Looking to get out of the city? Columbus, Ohio is a young, fun, clean and up-and-coming city. For some, however, there is a constant pull to get outside and into nature. Just southeast of the city are several parks, the most popular being Hocking Hills State Park.
The main area of the park is packed with families on weekend or extended camping trips. Not my typical rugged hiking choice but profoundly beautiful regardless. If you get there early enough in the day, the crowds are minimal and you can enjoy the peace and serenity that the place offers.
With short hikes around vast caves and sparkling waterfalls, this area draws a very different type of hiking crowd. Non-hikers. I had several people comment on my hiking poles, people saying loudly to no one in particular how they’re going to be “sore tomorrow” or how “out of shape” they are.
With multiple interconnected trails, you can wander the area all day at a comfortable pace. The beauty of the area is really second to none. And if you are up for it you can take one of the longer trails and watch the crowds magically disappear.
Cantwell Cliffs
On my drive from the city to the park I saw a sign for “The Rock House” and “Cantwell Cliffs.” My plan was to go to the Rock House, a vast tunnel-like corridor housed partway up a 150-foot cliff. So, I followed the signs. What I found was Cantwell Cliffs.
Not part of the main area of Hocking Hills State Park, I was the only car in the lot that morning. Its remote location tending to discourage the crowds.
You have 2 options to really get the most out of the area, the 2-mile Rim Trail or the Gorge Trail. Overlapping one another at multiple points you can create your own trail.
The scenery is really quite stunning, with sandy soil, squeeze shoots of stairs between towering boulders, and waterfalls cascading over smooth rock. It’s the perfect start to a day of exploration around the area.
Main Lodge Area
There are multiple hikes that interconnect in this area. You can make your visit as long or as short as you like. Arriving early, the parking lot is near empty and the trails are mostly bare. More of the sandy soil and man-made stairs give the trail an easy but unique flair.
You can hike to the Long Tunnel, Lower Falls, Upper Falls, Devil’s Bathtub, and Old Man’s Cave on easy, well-maintained trails.
Cedar Falls
If you are looking for something a little bit longer and wonderfully secluded, the two-mile trek between the main parking area and Cedar Falls is well worth it.
After a rain the hike can be very muddy, but you spend the majority of the trek following a lazy, turquoise river so clean and inviting it’s just begging you to jump in.
Along the way you see various waterfalls and rock cliffs. Some rock cliffs that you need to shimmy your way through and across.
All this beauty culminating at the majestic Cedar Falls. Fast moving water flowing over a cliffs edge watched over by soaring cedars.
There is a parking area here as well, creating a short hike to the falls without the need to make the, albeit short, 2-mile hike. So, needless to say, the crowds here can get a bit unbearable. If you hiked the 2-miles there, you can then escape back to the route to make the 2-mile trek back to your car.
Getting out
By the time I made it back to the main area, the magical solitude of the area had been destroyed. The various viewpoints were teaming with people, swimming in areas with no swimming signs and packed into groups to get that memorable shot.
It was time for me to leave. Making my way to the now overflowing parking lot, I drove off. I never did make it to the Rock House Trail, but as I pulled out of the parking lot there was the sign, pointing to it just 8 miles down the road. By that time, I had enough of the crowds, my peace broken and I started the long drive back to New Jersey.
I will say though that hiking those trails, alone for my first real solo hiking adventure, I felt unstoppable. Someone even called me a hiking ninja. I felt strong, peaceful and rejuvenated, which is exactly what I was looking for.
