Posted July 24, 200618 yr My fiance and I took our first trip to the Hocking Hills today and checked out a bunch of the areas contained therein. I must say I was absolutely amazed at how cool this place was. :clap: I enjoyed everything I saw there so much that I can't decide what my favorite part was. So, I'm curious to see what all of your opinions are... tell me what your favorite area is!
July 24, 200618 yr The most interesting is Conkle's Hollow (that secluded waterfall area is amazing). Though I still am a sucker for Old Man's Cave. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 24, 200618 yr last time i was there, i fell right in devils bathtub (close to old mans cave.) if anyones familiar with the tub, you know how impossible it was for me to get out lol.
July 24, 200618 yr We used to rent a cabin at Hocking Hills every summer when I was a kid. We crammed 2 parents and 6 kids into one of those 2 bedroom cabins! And we all piled into a station wagon to get there. We were so broke...but we loved it. I remember swimming in the Devil's Bathtub, it was awesome, but don't do it when the rangers are around...
July 25, 200618 yr http://www.glenlaurel.com/home/ If you like a little luxury while "roughing it," it doesn't get much better. Completely worth the drive.
July 2, 200717 yr Levee proposal opposed Mining plan raises fears of Hocking River floods Monday, July 2, 2007 3:26 AM By Mary Beth Lane THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Hundreds of people who live in the Hocking Hills or visit the popular region have signed petitions against expansion of gravel mining along the Hocking River. They are fighting a plan by Mar-Zane Materials Inc. to extend its gravel-mining operation near the little community of Enterprise from 4 acres to 183.5 acres. Now, the disclosure that the company plans to build a mile-long earthen levee along the river is prompting fresh outrage and predictions that it will worsen flooding in a flood-prone area. The dike is proposed in a revised application for an amended mining permit that the company submitted to the state in May. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/07/02/nomine.ART_ART_07-02-07_B1_U376AE2.html
January 7, 200817 yr "I appeal to any white man to say, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, Logan is the friend of the white men. I have even thought to live with you but for the injuries of one man. Col. Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This has called on me for revenge. I have sought it: I have killed many: I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one."
January 8, 200817 yr "I appeal to any white man to say, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, Logan is the friend of the white men. Lots of my friends are direct decedents of Chief Logan and carry this same attitude 200 years later. There are many, many American Indians in the Columbus/Chillicothe/Zanesville triangle. Actually, a lot of them are "Synthetic Mexicans" in that they are a combination of Spaniards and American Indians. This is a cultural phenomenon unique to the area.
May 4, 201015 yr Slow process of revitalizing Logan's historic downtown finally bearing fruit for Hocking Hills community Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 2:56 AM By Mary Beth Lane THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH LOGAN, Ohio - A recently established nonprofit group plans to start raising money to buy and restore the historic Logan Theater building downtown. Volunteers with Logan in Bloom, the annual gardening display and competition, are poised to plant flowers in more than 100 pots and hanging baskets lining the Main Street business district next month. And Logan residents are awaiting word on whether their downtown historic district will be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. As with Lancaster in Fairfield County, Marysville in Union County and other smaller cities in rural areas trying to preserve and revive their historic downtowns, recent revitalization efforts in this community in the Hocking Hills have been an incremental and uneven trudge forward. Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/25/logan-anew.html?sid=101
November 5, 201113 yr The Hocking College Energy Institute was one of the award winners at last week's Columbus Chapter of the American Institute of Architects 2011 Design Awards. The 12,200 square-foot renewable energy & fuel cell technology classroom building was completed in 2009. It is the new flagship building for Hocking College’s Advanced Energy & Vehicle Hybrid Technology Program, which includes curriculum spaces for vehicular hybrid, fuel cell and photovoltaic cells technologies. Sustainable features include 21 kW of building-integrated PV, vegetated roof, solar thermal system, passive solar design and daylight harvesting that reduces annual energy costs by 50%. The Hocking College Energy Institute became the first higher education building in Ohio to achieve LEED-Platinum status. MORE AT COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND: http://www.columbusunderground.com/aia-columbus-announces-winners-of-2011-design-awards MORE PHOTOS AND PROJECT INFO AT DESIGN GROUP: http://designgroup.us.com/work/education/energy-institute
December 2, 201410 yr Hocking Hills State Park to get renovated cabins, other upgrades By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Thursday, October 23, 2014 - 4:41 AM LOGAN, Ohio — A complete renovation of the 40 cabins at Hocking Hills State Park is among the improvements planned there over the next two years. Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director James Zehringer announced plans yesterday to spend about $8.3 million on capital improvements at the popular park, which draws more than 1 million visitors annually. Besides the cabin renovations, the improvements will include: Adding more full-service hookup campsites to accommodate larger recreational vehicles. Installing new playground equipment at the campground. Upgrading the restrooms at the Old Man’s Cave welcome center and at Ash Cave. Replacing the dining-lodge roof, improving the exterior and renovating the outdoor pool near the dining lodge. Adding trail signs. Posting interpretative signs to tell the story of the geology, cultural history and wildlife of Hocking Hills State Park. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/10/22/Hocking-Hills-upgrades-announced.html
