Come One, COME ALL

By Jill Ross

ocking Hills is known for its deep gorges and breathtaking cliffs, but that doesn’t mean the area is off-limits to strollers and wheelchairs! These accessible destinations allow visitors of all abilities to enjoy the region’s beauty.

Ash Cave Gorge Trail is a paved, quarter-mile trail leading to the largest recess cave in the eastern U.S. with breathtaking views of a 90-ft. waterfall cascading over the cave’s horseshoeshaped rim. The lower Conkles Hollow Gorge trail, lined with abundant ferns tucked beneath sheer sandstone cliffs, is paved for about three-quarters of a mile.

Other wheel-friendly trails include the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, a 20-mile course along the Hocking River from Athens to Nelsonville, and Old Town Creek Trail, a 1-mile scenic pathway in Logan.

After hiking, take a breather at the Hocking Hills State Park Visitor Center at Old Man's Cave, a sprawling lodge-style building featuring immersive displays of the history and ecology of the region — including a cave to explore! The nearby Hocking Hills Winery provides a chill gathering place to relax with a charcuterie board and wine flight on the kid- and dogfriendly outdoor patio.

For more off-trail adventures, discover butterflies native to southeastern Ohio at Butterfly Ridge Butterfly Conservation Center, get up close and personal with baby critters at Fox's High Rock Farm and Muddy Boots Farm, and pan for real gold and gemstones at Hocking Hills Gem Mine and Gold Rush. Looking for an adrenaline rush? Rent a pontoon boat at Lake Logan Marina, bounce on inflatables or don a VR headset for high-tech fun at Hop N Hocking Hills, or swing a putter at Hocking Hills Mini Golf (also wheelchair friendly). The region’s newest destination, Hocking Hills Children’s Museum, is busy building engaging experiences for families and will open in spring 2023.