Don’t let old age or disabilities keep you from the fabulous scenery of Hocking Hills
For all ages and abilities
No matter your age or ability level, there is a trail for you in the Hocking Hills area of central Ohio. Experience deep gorges with gorgeous scenery. Expect giant waterfalls where you’ll fall in love with nature. Discover caves where the Shawnee, Delaware, and Wyandot tribes took shelter in the 1600s and 1700s. Archaeological evidence suggests Ash Cave was used as early as 7,000 years ago.
In 2022, based on Instagram posts, Hocking Hills was rated third most beaitiful park in the country, only exceeded by Niagara Falls and the Valley Of Fire. It was rated one of the five most beautiful state parks in the country, based on Yelp and Trip Advisor ratings.
Any visit to the area should begin at Old Man’s Cave Visitor Center, which is adjacent to the Hocking Hills State Park Campground. The visitor center offers a variety of museum-type explanations of the unique geography of the area, along with kid-friendly places to climb, crawl and hide. Upstairs, you’ll find informative park personnel who can direct you to the right park area for your desired activity level.
There are seven distinct sections in Hocking Hills with trails from wheelchair accessible to those rated “Difficult.” The majority are easy to moderate. For starters, I’d suggest starting with the Ash Cave Trail. It is totally wheelchair accessible, and for seniors who are not sure of their endurance, there are benches along the way. The trail is slightly over a quarter mile and relatively flat.
The giant 700-foot-wide, 100-foot-deep cave at the trail’s end is awe-inspiring and undoubtedly worth the trip. If you’re lucky and the weather has cooperated, you’ll also be able to witness the graceful, free-fall, 90-foot-tall waterfall.
Another easy trail to enjoy is just outside Hocking Hills State Park, known as Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve. Two archaeological features to watch for on this half-mile concrete paved trail are the “Grotto” and the giant “Slump Rock”. There’s a large parking area with a covered picnic area across the road from the trailhead.
Ohio Parks have so much more
For a list of additional things to do across the State of Ohio, you might want to start here at https://ohiodnr.gov/home and click the Go & Do tab for dozens of adventures. Have more questions? Here’s a list of just about all state park office phone numbers.
For seniors who still love the outdoors, and for persons with other disabilities, be sure to check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resources page for statewide accessible activities & facilities. If trails such as described above are of interest, click the box marked “Trails” for a list of all paved trails and boardwalks available across the state.
ODNR’s video