March 29, 20169 yr Hocking Hills State Park getting upgrades of cabins, campgrounds By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, February 1, 2016 - 6:07 AM LOGAN, Ohio — Workers at Hocking Hills State Park are stopping short of adding hot tubs, but they are renovating cabins built in 1972 to meet 21st century expectations. Dark paneling is being stripped for freshly painted walls, and old flooring is being ripped up, to be replaced by ceramic tile and carpeting. Flat-screen televisions and new furnishings are being added, including Adirondack chairs and picture frames made by state carpenters using native hardwoods. Insulation, updated heating and cooling systems and new windows also are being added to the 40 cabins. The work is part of $8.3 million in capital improvements that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is making at the popular park, which draws more than 1 million visitors annually. ( . . . ) In addition to renovating the two-bedroom cottages tucked among the woods at Hocking Hills State Park, workers are upgrading 46 campsites with full-service hookups — including electricity, water and sewer service — to accommodate larger recreational vehicles. ... Workers also are preparing to replace the Hocking Hills dining lodge's leaking cedar-shake roof with one made of a polymer composite material. The new roof will resemble the cedar-shake roof but should last about 50 years. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/02/01/hocking-hills-state-park-getting-upgrades-of-cabins-campgrounds.html
March 29, 20169 yr ^Good news. I am glad to see the state addressing deferred maintenance in the state park system.
August 28, 20168 yr Residents OK fee to rebuild Hide-A-Way Hills dam By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Monday, May 2, 2016 - 6:26 AM SUGAR GROVE, Ohio — Work to rebuild the dam at the private resort community Hide-A-Way Hills is expected to begin this month after residents approved an assessment of $3,950 per household to pay for it. Eighty-five percent of voters in the gated community straddling Fairfield and Hocking counties approved the fee in April. That shows how eager most residents are to reclaim full use of their 100-acre Lake of the Four Seasons — expected next year — once the dam is rebuilt and secured. Rebuilding Hide-A-Way Hills’ 1,100-foot earthen dam coincides with the project to rebuild the 4.1-mile Buckeye Lake dam but is far simpler, less costly and privately funded. The Hide-A-Way Hills dam was built when the rustic community was developed in the 1960s. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/05/02/residents-ok-paying-to-rebuild-hide-a-way-hills-dam.html
December 29, 20168 yr Supporters raising money for John Glenn Astronomy Park in one of Ohio's last dark spots Construction starts this spring on an observatory in Hocking Hills State Park named for the late astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn, as organizers keep raising the second half of a $1.6 million goal. John Glenn Astronomy Park will feature an enclosed 540-square-foot observatory with a retractable roof, with one large and several smaller telescopes. For daytime visitors, there'll be a Solar Plaza 18 feet across, encircled by a wall with notches that will frame the sun's movement on key days like a solstice or equinox. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/12/29/supporters-raising-money-for-john-glenn-astronomy.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 12, 20177 yr $5M visitor’s center slated for Hocking Hills State Park http://www.dispatch.com/news/20171204/5m-visitors-center-slated-for-hocking-hills-state-park
December 12, 20177 yr It's about time. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 11, 20187 yr New use sought for closed state prison in Hocking County By Mary Beth Lane, The Columbus Dispatch Updated: March 24, 2018 at 4:48 PM The three-story brick building that has occupied a forested hilltop since 1955 has been a tuberculosis hospital, a children’s home and, most recently, a state prison for older inmates. What comes next for the recently closed Hocking Correctional Institution isn’t yet known, but ideas are circulating as southeastern Ohio community leaders exchange views about how to preserve and repurpose the building for one or more uses. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180316/new-use-sought-for-closed-state-prison-in-hocking-county
May 17, 20187 yr Starting soon: $10 shuttle from downtown Logan to Hocking Hills State Park Love visiting Hocking Hills State Park but hate the hassle of driving and finding a parking spot? Starting May 26, Hocking Hills will offer a shuttle for visitors on Saturdays and Sundays. It starts at Homegrown on Main, at 44 E. Main St. in downtown Logan, with shuttles leaving about every 30 minutes to drop visitors off at the Old Man’s Cave campground office. The service will run through Oct. 28. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/05/17/starting-soon-10-shuttle-from-downtownlogan-to.