Unique Things To Do In Hocking Hills, Ohio
Visiting Hocking Hills, Ohio soon and looking for more activities other than hiking? These unique things to do in Hocking Hills are a fun alternative!
Hocking Hills is known for its beautiful landscapes and excellent hiking, but there’s so much more to discover during your visit! From zip lining to stargazing, scenic drives and train rides, be sure to add these unique activities in Hocking Hills to your itinerary.
Unique Things To Do In Hocking Hills
Whether you’re planning activities for the whole family to enjoy, looking for thrill-seeking adventures or want to relax, you’ll find plenty of unique things to do in Hocking Hills for every type of adventurer!
Hocking Hills Zip Lines
Get your adrenaline pumping by soaring through the trees at two Hocking Hills zip line courses. At Hocking Hill Canopy Tours, you can choose from several exhilarating canopy tours through the trees. Also offering canopy tours is Valley Zipline Tours in Lancaster. They have nine different lines, including a pair of side-by-side lines for racing!
Rock Climbing and Rappelling
With all of the cool limestone cliffs and canyons, the Hocking Hills region is perfect for trying out rock climbing and rappelling. Test your climbing skills scrambling up cliffs, then sit back and enjoy the freedom of rappelling down. Both High Rock Adventures and Adventure Treks offer daily excursions and lessons in the Hocking Hills area.
Belly Boat Fishing
What is belly boat fishing? Belly boat fishing is a relaxing type of fishing from a comfortable inner tube. Ohio Belly Boat Fishing offers Hocking Hills tours for ½ day or a full day, and they take you to cool spots that are off the beaten path. If you’re looking for unique things to do in Hocking Hills, belly boat fishing is definitely different!
Paddling the Hocking River
Paddling the Hocking River is a great way to experience the scenery of Hocking Hills, and a relaxing way to spend the day. Whether you prefer Hocking Hills canoeing or Hocking Hills kayaking, there’s an outfitter for you. Hocking Hills Canoe Livery offers rentals or tours in canoes, kayaks, and rafts. Hocking Hills Adventures offers rentals or tours in canoes or innertubes, including a moonlight river canoe tour.
Horseback Riding
In addition to hiking trails, there are many trails open to horseback riding in Hocking Hills. Riding a horse through the forest is a great way to experience the region, and it’s great exercise as well. Blue Moon Acres and Spotted Horse Ranch both offer trail rides by horseback through the Hocking Hills forests.
Mountain Biking
The Hocking Hills are the closest thing you’ll find to mountains in Ohio, and there are some awesome mountain biking trails in the area. You’ll find all levels of mountain biking trails at Hocking Hills State Park and Lake Hope State Park. If you don’t have your bike, you can rent one in Athens or Logan.
ATV/UTV Rentals
Take to the trails with a little extra horsepower that lets you cover more ground. Adventure Pro Outdoors rents ATVs and UTVs for exploring the trails of Wayne National Forest near Nelsonville. For extra fun, take a full day or ½-day guided tour. Bring a cooler with some snacks and drinks and spend the whole day getting muddy!
Segway Tour
Most segway tours are done in an urban environment, but Hocking Hills Canopy Tours offers off-road segway tours in the Hocking Hills. These specialized Segways are outfitted for off-road travel, and you can visit some of the caves along the Hocking River. They also offer a shorter Segway lesson for first-timers.
Scenic Train Ride
For a relaxing and scenic tour, sign up for a Hocking Hills train ride on the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway. Choose from a relaxing scenic tour or one of several specialty departures. A dinner train, train robbery, and holiday trains are just a few of the fun options.
Scenic Drive
Prefer a scenic cruise at your own pace? The Hocking Hills Scenic Byway combines historic attractions and a plethora of scenic stops along the 26-mile route. It includes Hocking Hills highlights like Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave. You can easily spend a full day cruising this Ohio Scenic Byway.
Scenic Motorcycle Ride
Sometimes, two wheels are more fun! Ohio’s Windy 9 includes nine scenic motorcycle routes through Southeast Ohio. All told, there are more than 1,000 miles of roads to explore. All routes start in Athens, so you can pick one and go, or plan a Hocking Hills weekend and explore them all!
