The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau in Appalachian Ohio , primarily in Hocking County , that features cliffs , gorges , rock shelters , and waterfalls . The relatively extreme topography in this area is due to the Blackhand Sandstone (so named because of Native American graphics on the formation near Newark, Ohio ), a particular formation that is thick, hard and weather-resistant, and so forms high cliffs and narrow, deep gorges.
31-718: Hocking Hills State Park is a state park in the Hocking Hills region of Hocking County, Ohio , United States. In some areas the park adjoins the Hocking State Forest . Within the park are over 25 miles (40 km) of hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls, and recess caves. The trails are open from dawn to dusk, all year round, including holidays. The park contains seven separate hiking areas: Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Conkle's Hollow (nature preserve), Old Man's Cave, Rock House and Hemlock Bridge Trail to Whispering Cave. The name Hocking Hills Hocking County
62-516: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of
93-572: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about
124-683: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use
155-459: Is also the point of contact for cabin stays inside the state park. Reservations for the Lodge and Cabins are made through the contracted management company, Great Ohio Lodges. There are also many privately owned cabins and hotels in the area. In 2017, over 2 million people visited Hocking Hills. To handle the growing tourism, a summer shuttle service from downtown Logan began to lessen the overtaxing on
186-741: 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 . Hocking Hills State park on ohiodnr.gov Visitor Bureaus State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at
217-650: The Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium, is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with
248-636: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Hocking Hills Most of the more scenic areas of the region are under state ownership, including: The core area also includes two privately owned preserves, Crane Hollow and Camp Oty-Okwa (owned by Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Ohio). The geological series that forms the Hocking Hills extends south and west, gradually diminishing but still forming impressive bluffs and gorges in: The Buckeye Trail , along with
279-535: The North Country Trail and the American Discovery Trail , passes through the Hocking Hills region. Also nearby are: The region has mild weather with an average rainfall of 40.3 inches per year and an average of about 175 sunny days per year. The average July high is 84.8 degrees Fahrenheit and the average January low is 19.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The region was first settled by Christian Eby and
310-565: The 1950s by "prisoners from the Hocking Honor Camp." Inmates "worked on tree planting, cleaning plantations and pruning more established plantations. The prisoners earned five cents per hour for their labor if they had dependents, otherwise they earned half a cent per hour for their hard work." This unique model of using inmates to provide social good is striking. According to the Logan Daily News, Hocking Honor inmates "worked closely with
341-554: The Hocking County area and the community, an idea that seems absurd today" There are about 200 campsites in Hocking Hills State Park Campground, including full hookup and electric camp sites with 20-, 30- or 50-amp service, and camping shelters. The park also offers primitive "hike-in" tent-only sites and a primitive Group Camp in their own areas of the park. The campground is close to all of the hiking trails in
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#1732852490606372-563: The accessibility of more traffic, the State Forest Law was passed in 1915 allowing the state to purchase the first parcel of land in Hocking Hills around Old Man's Cave. Hocking Honor Camp Reforestation Hocking Hills' iconic and unusual hemlock forest of Hocking Hills was extensively established by the Civilian Conservation Corp and Division of Forestry in the 1930s. Additional planting and reforestry work took place during
403-439: The area and has flush toilets, shower houses with hot water, vending machines, a camp store, a pool, and other amenities. Reservations for camping may be made up to 6 months in advance. A full-service resort lodge, Hocking Hills State Park Lodge and Conference Center, opened in the state park in autumn 2022 and offers 81 guest rooms as well as a full-service restaurant, fitness room, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The lodge
434-688: The area was called the "Rockhouse" and was located in Herschel Badford's home. Hocking County was formed on March 1, 1818, from Ross, Athens, Fairfield and Logan. The county's boundaries and townships have not been altered since 1851. Due to its natural surroundings, it has become a tourist attraction. Visitors can experience Hocking Hills through outdoor activities year round, including farmers' markets, wine tastings and train rides. Activities include: Hocking County offers miles of trails that vary in length and difficulty depending on location. Some trails are pet friendly. The Hocking Hills area harbors
465-731: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with
496-474: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are
527-473: The direction of the Hocking River was reversed. When the glacial torrents found cracks in the hard capstone, the water poured through to flush out the soft middle layer. This left long tunnels where the gorges are today. Eventually, the weight of the tops caused them to come crashing down. The "slump rocks" in the gorges today are what's left of the hard top layer. In just a few centuries, the rushing waters of
558-472: The east. The landscape remained fairly static for millions of years. Any changes were minuscule, and were slow to develop. When the Wisconsin Glacier began melting back to the north about 10,000 years ago, the landscape would undergo dramatic changes. The glacier stopped in northern Hocking County, so the area suffered indescribable flooding. The ancient Teays River was buried under tons of glacial silt, and
589-522: The first inhabitants of the area of Hocking Hills. In the 18th century, the Native American Tribes of Delaware, Wyandot , and Shawnee travelled through and lived in the area. In 1818, Hocking County was created in Ohio. A powder mill was built in the area in the 1830s and in 1840 Hocking Canal was completed, allowing for more settlers to travel there. After local popular hiking areas were threatened by
620-539: The glacier carved the soft middle layer of sandstone into the myriad dimples and wrinkles that decorate the cliffs and grottos today. Early settlers in Muskingum County found an ancient black human handprint on a cliff that is part of this same sandstone formation. That is the same "Black Hand Sandstone" that is seen in six areas of the Hocking Hills State Park. The Adena culture is believed to be one of
651-484: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to
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#1732852490606682-621: The northwest and then flows southwest, touches Marion Township, continues through Falls and Green Townships, and exits the county through northwestern Starr Township. The river is then in Athens County. History of the Park More than 330 million years ago, the area was relatively level and covered by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. For millions of years, the ocean's currents deposited immense amounts of sand and gravel. After millions of years,
713-557: The ocean receded, and the sandy layers bonded with silica to form the Black Hand Sandstone that underlies the area. It formed like a sandwich, with a hard top and bottom and a soft middle layer. When the Appalachian Mountains arose, form and feature were cast upon the area and created the Hocking Hills. Hocking Hills were hemmed in by the ancient north-flowing Teays River to the west, and the then north-flowing Hocking to
744-627: The park's parking facilities. 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 . Other attractions include: Flora 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. Trails There are numerous hiking trails, including several safe for pets, located throughout
775-469: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by
806-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park
837-604: The state park. Some trails in Hocking Hills State Park include: Many of the adventures in Jeff Smith 's comic book series Bone take place in Old Man's Cave , a place inspired by the Hocking Hills State Park, which Smith enjoyed since he was a child. The waterfalls of the park also influenced Smith's frequent use of water as a recurring visual element in Bone , calling it "an age-old storytelling symbol". As noted, Hocking Hills State Park
868-497: The sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in
899-468: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like
930-518: Was named after the Hockhocking River. Hockhocking, in the Delaware tongue, signifies a bottle. In Shawnee , Wea-tha-Kagh-Qua-sepe, meant bottle river. The Hockhocking River had a waterfall of nearly 20 feet located about 6 or 7 miles northwest of Lancaster. Above the falls, the creek was very narrow and straight, forming the "bottle" neck. The Hockhocking enters the county from Good Hope Township in
961-607: Was named from a shortened version of the Hockhocking River by the Shawnee Indian tribe. "Hockhocking", in the Delaware tongue, signifies a bottle. The Shawnee people thought that a very narrow and straight creek above the waterfall on the Hockhocking River resembled a bottle's neck. Other notable settlers were George Starkey and Moses Dolson. The first election on county matters was held in Eby's mill near Queer Creek . The first post office in