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 21, 20186 yr John Glenn Astronomy Park Opens for the Summer Solstice Tonight, at the end of the longest day of the year, a new public space to watch the heavens will open in Hocking Hills. The grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting for the John Glenn Astronomy Park will start at 6:30 p.m. this evening with music, a skydiver and, of course, telescopes pointed up at the moon and the planet Jupiter. Local and state luminaries including Julianne Burroughs, board president for Friends of Hocking Hills State Park, Dr. Janet Kavandi, former astronaut and current director of the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and Brad Hoehne, director of the John Glenn Astronomy Park, will be present to celebrate the Summer Solstice at the new observatory that’s been more than a decade in the making. More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/john-glenn-astronomy-park-opens-for-the-summer-solstice-jb1 "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 21, 20186 yr Another photo of the John Glenn Astronomy Park from the Dispatch: http://www.dispatch.com/entertainmentlife/20180621/john-glenn-astronomy-park-grand-opening-coincides-with-summer-solstice
May 15, 20196 yr Hocking Hills State Park plans $31M lodge A new $31 million lodge in Hocking Hills State Park is expected to replace a decades-old one that was destroyed by a fire in 2016. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/05/15/hocking-hills-state-park-plans-31m-lodge.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 25, 20195 yr New visitors center opens at Hocking Hills State Park A new Hocking Hills State Park Visitor Center was officially opened on Monday afternoon by Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz. The two-story, $6 million facility at the park in southeastern Ohio has 8,500 square feet plus an additional 5,000 square feet of space on the upper and lower outdoor verandas. It is more than double the size of the old center. ( . . . ) The new center was built because, based on the volume of visitors, the infrastructure needed to be enlarged, said Karen Raymore, executive director of the Hocking Hills Tourism Association. “It was an opportunity to put in a state-of-the-art interpretive center that would not only give people a really good introduction to the Hocking Hills but (also) make it very clear how important it is to protect it and preserve it,” Raymore said. MORE: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190624/new-visitors-center-opens-at-hocking-hills-state-park
June 25, 20195 yr From what I've seen, it looks like the new visitor center turned out quite nice--perhaps up to national park standards. Great to see this investment.
April 4, 20205 yr Hocking Hills State Park closed to prevent Covid-19 spread All of Hocking Hills State Park and nearby Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve will close at sundown Friday to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said. The total closure of one of the state's most-visited parks follows a series of progressive closings in state park facilities during the pandemic, including lodges, restrooms and campgrounds. State parks were not included in the state's stay-at-home order, which has been extended through May 1. But Gov. Mike DeWine said the ODNR Director Mary Mertz had the authority to shutter parks as necessary to prevent the gathering of large crowds and resulting spread of the virus. Affected areas include Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Old Man’s Cave, Rock House and Whispering Cave. Find the full list of facility closures at http://ohiodnr.gov/odnr-operations-during-coronavirus-outbreak. MORE: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2020/04/03/hocking-hills-state-park-closed-to-prevent-covid.html
May 28, 20205 yr Hocking Hills announces partial reopening Portions of Hocking Hills State Park will reopen the next month, as the state continues to balance gradually reopening its economy and blunting the potential spread of coronavirus. While outdoor areas largely had been excluded from the state's stay-at-home orders, Hocking Hills was shuttered in early April because its trail system did not allow for social distancing, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz said at the time. The department now plans to reopen portions of the park, including the Cantwell Cliffs and Rock House trails, on June 15, with certain modifications. "ODNR will reroute trails and direct hikers to one-way travel, where the landscape permits trail modification," according to a news release. Not all areas of the park are reopening, however. Trail modifications are still being developed for Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls and Whispering Caves. ... Campgrounds will also reopen later in the summer, with the park accepting campground and cabin reservations with an arrival date of July 15 or later. Full news release on the park's reopening plan: https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr-core/home/news-and-events/all-news/some-hocking-sites-reopen-june15
September 21, 20213 yr Take a look inside new $40M Hocking Hills State Park Lodge with updated renderings Construction continues on the new $40 million Hocking Hills State Park Lodge in Logan. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is heading up the project, which was launched after the state park's original 1972 lodge burned down in 2016 while it was undergoing renovations. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/09/21/hocking-hills-state-park-lodge.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 21, 20213 yr 4 minutes ago, ColDayMan said: Take a look inside new $40M Hocking Hills State Park Lodge with updated renderings Construction continues on the new $40 million Hocking Hills State Park Lodge in Logan. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is heading up the project, which was launched after the state park's original 1972 lodge burned down in 2016 while it was undergoing renovations. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2021/09/21/hocking-hills-state-park-lodge.html I’ve seen updates of this building and it’s beautiful. Cannot wait to see it finished.