Stargazing
Being far removed from major cities helps to keep light pollution in Hocking Hills to a minimum, which means visitors can see a lot of stars in the night sky! At the John Glenn Astronomy Park, visitors can bring their own telescopes or look through the park’s 28-inch telescope. Check the website for scheduled events and programs.
Ecotours
If you want to go hiking in Hocking Hills but not sure where to go, Hocking Hills Ecotours offers guided hiking tours in the nearby State Parks or Nature Preserves. Spend the day in the woods, learning about the geology that created the landscape. You’ll also learn to identify some of the plants and trees you see along the way.
Scenic Flights
Join Hocking Hills Scenic Air Tours for a scenic flight over Hocking Hills. You’ll get to see all of your favorite hiking trails and waterfalls from way up high in the sky! A 20-minute flight is surprisingly affordable, while a one-hour tour is worth the splurge!
Adventure Golf
Rempel’s Grove has fun for the whole family, with a challenging 18-hole miniature golf course. There are several unique businesses on-site besides the golf course. Treehouse Treats & Treasures is a gift shop and ice cream counter. Ruby’s Petting Zoo has lots of animals, and you can feed goats and deer. This is perfect for any family wondering what to do in Hocking Hills.
Axe Throwing
If you haven’t tried axe-throwing yet, then Hungry Buffalo in Logan is the perfect place to try it out. This Hocking Hills restaurant serves up tasty pub grub, alongside a full bar. They also have a General Store, a fun place to shop for souvenirs. Axe throwing starts at $15 per ½ hour per person, making this a fun, affordable thing to do in Hocking Hills.
Candlemaking
Not only is this a fun thing to do in Hocking Hills, but you’ll also go home with a handmade souvenir to remind you of your trip. Hocking Hills Candle Works has candlemaking workshops and classes where you can make your own candle from their 170 scents on hand.
Glass Blowing
Another artistic endeavor for those wondering what to do in Hocking Hills is glass blowing. Both Ohio Glass Museum & Glass Blowing Studio and Jack Pine Studio offer classes and workshops to learn the art of glass blowing. Leave your Hocking Hills trip with a unique souvenir that you made!
Hocking Hills Museums
If you’re wondering how to spend a rainy day in Hocking Hills, there are several nearby museums that are worth checking out. A few of my favorite Hocking Hills museums include the following:
- Ohio Glass Museum – learn about the important role glassmaking played in the history of the surrounding area; they also have glass blowing classes.
- Pencil Sharpener Museum – this kitschy museum is built upon a personal collection of pencil sharpeners and includes more than 3,000 of them in a tiny shed.
- Columbus Washboard Company Museum is another fun museum devoted to a unique niche: washboards. Washboards were produced at this factory which is now a museum.
- Hocking Hills Historical Society and Museum Complex is a great place to learn about the history of the area. The complex includes a Railway Telegraph, print shop, private 1881 home, a carriage house, museum, and a steam car.
Wine Tasting
Hocking Hills Winery is a great place to spend an afternoon. Sample award-winning wines at this family-owned and operated winery. Enjoy wine flights and charcuterie boards, as well as live music on summer weekends!
Beer Tasting
Brewery 33 in Logan serves up 15 handcrafted beers plus two sodas at any given time during the year. With the largest beer garden in the region, this is a great place to spend the afternoon of your Hocking Hills tour. They offer snacks for purchase and often have food trucks nearby.
Sauna Pods
At the Sauna Pods Hocking Hills, relaxation is the name of the game. These cedar barrel saunas each feature a fish-eye window with amazing Hocking Hills views. Bring 3 friends and music to play over the Bluetooth speakers, and you’ll be relaxed in no time.
Salt Cave
Relax at the Hocking Hills Serenity Salt Cave, the only one of its kind in Southeast Ohio. Using the healing powers of Himalayan salt, the cave offers 45-minute sessions to help you feel cleansed and relaxed. This is one of the most unique things to do in Hocking Hills!
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