Much of Ohio’s human history was written in its southern hills, where early pioneers made their way upland from the rivers and carved out communities in terrain too tangled for the plow to tame. Today the region known as the Hocking Hills, much of it covered by portions of Wayne State Forest, is made up of picturebook communities, parks, nature preserves, and endless lakes, caves, rugged trails, streams and waterfalls.

For the motorcoach traveler, it means a year-round vacationland that is only a tankful of fuel from some of the Midwest’s largest population centers. Known as the “Hot Tub Capital of the Midwest,” the Hocking Hills are 55 miles from Cleveland, 201 miles from Pittsburgh, and 227 from Indianapolis. Midwesterners love it so much, they purchase campsites or cabins here and call it their second home.

Looking at a map, find the region south of Zanesville and Columbus and northeast of Athens. Its largest communities are Nelsonville and Logan, but side trips to surrounding communities can keep you day-tripping for weeks from a base camp in one of the parks or private campgrounds.

Good Natured Ohio

Many millennia ago, glaciers scraped down from Canada, gouged out a basin for Lake Erie, and finally ground to a stop in the top half of Ohio. The Hocking Hills were left standing but were seeded by northern species, such as Canada yew and yellow and black birch, which were pushed ahead of the advancing ice. The result is a unique mix of plants found nowhere else.

A culture known as the Adena people roamed the area 7,000 years ago. By the 1700s, the hills were home to tribes including Shawnee, Delaware and Wyandot. In 1807 a settler named Thomas Worthington built a grand mansion here—see it now as a restoration, state memorial and museum—and by 1870 tourists were proclaiming the beauties of these woodlands and rock formations.

Forested, full-featured nature sites come thirteen to the dozen in the Hocking Hills. One of the favorites, Old Man’s Cave, is best known for caves and waterfalls as well as the Grandma Gatewood Trail, a six-mile course that is part of Ohio’s Buckeye Trail and also part of two national routes, the North Country Scenic Trail and America’s Discover Trail. In the southernmost Hills visit Ash Cave, one of the largest and most impressive recess caves in Ohio. At Conkle’s Hollow, amble through a valley green with fern in summer. In spring it’s alight with wildflowers; in winter it’s filled with living sculptures of white birchbark and towering hemlock. Hike the rocky reaches of Big Pine Road, one of the deepest gorges in the state.

Hocking Hills State Park offers 26 miles of hiking trails, naturalist programs, and fishing in Rose Lake. Winter activities include ice fishing and a winter hike that has been an annual trek for more than 40 years. Fortify yourself the night before with hearty bean soup from the vast vats that are stirred up here for special events. In the adjacent state forest, go rock climbing and rappelling. Cantwell Cliffs in the northern Hills is one of the least-visited parks in the group. Go the extra mile to get here and find scenery that rises into steep cliffs and narrows to mere slits in the rock. Try getting through Fat Woman’s Squeeze if you dare.

See the only true cave in the region at Rock House, where nature carved it deep into the Blackhand sandstone. Take another day to explore Cedar Falls, home of the area’s largest-volume waterfall. Artists and photographers can spend hours at the spot where Queer Creek roars over a Blackhand sandstone cliff. Water levels change with the seasons, light changes with the sun and, in winter, the lucky observer may find the waterfall turned to solid ice.

Clear Creek Metro Park is a favorite with botanists who have identified 1,200 plant species here including wild persimmon and the shy, dainty pink ladyslipper. See how many you can find. Rock Bridge is one of three natural bridges in Ohio. This one, 100 feet long and spanning 45 feet above a gorge, is not to be missed. Spring and fall are the times to visit Tar Hollow, a wonderland of dogwood, redbud and wildflowers in springtime and a palette of color in autumn.

Two natural lakes are of special interest to anglers as well as to swimmers and boaters. Lake Hope has a lodge known for its excellent dining at Stone Terrace Restaurant. Lake Logan has a 530-foot beach and happy hunting for fisherfolk who angle for largemouth, bluegill, crappie, northern pike, saugeye and meaty catfish.

Rambling the Region

Ride the Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad through the heart of the region. Spend a day (Memorial Day through October) at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College in Nelsonville. It’s a living history showplace where local volunteers in period costume are performing pioneer tasks such as making lace, preparing food, or spinning yarn. Stop by Great Expectations bookstore in Logan to browse books and have an espresso with a pastry treat. The house was built in 1892. Some of the finest dining in the area is at the Inn at Cedar Falls, where you can pick up a bag lunch (phone ahead; there are two selections plus a triple chocolate brownie), dine on the patio or have a gourmet dinner.

West of Logan, check out the tiny community of Gibisonville (GIB-iss-son-ville) where Benny O’Hara’s General Store is straight out of a movie set. Stop in for anything from a cold drink to an ice cream or a week’s provisions. The building dates to 1853 and proprietors are descendants of settlers who came here almost two centuries back. Don’t rush your visit. The best part is jawboning with the folks from the surrounding “hills and hollers” including the storekeepers themselves. Benny takes cash only and there are no ATMs in town.

For many visitors, Art is the name of the game. Pick up a booklet Art of the Hocking Hills [(866)380-2253 or hockinghillsart.com] and plan a new route each day to seek out the shops, studios and galleries of gifted woodworkers, potters, glass workers, photographers, metal workers, painters, jewelers and sculptors. Some keep regular hours; others can be seen only by appointment. If the arts are your passion, you can not only buy here but study. Group and individual classes and workshops are offered all year.

The Hocking Hills are more than a magnificent quirk of nature. They’re a slower pace, a bygone way of life, a place where art and hospitality just naturally took root. You won’t find them on the map (except for a state park that bears their name) but their story will soon be written on your heart.

If You Go

For more information and lists of campgrounds: Contact (800) HOCKING or go to 1800hocking.com. Also 800-BUCKEYE.com or ohiotourism.com. Click on the link to Eastern Ohio. Lists of campgrounds (excluding those in state parks) are found at hockinghills.com. Note that not all listings here have RV sites and not all RV sites have full hookups.

In campground directories, look under Logan, Nelsonville, Rockbridge, South Bloomington and Laurelville. For information on camping in state parks, call (800) BUCKEYE or go to ohiodnr.com/parks.

For information on riding the Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad, phone (800) 967-7834 or go to hvsr.com.