September 21, 20213 yr Okay but most importantly, when is the Disc Golf Course going to open back up?! Place was such a fun challenge and I fear they just let nature ruin it over these past two years. They closed it down during this project, although I'm entirely unsure why as it's fully in the forest not near the construction site. Probably just so they wouldn't have to maintain it during construction or something. Edited September 21, 20213 yr by TIm More words
September 21, 20213 yr I can't wait to see/stay at the new Hocking Hills Lodge. The state appears poised to acquire the lodge at Geneva State Park this year, making the state the owner of ten lodges in total with Hocking Hills.
September 22, 20213 yr I think SE Ohio needs to capitalize on the natural resources it has around it. They should go all in on tourism. SE is beautiful and is really underappreciated. This will be so good for the area...i would assume this is wedding friendly? I could see it becoming a big time wedding destination. Edited September 22, 20213 yr by OhioFinest
September 22, 20213 yr 58 minutes ago, OhioFinest said: I think SE Ohio needs to capitalize on the natural resources it has around it. They should go all in on tourism. SE is beautiful and is really underappreciated. This will be so good for the area...i would assume this is wedding friendly? I could see it becoming a big time wedding destination. Wholeheartedly agree. West Virginia has historically done a great job advertising its natural resource tourism industry compared to SE Ohio. Maybe local and state tourism boards could take some cues from them. There are so many treasures in the area, hopefully the addition of the Hocking Hills Lodge brings more attention to the accommodations available in the area and that a weekend wilderness escape is far more convenient and comfortable than one might think.
September 22, 20213 yr WV is hungrier for those bux than Ohio. Also they have the private sector on their side a little more since they have a lot of tourism property located on private land owned by the coal companies and railroads such as the Hatfield McCoy trail system.
November 11, 20213 yr Local Couple Bringing Modern Kit Homes to the Hocking Hills Jay and Kelly DeVore have taken the pandemic project idea to a new level – the Bexley couple have spent the last year renovating one cabin and building four new ones on a remote parcel of land near Old Man’s Cave. The new buildings were built using prefab construction (now often referred to as a ‘kit home’ system), and feature a modern design that they hope will distinguish the project from the more traditional log cabins that tend to dominate the Hocking Hills house rental market. “We always liked this area, we enjoyed coming down to hike…and for me, it brings the blood pressure down,” said Jay, who has developed a pair of residential projects in Columbus – one near German Village and the other in Italian Village – through his company DEV. “So that was the draw, and there’s something like seven or eight hundred ‘log cabin-y’ type of cabins around here, and we knew we couldn’t do a log cabin better than [they do here].” “I’m also a believer in the school of things that says buildings from 2021 should look like they’re from 2021,” he added, “and I thought this would just be the perfect spot for that contrast.” More below: https://www.columbusunderground.com/local-couple-bringing-modern-kit-homes-to-the-hocking-hills-bw1/ "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 11, 20222 yr Hocking Hills State Park unveils new $40 million lodge and conference center A new lodge and conference center at Hocking Hills State Park is now open for business. The $40 million facility in Logan was built on the same footprint as the state park's former lodge restaurant and conference center, which was destroyed by a fire in December 2016. The nearly 74,000-square-foot lodge has 81 guests rooms for overnight visitors. The facility also features Rock House Restaurant and Pub with food from Matt Rapposelli, the chef from the park's previous lodge. In addition to guest rooms and a restaurant/bar, the building has event space that can host hundreds of people. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2022/10/11/hocking-hills-new-lodge-and-conference-center.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 12, 20222 yr I have been saying it forever...Ohio should be investing heavily into Southeastern Ohio's state parks and natural beauty and also on Lake Erie's lakefront. Two incredible natural resources we have in Ohio and do absolutely nothing with. I think i read where this lodge was the first new structure of its kind on a state park in Ohio in over 30 years?!?!?!? Anyway, this looks absolutely incredible and will instantly become THE wedding destination of the fall season in Ohio lol. I only hope that with the amount available space around it, that with financial success, there are future expansion phases planned. This place could become a huge huge benefit to Southeastern Ohio and make it a true Fall destination. Build this thing into an icon for Ohio. Awesome stuff!!
