The Best Hikes in Hocking Hills

The Best Hikes in Hocking Hills- recommendations for the best hikes to go on and a the where to stay in Hocking Hills!

We just got back from our third trip to Hocking Hills in Logan, Ohio, about 4 hours from Detroit. My kids love it so much and thrive while hiking so we keep visiting. People literally always ask me where to stay in Hocking Hills and what  the best hikes are in Hocking Hills so I am finally going to share my top Hocking Hills recommendations. While we are in Hocking Hills, since we love hiking so much, hiking is the biggest part of our trip. This trip, we all hiked 21 miles through the trip- even 4 year old Lily!

All 3 times we have visited Hocking Hills, we have stayed in the same house because we love it SO much. The rental is called Meadow Lane and it is the perfect family destination. We found Meadow Lane online during the pandemic and it was the perfect place for us to stay away from everything. 

Meadow Lane has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large kitchen, a large living room and a huge backyard. My kids favorite feature of Meadow Lane is definitely the hot tub which they use every single day while we are there. 

We also love the large gated in backyard and that the house is on a large property if you want to explore. You can’t see any other houses from here.

Meadow Lane is very updated and has a crisp and clean look. We cook most of our meals while we are there and the kitchen is great for cooking. It is pretty well stocked with basic things you would need.

We love having a bonfire in the backyard too. We have stayed at Meadow Lane twice in March and once in July and both are great for different reasons. Meadow Lane is great in March for the hikes (not too hot) and the hot tub feels refreshing. The house is awesome in July because you can hangout outside a lot more and the covered porch is perfect.

It is affordable to stay at Meadow Lane too! We have stayed there with two different sets of grandparents on our trips there and I have to mention, my kids LOVE sleeping in the large closets in a sleeping bag. Even if there is a bed available, they just think that it is so fun. Haha. I highly recommend 3 nights for visiting the Hocking Hills area so you have time to see everything.

Book a stay at our favorite Hocking Hills home rental: Meadow Lane.

The Best Hikes in Hocking Hills

I highly recommend the 7 hikes in the Hocking Hills parks! I am going to share the hikes starting with our most favorites. This trip, we were in Hocking Hills for 4 nights, 5 days so we added a couple of hikes onto our trip. My tip is to pick a big hike for the morning, come back to your rental for lunch and some chill time and then go out on another hike in the afternoon.

1. Cantwell Cliffs

We are obsessed with this hike because it has the coolest twists and turns as well as a really narrow rock stairway to go on that is really cool. Even though this hike is so cool, it is always quite empty for some reason.

2. Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls has the biggest falls in Hocking Hills and it is really cool to hop around the rocks there. We also kept going on the trail which led us to some of our favorite parts of Hocking Hills that was part of the Grandma Gateway trail. 

We let our kids be kids at Hocking Hills and climb rocks and honestly, do some pretty risky things in the safest way possible. I think that they thrive so much at Hocking Hills because they get to work their bodies hard and accomplish things that they didn’t know that they could. At the end of each day, the kids would tell me that their bodies were tired but that they could not wait to hike the next day.

3. Old Man’s Cave

Easily the most popular hike in Hocking Hills and a must-do hike because there is so much to see. The trail is so well marked. My recommendation is to get there as early as possible because it gets busy and the giant parking lot fills up.

4. Conkle’s Hollow

This trail actually has 2 trails and we always do both. The rim trail is not for those who are worried about their kids falling off the side of the mountain as you are literally on the rim of a very long drop down but we have done this hike 3 times now without issues. It was 2 of my kids favorite hikes and they kept asking to come back to this one. The gorge trail is paved and wheelchair and stroller friendly and has some really pretty views too. Even though both trails are part of Conkle’s Hollow, they are completely different from each other so I highly recommend doing both.

5. Whispering Caves Trail

This trail is brand new and can be found behind the brand new Hocking Hills Lodge. This was our first time visiting and the trail is not too long- I believe it was about 1.2 miles total and had some neat views.

6. Rock House

This trail is short but takes you in a really cool cave and gives you some amazing rock views. It can be helpful to bring a flashlight.

7. Ash Cave

A nice short hike that when the weather is nice enough, we have let the kids put their head in the falls. It is always crowded though so it’s not a favorite for me.

Trails Near Hocking Hills to Hike

–Chapel Cave– On the first day we got to Hocking Hills, we visited Chapel Cave which is a 1.75 mile hike. You park at the Hocking Hills Rock Climbing and Rappelling Area. The trail is not as well marked as the other Hocking Hills trails but it is a beautiful hike through the woods with some amazing views and waterfalls.

–Rock Bridge State Nature Preserve– This is probably my least recommended trail to do only if you have extra time but it is very uphill hike that leads you to a really cool rock bridge. 

We love Hocking Hills so, so much and highly recommend it. We have worn babies at Hocking Hills but it is so much easier if your kids can walk on their own. We do some handholding at steep areas to make sure the kids are safe but it is truly an amazing family destination.

We received our stay at Meadow Lane in exchange for this post but the first two times we visited, we paid for it ourselves. We love this home and highly recommend it!