Those faded blue rectangles painted on trees along the Grandma Gatewood Trail aren't decoration. They're blazes for the Buckeye Trail — a roughly 1,400-mile loop that circles the entire state of Ohio — and the stretch through Hocking Hills is widely considered its most spectacular section. You can hike a piece of a statewide epic without ever leaving the park.
What the Buckeye Trail is
Maintained by the volunteer Buckeye Trail Association since 1959, the BT loops the whole state — Lake Erie to the Ohio River and back — through a patchwork of forest footpath, towpath, and country road. It's blazed in blue throughout, and long segments overlap with the North Country National Scenic Trail. The Hocking Hills region sits on the trail's celebrated southeastern arc, where it trades farmland road-walking for genuine Appalachian gorge terrain.
The marquee section: Old Man's Cave to Ash Cave
Through the state park, the Buckeye Trail and the six-mile Grandma Gatewood Trail are the same footpath: Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls to Ash Cave, past Rose Lake at the midpoint. Emma Gatewood helped scout and champion this stretch, and it hosts the annual January Winter Hike. Hiked one-way with a car spot at each end, it's the best single-day BT sampler in Ohio: waterfalls at both ends, hemlock gorge the whole way, and blue blazes to follow when the crowds thin past Cedar Falls.
Beyond the park: quieter blue-blaze miles
- Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve. North of Logan, a 4.2-mile section of the BT crosses this 703-acre preserve's ridges, ponds, and old fields — part of its seven-mile trail system and a fraction of Old Man's Cave's traffic. (No dogs; preserve rules apply.)
- Hocking State Forest connections. The BT threads the wider forest landscape around the park, linking toward Conkle's Hollow and the climbing areas on a mix of footpath and low-traffic road.
- Toward Zaleski and beyond. Southbound, the BT works toward the deep woods of the Zaleski country — the natural next step when the park section feels crowded.
Day-hiker's honest assessment
Inside the park, the BT is simply the best version of trails you may already know — hike it for the connective experience of walking one continuous path between the region's three signature features. Outside the park, expect a wilder, lonelier trail: fewer signs, occasional road stretches, creek crossings that run high in spring, and hunting seasons in the state forest (wear orange in late November's gun week). That's not a warning so much as the appeal.
Base yourself on the blue blazes
Cabins near Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave put both ends of the marquee section within minutes of your door.
Find a Cabin Near the Trails →Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Grandma Gatewood Trail part of the Buckeye Trail?
Yes — through Hocking Hills State Park they're the same footpath. The six-mile Old Man's Cave–Cedar Falls–Ash Cave route carries the Buckeye Trail's blue blazes and is considered one of the most scenic sections of the entire statewide loop.
How long is the Buckeye Trail?
Roughly 1,400 miles, looping the entire state of Ohio. It's maintained by the volunteer Buckeye Trail Association, blazed in blue throughout, and overlaps in long stretches with the North Country National Scenic Trail.
Where can I hike the Buckeye Trail near Hocking Hills without crowds?
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve, north of Logan — a 4.2-mile BT section crosses the 703-acre preserve with a fraction of the park's traffic. Note preserve rules: stay on trail, and no dogs.