October 12, 20222 yr 16 minutes ago, OhioFinest said: I have been saying it forever...Ohio should be investing heavily into Southeastern Ohio's state parks and natural beauty and also on Lake Erie's lakefront. Two incredible natural resources we have in Ohio and do absolutely nothing with. I think i read where this lodge was the first new structure of its kind on a state park in Ohio in over 30 years?!?!?!? Anyway, this looks absolutely incredible and will instantly become THE wedding destination of the fall season in Ohio lol. I only hope that with the amount available space around it, that with financial success, there are future expansion phases planned. This place could become a huge huge benefit to Southeastern Ohio and make it a true Fall destination. Build this thing into an icon for Ohio. Awesome stuff!! I definitely agree, although it's important to be careful with how we invest. You don't want to over-commercialize a state park because you risk losing the authentic feeling of actually being in nature.
October 12, 20222 yr Look at that view!!! I can't imagine how incredible that is this time of year. Again, my only wish is that they would have built this much much bigger. Again, hopefully there are planned expansions over time. This place could really be a spark for that part of the state!! Look at that view!!!
October 12, 20222 yr 17 minutes ago, OhioFinest said: Look at that view!!! I can't imagine how incredible that is this time of year. Again, my only wish is that they would have built this much much bigger. Again, hopefully there are planned expansions over time. This place could really be a spark for that part of the state!! Look at that view!!! I personally like the size they chose. Makes it a bit more exclusive so when you go visit you aren't in a sea of people on every trail and at every park. Nothing better than being alone out in nature and I hope they don't try to spoil that by building too much resort style tourism in the area. We have enough big construction occurring around the state, lets not spoil the most beautiful spot we got!
October 12, 20222 yr 1 hour ago, OhioFinest said: Disagree 100%. To each their own.... Leave nature alone! We don't need monstrous buildings out there, this is plenty. Imagine having that beautiful view spoiled by more of these things? Edited October 12, 20222 yr by TIm
October 12, 20222 yr Unlike basically all of the other state park lodges across Ohio, Hocking Hills already has a good amount of lodging (private cabins and hotels in Logan). I think it is okay that this one is somewhat smaller in scale, but it sure will be hard to get a room.
October 12, 20222 yr 17 minutes ago, ink said: Unlike basically all of the other state park lodges across Ohio, Hocking Hills already has a good amount of lodging (private cabins and hotels in Logan). I think it is okay that this one is somewhat smaller in scale, but it sure will be hard to get a room. Yeah I'd much rather people stay near the nature and then head out to enjoy it as opposed to destroying more nature so people can sit in a resort pool and ignore it. Humans aren't the only ones who deserve to enjoy this land, let's not scare away all the critters by bulldozing their habitat for hotels and pools. Edited October 12, 20222 yr by TIm
March 7, 20241 yr With all the lodges and Instagram influencer hype around new cabins I'd thought I'd revive this thread. Anyone hear of anything interesting in development for the region?
March 7, 20241 yr 3 hours ago, tunedupryan said: With all the lodges and Instagram influencer hype Um, Hocking Hills has "influencers"? How did our boy scout troupes ever find out about this place before cell phones?
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