in Ohio, primarily in Hocking County, that features cliffs, gorges, rock shelters, and waterfalls...
Region. It features many private inns, campgrounds, cabins, restaurants, and other related businesses, including a recently-developed zipline.