A couple enjoys the scenery at Old Man’s Cave at Hocking Hills State Park.
Submitted photo
What links the Hocking Hills with Armenia; Morea, French Polynesia; Qatar and Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge? All of these are included on Forbes recently released list of the world’s 50 Best Places to Visit in 2023. Citing the region’s endless hiking trails, waterfalls, cliffs, recessed caves and hemlock forests, Forbes’ travel experts call Ohio’s Hocking Hills “an outdoor wonderland” and “Ohio’s prettiest spot.”
With more than 13,000 acres of unbroken forest, visitors give the region five-star reviews for spectacular scenery marked by deep gorges, lush forests, soaring rock faces, unique rock formations and waterfalls. The Hocking Hills’ unique outdoor and arts experiences sparked a record number of searches and positive reviews, causing it to surge in popularity. Travelers can research and book their travel at ExploreHockingHills.com or by calling 1-800-Hocking (800-462-5464).
Located 40 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio’s Hocking Hills’ miles of wooded trails offer hikes in winter and every season. Spring through fall, night moth lightings, hands-on butterfly experiences, canopy tours, kayaking, pontoon boats and more give visitors more opportunities to immerse themselves in the nature of Ohio’s Hocking Hills. A visit to John Glenn Astronomy Park shows the region’s dark skies awash in stars and planets with educational programming on weekends, giving visitors an astronomy lesson complete with access to high-powered telescopes.
Local artists open their studios and help visitors to tap their inner artists with lessons in glass blowing, painting or ceramics. Unique galleries, gift and antique shops are home to locally crafted and hidden treasures. The region is also home to loads of unique accommodations, from cabins in the woods, cottages, hotels and country inns, to tree houses, yurts, geodomes, hobbit houses, a cabin built into an actual cave — and even more unusual lodging. A salt cave, woodland spas and sauna pods add to the allure of the Hocking Hills.
Complete traveler information is found at ExploreHockingHills.com or 1-800-Hocking (800-462-5464).
This story was provided by Amy Weirick of Weirick Communications.
