Rappelling doesn’t take the upper-body strength of rock climbing. It only requires the faith to lean backwards off a cliff.
In the Hocking Hills area of Ohio, climbing guide Sean Foley stands at the top of a 35-foot rock face, calmly talking beginners into taking those scary first steps before they get to the easy and exhilarating part — walking backwards down the side of a cliff wall like Spiderman or a villain in a jewel heist movie.
Learning to rappel is one of many outdoor experiences available to travelers who visit Ohio’s woods. Whether you drive an hour southeast of Columbus to the beautiful Appalachian greenery of Hocking Hills, or 78 miles northeast to Amish country, Ohio delivers a fun, family-friendly, outdoorsy vacation.
From the Ground to the Sky
Hocking Hills is the name of a large area of southeastern Ohio. It includes Hocking Hills State Park, which is known for its waterfalls, caves and woods and as one of the few places suitable for rock climbing in the state. Located within Ohio’s swath of Appalachia, the area is home to locals who proudly proclaim themselves rednecks. Businesses like the Hocking Hills Moonshine Distillery bring their hillbilly roots into the modern age.
Hikes range from very short with a nice payoff to longer and more rugged. Even city dwellers in ordinary sneakers will enjoy the easy walks to scenic marvels such as Cedar Falls or Old Man’s Cave, named for hermit Richard Rowe, who took up residence in the overhang cave in 1796. More serious hikers can follow the six-mile (each way) Grandma Gatewood Trail, which ties many of the area’s picturesque high points together. If you like guided walks, High Rock Adventures and Hocking Hills Eco Tours offer an edible and medicinal plant tour, as well as the intro to rappelling mentioned above.
Visitors can fully appreciate the scope of Hocking Hills’ trees from the air. Harry Sowers, who’s been flying for more than 50 years, offers flightseeing tours in his four-seater Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Sowers’ nonstop patter and flying jokes are almost as memorable as the bird’s eye views of waterfalls and seemingly endless forest. “Can you folks give me a minute? I have to put the wing back on the airplane,” he teases. He says he dials back his airplane humor “if [passengers] have a Pacemaker and they’re scared.” Autumn is a favorite time for aerial tours, when the trees turn into a red-and-gold carpet.
Hocking Hills Canopy Tours’ stunning course features 10 zip lines and five thrillingly wobbly “adventure skybridges.” If you’ve never zipped, don’t worry. The equipment is reliable and the guides are patient and make sure every carabiner is correctly snapped. Then off you go, flying over the tops of trees and possibly screaming like Tarzan. Don’t like heights but still crave adventure? They also offer off-road Segway tours.
Stargazing at its Finest
Hocking Hills isn’t known for city nightlife. Instead, you can join a moonlit kayaking tour, or mix nature and the supernatural with an after-dark visit to Ash Cave, where people often glimpse a classic apparition in a white dress. Visitors who prefer the scientific will enjoy the John Glenn Astronomy Park, named for the astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth.
“We’re far enough from Columbus that it’s pretty dark,” says Brad Hoehne. This astro enthusiast designed and directs the park, and he loves to show visitors constellations through his enormous telescope. Inspired by Stonehenge and other great astronomical structures of yore, pillars in the park’s plaza are set up so that the sun’s rays fall through a hole in the top on the first day of each season.
Canoeing and Camping in Amish Country
For a different kind of Ohio woods experience, drive north from Columbus into the rolling hills and Amish farmland around Mohican State Park. People come here to hike, bike and canoe down the Mohican River. The town of Loudonville bills itself as the camp and canoe capital of Ohio. Multiple outfitters offer canoe livery service, so that visitors can choose a one-way paddling distance — usually 6 to 18 miles — and the company picks you up at the takeout point and buses you back to your car.
Treehouse enthusiasts from around the world come to spend a night or two and even to get married at The Mohicans treehouses and cabins. Owner Kevin Mooney and his team of Amish carpenters have finished about 10 treehouses so far, with more coming. Each is a unique work of architecture, featuring repurposed barn wood, vintage touches, private suspension bridges, compact kitchens and luxurious bedding.
“Because I’m trying to gain the reputation of a plush resort, I don’t skimp when it comes to materials,” says Mooney, who’s done a superb job of joining the rustic and luxurious. Waking up 30 feet in the air to birdsong is a special experience — especially in an uber-comfortable bed.
If You Go
If you’re visiting Hocking Hills, fly into Columbus. For the Mohican area, you can choose between Columbus or Cleveland. Either way, you’ll need to rent a car to get around.
Hocking Hills has hundreds of cabins for rent. For a convenient and luxe experience, stay at the Inn at Cedar Falls, which has yurts, cabins, cottages and lodge rooms, the best restaurant in the area and a spa offering massage, facials and energy work.
For more info, visit www.explorehockinghills.com.