Five days covering Hocking Hills geology, Wayne National Forest, and a two-day extension into Holmes County Amish Country — the largest Amish settlement in the world. Rural Ohio at its most genuine.
Arrive in the afternoon, get to the cabin, and do Cedar Falls before dark if the timing works. Logan stop for supplies is mandatory.
The most photogenic waterfall in Ohio — 90 feet, hemlock-lined approach trail, easy 15-minute walk from the parking area. First stop on any Hocking Hills trip.
The full gorge trail from Old Man's Cave to the lower gorge and back is the essential Hocking Hills experience. Do it early.
Arrive before 9am. The upper cave, Devil's Bathtub, the upper and lower falls, and the lower gorge. The full route is 3–4 miles round trip and the terrain is beautiful throughout. Old-growth hemlock creates a forest ceiling that doesn't exist anywhere else in Ohio.
Afternoon double-header — Ash Cave first (easy, 30 minutes round trip), then Conkle's Hollow gorge trail (1 mile, easy). You've now done the full Hocking Hills circuit.
Wayne National Forest surrounds Hocking Hills and has trail systems most visitors never find. The Grandma Gatewood Trail (26 miles along the original Buckeye Trail alignment) is the best backpacking route in Ohio. Day hikers can access it at multiple trailheads.
Emma Gatewood was the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (1955, at age 67, in sneakers). The trail named for her in Wayne National Forest passes through Hocking Hills on the original Buckeye Trail alignment. The Wyandot section, accessible from the Mohican State Forest trailhead, is among the most scenic. 8–12 miles depending on your entry point.
Check out of the cabin and drive 2 hours north to Holmes County — the largest Amish settlement in the world. Millersburg is the county seat and the entry point. The landscape transitions immediately from Appalachian Hills to rolling farmland worked by horse and plow.
Drive the scenic byway through Charm, Sugarcreek, and Walnut Creek. The working Amish farms, roadside produce stands, and hand-painted signs are the experience — don't rush it. Stop at any farm stand — the produce, cheese, and baked goods are exceptional and cheap.
Der Dutchman in Walnut Creek is the classic Holmes County family restaurant — enormous portions of Amish cooking (chicken, noodles, pie, fresh bread), no frills, reasonable prices. The pies are made in-house and they're very good. It's a tourist operation but it's the genuine article in terms of food.
Morning at the Amish farmers markets and furniture shops, then head home. Holmes County is the best place in the Midwest to buy handmade hardwood furniture at reasonable prices — the quality is exceptional.
Heini's Cheese Chalet in Millersburg is Ohio's most famous cheese shop — they make 50+ varieties on-site with milk from local Amish dairy farms. The cheese curds are the thing. Then hit the Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday market in Sugarcreek for produce, baked goods, and crafts.
Holmes County is the furniture-buying destination in the Midwest — Amish craftsmen build solid hardwood pieces at prices well below what you'd pay at retail. Shipment is available for large pieces. Homestead Furniture in Mount Hope and Schrock's Amish Farm & Village are the most comprehensive stops. Quality is exceptional; shop around, prices vary.
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