The Hocking Hills is a scenic region of Ohio, mostly in Hocking County, with cliffs, gorges, rock shelters and waterfalls. Regardless of the season, organizations or groups of friends and family will find a multitude of activities waiting for them throughout the Hocking Hills area. Opportunities for physical exercise and fun abound, including camping, hiking, canoeing, and horseback riding, as well as Halloween jaunts, wildlife and plant life excursions, and a variety of special events.
Photography and Motorcycles
Friends of the Hocking Hills, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development and success of the region, organizes a variety of special events throughout the year. A photography contest, “Shoot the Hills,” is a 24-hour competition ideal for groups of photographers to engage in artistic photographic endeavors in the scenic wild of the area. The group also sponsors a poker run, popular among groups of motorcyclists eager to engage in a day of bike riding and card playing.
Camping
Hocking Hills State Forest parks provide ample campground space for groups to spend time enjoying nature, barbecues, bonfires and outdoor activities. The Youth Group Campgrounds is a primitive campsite enjoyed by church and other youth groups. This site requires advance registration. Older groups may gather at the state of Ohio’s Main Family Campgrounds or the primitive, Walk-in Family Camp. A public horsemen’s camp, reserved for groups of riders and their horses, is also in the area.
Nature Tours
Groups of nature lovers will enjoy the many naturalist programs available throughout the state park. These include nighttime lantern tours of Ash Cave, special Christmas presentations at Ash Cave, a weekly hiking series beginning at Ash Cave, hand-feeding of hummingbirds Wednesday through Sunday afternoons at Lake Hope in Vinton County, stargazing events, a Saturday hike to investigate aquatic life, guided canoe and kayak excursions, and “Fur, Feathers, Feet and Fangs,” a naturalist's presentation on wildlife species in the region.
Concerts, Movies and Art
The Friday night summer concert series at Worthington Park Gazebo in Logan features a variety of local bands, with groups of visitors encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs to enjoy the free music, while an outdoor summer movie series allows groups of families and friends to gather for an evening of cinema under the stars. Others flock to Lilyfest, a three-day garden and art festival near the Rock House attraction in Rockbridge.
Railway Tours and Foliage
June through October sees The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway rumble along a stretch of train track through the Hocking landscape, departing from Nelsonville at noon on Saturdays for a 14-mile trip, and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays for a 22-mile journey, with reservations suggested for all holiday trips and fall foliage tours. Fall is one of the busiest times of year in the Hocking Hills as visitors journey en masse, often on group bus tours, to see the breathtaking foliage.
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