Hocking Hills State Park
This article is for Hocking Hills State Park. For the region in Southeastern, Ohio with the same name, please see: Hocking Hills.
| Hocking Hills State Park | |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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 Devil's Bathtub in Hocking Hills State Park near Logan, Ohio. |
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| Location | Hocking County, Ohio, USA |
| Nearest city | Logan, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 39°25′50″N 82°32′20″W / 39.43056°N 82.53889°WCoordinates: 39°25′50″N 82°32′20″W / 39.43056°N 82.53889°W |
| Area | Land: 2,356 acres (953 ha) Water: 17 acres (6.9 ha) |
| Established | 1924 |
| Governing body | Ohio Department of Natural Resources |
Hocking Hills State Park is a non-contiguous state park in the Hocking Hills region of Hocking County, Ohio, United States; it is contiguous with the Hocking State Forest. Within the park are several spectacular features based around rock formations, including Old Man's Cave, a narrow, deep gorge featuring waterfalls; Rock House, a cliffed area with a rock shelter; Cantwell Cliffs, a broad gorge at the head of a hollow with a unique stone stairway; and Ash Cave, a large rock shelter with a small waterfall, and Cedar Falls, a larger waterfall south of Old Man's Cave.)[1]
The park is in four separate sections. The largest includes Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls. Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, and Rockhouse are each separate sections.
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[edit] Tourist accommodations
There are about 200 campsites in the park, most equipped with electricity. The campground is close to all of the hiking trails in the area and has flush toilets, shower houses with hot water, vending machines, a camp store, a pool, and other amenities. The area also has many cabins and hotels in this area. The guest lodge lacks lodging but has a restaurant, a snack bar, a pool, and a game room.[2]
[edit] Attractions
Nearby are also other attractions of the Hocking Hills, including Hocking State Forest, Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, Lake Logan State Park, and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. The North Country Trail passes through the complex, where it is coincident with the Buckeye Trail and the American Discovery Trail. The most important[citation needed] segment of this trail in the Hocking Hills is the Grandma Gatewood Trail.
The deep gorges and high cliffs result from the erosion-resistant Blackhand Sandstone, which extends well to the northeast of the Hocking Hills. Other open-space areas have been established within the range of the Blackhand, including Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve. Several rare plants are known from this area, including plants that are outside their normal range. Canadian yew, bigleaf magnolia, and many others are here.
Many of the locations in Hocking Hills State Park, such as Old Man's Cave, provided inspiration for location names in Jeff Smith's Bone series.
The area is very popular with tourists, and collectively is known as the Hocking Hills Region. It features many private inns, campgrounds, cabins, restaurants, and other related businesses, including a recently-developed zipline.
[edit] Other public lands
As noted, Hocking Hills State Park is embedded within the Hocking State Forest. Crane Hollow Nature Preserve, a private preserve, fills in a large part of the non-public area. On the south side, Camp Oti-Okwa, owned by Big Brothers-Big Sisters, is also a sizeable protected area. There are three state nature preserves within the Forest, but only Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve is open to the public. Also nearby are Clear Creek Metro Park, Lake Logan State Park, and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve.
[edit] References
- ^ "Area Attractions". 4seasonshideaways.com. http://www.4seasonshideaways.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=188.
- ^ "Guide to Ohio State Parks". ohiotraveler.com. http://www.ohiotraveler.com/ohio_state_parks.htm.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hocking Hills State Park |
