The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divide ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, primarily in Hocking County, that features

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s, gorges,

rock shelter A rock shelter (also rockhouse, crepuscular cave, bluff shelter, or abri) is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. In contrast to solutional caves (karst), which are often many miles long, rock shelters are almost alway ...

s, and

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

s. The relatively extreme topography in this area is due to the Blackhand

Sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

(so named because of Native American graphics on the formation near

Newark, Ohio Newark ( ) is a city serving as the county seat of Licking County, Ohio, United States, east of Columbus, at the junction of the forks of the Licking River. The population was 49,934 at the 2020 census, which makes it the 15th largest city in ...

), a particular formation that is thick, hard and weather-resistant, and so forms high cliffs and narrow, deep gorges.

Component open-space areas

Most of the more scenic areas of the region are under state ownership, including: *

Hocking Hills State Park Hocking Hills State Park is a state park in the Hocking Hills region of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. In some areas the park adjoins the Hocking State Forest. Within the park are over of hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls, and ...

(with five use areas: Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Old Man's Cave, Rockhouse, and Cantwell Cliffs) *

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. The forest is in one of the most scenic area ...

Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve is a deep, cool gorge, which is only 100 feet wide in places and is considered by some to be the deepest in Ohio. The cliffs above the gorge are about 200 feet tall. The valley floor is covered in multiple ...

*Sheick Hollow State Nature Preserve (entry by permit only) *Little Rocky Hollow State Nature Preserve (entry by permit only) * Kessler Swamp State Nature Preserve * Lake Logan State Park *

Wayne National Forest The Wayne National Forest is located in the south-eastern part of the US state of Ohio, in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It is the only national forest in Ohio. Forest headquarters are located between The Plains and Nelsonville, Ohio, on ...

Rockbridge State Nature Preserve Rockbridge State Nature Preserve is a nature reserve featuring a natural bridge located in the unincorporated community of Rockbridge in Hocking County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Hocking Hills region, but the sandstone that forms ...

The core area also includes two privately owned preserves, Crane Hollow and Camp Oty-Okwa (owned by Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Ohio). The geological series that forms the Hocking Hills extends south and west, gradually diminishing but still forming impressive bluffs and gorges in: *Clear Creek Metro Park, part of the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District *Rising Park in Lancaster *Wahkeena Memorial State Nature Preserve in

Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States: * Fairfield County, Connecticut * Fairfield County, Ohio Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. ...

*Christmas Rocks State Nature Preserve in Fairfield County *Rhododendron Cove State Nature Preserve in Fairfield County *Shallenberger State Nature Preserve in Fairfield County *Saltpetre Cave State Nature Preserve in Hocking County *Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve (exposure is along the westernmost edge only) in Hocking County *

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 . The n ...

in Jackson County *

Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve The Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve is a sandstone formation through which the Licking River flows in Licking County, Ohio, United States. Located east of Newark near the tiny town of Toboso, along the gorge were designated an Ohio Na ...

in Licking County *Liberty Wildlife Area in Jackson County The

Buckeye Trail The Buckeye Trail is a hiking trail and long-distance trail that loops around the state of Ohio. Part of it is on roads and part is on wooded trail. Road portions of the trail are gradually being relocated to separate trail. This trail p ...

, along with the

North Country Trail The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the NCT, is a footpath stretching over from Middlebury in central Vermont to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota in the United States; ...

and the

American Discovery Trail The American Discovery Trail is a system of recreational trails and roads that collectively form a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. Horses can also be ridden on most of this trail. The coastal tra ...

, passes through the Hocking Hills region. Also nearby are: *

Lake Hope State Park Lake Hope State Park is a public recreation area encompassing within Zaleski State Forest, located northeast of Zaleski in Vinton County, Ohio. The state park is centered on Lake Hope, a impoundment on Big Sandy Run. History The park and l ...

Zaleski State Forest Zaleski State Forest is a state forest in the U.S. state of Ohio, located primarily in Vinton County, with areas in Athens County as well. The 28,000 acre (110 km²) forest surrounds Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County, and borders the ...

Camp Wyandot Camp Wyandot (formerly known as Camp Fire USA Central Ohio Council, Inc.) is owned and operated by Camp Wyandot, Inc., a non-profit youth organization, based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. On April 30, 2013, Camp Wyandot became an independent organizati ...

Tar Hollow State Park Tar Hollow State Park is a public recreation area located five miles south of Laurelville, Ohio, in the United States. Surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Plateau, the state park is part of a larger protected complex with the adjoining ...

* Tar Hollow State Forest *Camp Akita (UCC church camp) 500px, Hocking Hills area

Climate

The region has mild weather with an average rainfall of 40.3 inches per year and an average of about 175 sunny days per year. The average July high is 84.8 degrees Fahrenheit and the average January low is 19.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

History

The region was first settled by Christian Eby and was named from a shortened version of the Hockhocking River by the Shawnee Indian tribe. "Hockhocking", in the Delaware tongue, signifies a bottle. The Shawnee people thought that a very narrow and straight creek above the waterfall on the Hockhocking River resembled a bottle's neck. Other notable settlers were George Starkey and Moses Dolson. The first election on county matters was held in Eby's mill near Queer Creek. The first post office in the area was called the "Rockhouse" and was located in Herschel Badford's home.

Hocking County formation

Hocking County was formed on March 1, 1818, from Ross, Athens, Fairfield and Logan. The county's boundaries and townships have not been altered since 1851. Due to its natural surroundings, it has become a tourist attraction.

Outdoor activities

Visitors can experience Hocking Hills through outdoor activities year round, including farmers' markets, wine tastings and train rides. Activities include: * Athens Farmers Market * Earth, Water, Rock: Outdoor Adventures * Hocking Hills Canopy Tours (late March through the last weekend in November) * Happy Hills Fun Park * Hocking Hills Gem Mine * Hocking Hills Marina at Lake Logan * Hocking Hills Primal Trek * Hocking Hills Adventures * Ultimate Zipline Adventures * Hocking Valley Scenic Railway * Hunting at Hocking Hills Cabins * Shade Winery * Sharp Farms Pumpkins & Corn Maze * The Buckeye Trail * Touch the Earth Adventures * Valley Zipline Tours Walker Farm * Wayne National Forest * Nelsonville's Historic Public Square

Hiking trails

Hocking County offers miles of trails that vary in length and difficulty depending on location. Some trails are pet friendly. * Old Man's Cave: 1 mile * Ash Cave Gorge: ¼ mile, wheelchair accessible * Ash Cave Rim: ½ mile * Cedar Falls: ½ mile * Rock House: 1 mile * Cantwell Cliffs: various trails, around 3 miles * Conkle's Hollow: 1 mile, wheelchair accessible * Conkle's Hollow Rim: 2½ miles *

: Cedar Falls – Ash Cave: 3 miles, Old Man's Cave – Cedar Falls: 3 mile; also over 1,400 other miles around the state of Ohio, coincident with the

and the

in the Hocking Hills area.

Rare plants

The Hocking Hills area harbors a number of rare plants, including Huperzia porophila, the rock firmoss; Botrychium simplex, the least grape fern; Silene rotundifolia, the round-leaf catchfly, and Trichomanes boschianum, the

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

n filmy fern.

References

External links

Hocking Hills
at American Byways
Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills Official Website

Hocking Hills Tourism Association

Hocking Hills Tourism WebsiteHocking Hills tourist information and mapsZipline in Hocking Hills
{{Authority control Mountains of Ohio .Hocking Hills Hills of the United States Allegheny Plateau Landmarks in Ohio