Hocking Hills 2009

Living in Ohio, there are not very many local vacation destinations that will pique one's interest. However, a few miles southeast of Columbus lies Hocking Hills State Park. Being a mild sports car enthusiast, the lure of smoothly-paved mountainous roads (which are non-existent in 99% of Ohio) and the need to detach myself from the daily grind settled my mind on Hocking Hills. The drive was approximately 3 hours, and many of the roads leading into the area were long and winding.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in the town of Logan. It was not the cheapest in town, but definitely a notch above the rest. The staff was very friendly, and being less than 5 years old it was in very good repair. The parking lot was well lit (I don't like leaving my car in shady areas overnight), and it was only a minute or two away from stores and gas. A couple of quick photos from the window of the room:

Our first stop on Sunday was a small attraction called the "natural rock bridge". It takes 10 or 15 minutes of hiking (up and down large hills) to reach the bridge, but once arrived it was worth the trek. It is amazing how such a structure could be formed naturally. Even more, I was alarmed that there were no guard rails protecting people from falling to the rocks below. Personally I enjoyed this aspect of the park because it made everything seem less "touristy" and more "au natural". And lastly, of course I had to snap a few quick pictures of my car as we were coming back to the parking lot... Old Man's Cave is the most popular destination at Hocking Hills. It consists of a large gorge with several caves throughout the bottom and within the walls. At the end of the hike, there is a small waterfall which feeds the stream running through the gorge. It is a very scenic area for some nice photography. Our last visit was Ash Cave. This was my favorite destination of the trip, and likely one of the most awe-inspiring formations in the park. At times I forgot I was in Ohio! Ash Cave could be better characterized as an outcropping of rock rather than a "cave" by the classical definition. I estimate it rises a couple hundred feet from the ground, and spans quite a large horizontal area as well. There are steps to walk on top of the cave (again, NO guard rails...this was a little knee-weakening to say the least). I tried to capture the colossal size of the cave in the photos: Unfortunately, I have no pictures of some of the great roads here. Driving within and around the park is a blast on smooth roads with a posted speed limit of 55 and "twisty" signs plastered everywhere. The drive is often scenic, and at times almost surreal with no traffic and a setting sun along Lake Logan...just don't get stuck behind a truck! Of course all of this may be because Ohio has nothing like this outside of this state park. All in all Hocking Hills is a great place for a weekend getaway and to have some fun...both for some fun driving and taking in some of nature's beauty.