Best Hocking Hills Hikes – recommendations for the best hikes to go on and where to stay in the Hocking Hills!
We just returned from our third trip to the Hocking Hills in Logan, Ohio, about 4 hours from Detroit. My kids love it so much and thrive on hiking so we keep visiting. People are literally always asking me where to stay in the Hocking Hills and what are the best hikes in the Hocking Hills, so finally I’m going to share my top Hocking Hills recommendations. While we are in the 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’ve visited Hocking Hills, we’ve stayed in the same house because we love it SO much. The rental is called Meadow Lane and is the perfect family destination. We found Meadow Lane online during the pandemic and it was the perfect place to get away from it all.
Meadow Lane has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large kitchen, a large living room and a huge yard. My kids favorite feature at Meadow Lane is definitely the hot tub which they use every day while we are there.
We also love the large gate to the backyard and that the house is on a large property if you want to explore. You can’t see other houses from here.
Meadow Lane is very updated and has a clean and crisp look. We cook most of our meals while there and the kitchen is great for cooking. It is pretty well stocked with basic things you will need.
We also like to have a fire pit in the backyard. 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 walks (not too hot) and the hot tub is refreshing. The house is awesome in July because you can hang out a lot more and the covered porch is perfect.
It’s 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 that my kids LOVE sleeping in the big closets in a sleeping bag. Even if there is a bed available, they just think it’s so much fun. Haha. I highly recommend 3 nights to visit the Hocking Hills area so you have time to see everything.
Book a stay at our favorite Hocking Hills rental home: Meadow Lane.
The best hikes in the Hocking Hills
I highly recommend the 7 Hikes in Hocking Hills Parks! I will share the hikes starting with our most favorite. This trip, we were in the Hocking Hills for 4 nights, 5 days, so we added a few hikes to our trip. My advice is to pick a long hike for the morning, return to your rental for lunch and relax, then head out for another hike in the afternoon.
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1. Cantwell Cliffs
We are obsessed with this hike because it has the most beautiful twists and turns as well as a very narrow rock staircase to go on which is really cool. Even though this hike is so cool, it’s always pretty empty for some reason.
2. Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls has the biggest falls in the Hocking Hills and it’s really cool to jump around the rocks there. We also continued on the trail that took us to some of our favorite parts of the Hocking Hills that were part of the Grandma Gateway Trail.
We let our kids be kids at Hocking Hills and rock climb and honestly, do some pretty dangerous things in the safest way possible. I think they thrive so much at Hocking Hills because they work their bodies hard and accomplish things they didn’t know they could. At the end of each day, the kids told me that their bodies were tired but that they looked forward to hiking the next day.
3. Cave of Elders
Easily the most popular hike in the 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 fills the giant parking lot.
4. Conkle’s Hollow
This trail actually has 2 trails and we always do both. The rim trail is not for those worried about their kids falling off the mountainside as you are literally on the brink of a very steep drop, but we have done this hike 3 times now with no issues. It was 2 of my kids favorite hikes and they kept asking to go back to it. The canyon trail is paved and wheelchair and stroller friendly and also has very nice views. Although 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 is behind the brand new Hocking Hills Lodge. This was our first visit and the trail isn’t very long – I think it was about 1.2 miles total and had some neat views.
6. Rock House
This trail is short, but it takes you into a really cool cave and gives you amazing cliff views. It may be helpful to bring a flashlight.
7. Ash cave
A nice little hike that when the weather is nice enough, we’ve let the kids poke their heads into the falls. It’s always crowded although it’s not a favorite for me.
Trails near Hocking Hills for Hiking
–Cave of chapels– The first day we got to Hocking Hills, we visited Chapel Cave which is a 1.75 mile hike. 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 forest with amazing views and waterfalls.
–Bridge Rock State Nature Preserve– This is probably the least recommended trail that you should only do if you have extra time, but it’s a very uphill hike that takes you to a really cool rock bridge.
We love Hocking Hills so, so much and highly recommend it. We’ve baby worn Hocking Hills, but it’s much easier if your kids can walk on their own. We do a bit of holding on steep areas to make sure the kids are safe, but it really is an amazing family destination.
We received our accommodation at Meadow Lane in exchange for this place, but the first two times we visited, we paid for it ourselves. We love this house and highly recommend it!
