Best Hikes in Ohio

Ohio's best hiking is concentrated in Hocking Hills, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the Wayne National Forest — modest terrain but genuinely beautiful eastern woodland and sandstone canyon scenery.

Hocking Hills: Gorge Trail (6 miles)
The premier Ohio hike — Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls, through the Black Hand Sandstone gorge. The trail descends into the gorge past the Lower Falls, through the Devil's Bathtub, past the Sphinx Head rock formation, to Cedar Falls (a 50-foot cascade). Ancient hemlock groves shade the trail; the moss-covered sandstone walls rise 50–100 feet. Best in autumn (foliage) and after rain (waterfall flow). The Hocking Hills Gorge Trail is the most beautiful trail in Ohio.

Cuyahoga Valley NP: Ledges Trail and Virginia Kendall (2.2 miles)
The Sharon Conglomerate ledges of Cuyahoga Valley — the Ledges Trail circuits the top and bottom of sandstone formations, passing the Ice Box Cave (a narrow slot canyon cool enough for year-round ice). The Happy Days Visitor Center area has multiple connected trail loops.

Conkle's Hollow (1 mile, Hocking Hills)
A 200-foot-deep gorge with a rim trail and a gorge-bottom trail — the rim trail is closed in wet weather (no guardrails above the 200-foot drop). The gorge bottom trail through ferns and moss-covered sandstone is accessible to all ages. The hemlock canopy creates a cool microclimate.

Wayne National Forest: Wildcat Hollow Trail (15 miles)
The longest maintained trail in Wayne National Forest — through forested Allegheny Plateau terrain with seasonal streams, old farmstead ruins, and abundant wildlife. Multi-day backpacking in an otherwise inaccessible part of Ohio.

East Fork State Park: Steve Newman Worldwalker Trail (32 miles)
The longest loop trail in Ohio — a 32-mile circuit in Clermont County through forested hills above East Fork Lake. Multi-day backpacking with primitive campsites. The terrain is gently hilly; the solitude is remarkable for a state this densely populated.