Hocking Hills State Park draws 3–5 million visitors annually to its seven major areas. The surrounding region — Hocking State Forest, Clear Creek Metro Park, Lake Hope State Park, Zaleski State Forest, and Wayne National Forest — offers over 150 additional miles of trails with a fraction of the crowds. This is where you go when you want more than two days in the park, when you want genuine solitude, or when you're ready for something harder and more remote than the manicured gorge trails.
Distance: 29.1 miles (3 loops)
Type: Backpacking
Drive from park: ~45 min
Ohio's most substantial backpacking route — 29.1 miles in three connected loops through the 27,000-acre Zaleski State Forest. Orange-blazed trail with three primitive campsites with pit latrines (free, self-registration permit required). The South Loop (~10.5 miles) is the most popular and manageable as a weekend overnight. Interpretive stops include the Hewett Fork overlook and Doolittle Plantation — Ohio's oldest professional forestry operation, dating to 1906. Significantly more remote and wild than the state park. No cell service, no crowds, and 50+ miles of adjacent bridle trails.
Distance: ~10 miles (flat rail-trail)
Type: Rail Trail
Drive from park: ~35 min
A flat, easy ~10-mile rail trail following the former Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad bed from Zaleski to Mineral. The signature feature: Moonville Tunnel — a brick-lined structure built around 1856, now on the National Register of Historic Places, and locally famous for ghost legends. The ghost town of Moonville peaked at ~100 residents in the 1870s; the last family left in 1947. King's Hollow Tunnel, 2.7 miles from Moonville, features a rare wooden beam lining. Open dawn to 11 PM (night use after 11 PM requires a special-use permit). A completely different experience from gorge hiking — flat, linear, historically layered.
Distance: 14–15 miles total trails
Type: Day hiking
Drive from park: ~20 min
A 5,470-acre park spanning Hocking and Fairfield Counties containing the Allen F. Beck State Nature Preserve — Ohio's largest state nature preserve at 4,729 acres. Contains over 2,200 documented species of plants and animals including Ohio's last rhododendron colonies (rare outside of Appalachian highlands). Trails range from the easy 0.6-mile Prairie Warbler Trail to the strenuous 2.5-mile Chestnut Ridge Trail. Important dog policy: dogs are only permitted on a 1-mile section of Creekside Meadows Trail west of Starner Road — all other trails prohibit pets. The Benua Loop Trail (opened 2021) accesses the historic Benua property.
Hiking: 17+ miles
Mountain Biking: 25+ miles
Drive from park: ~40 min
Entirely within the 26,824-acre Zaleski State Forest surrounding a 120-acre lake. Hiking highlights include the Peninsula Trail (3 mi, lake views) and Hope Furnace Trail (3.2 mi) leading to a Civil War-era iron furnace — one of the most distinctive historical features in the region. The mountain biking system is nationally recognized: the Copperhead (7.2 mi) and Wildcat (3.5 mi) trails draw riders from across Ohio. The rebuilt lodge restaurant (4.7 Google stars) serves hickory-smoked BBQ with lake views. Combines outdoor recreation with a genuinely good meal — rare in this region.
Distance: 14-mile backpacking loop
Type: Backpacking / Day Hiking
AllTrails: 4.6 stars
Wayne National Forest covers nearly 250,000 acres across southeastern Ohio — significantly more remote and quieter than the state park. The Archers Fork Trail is a 14-mile backpacking loop featuring a natural bridge, Appalachian ridge terrain, and dramatically fewer visitors than anything in the state park system. The Baileys Trail System in the same forest is nationally recognized for mountain biking. If you want to experience southeastern Ohio's Appalachian landscape without another person in sight, Wayne National Forest is the answer.
"The seven main state park trails draw millions of visitors. The 150+ miles beyond them draw thousands. That math tells you exactly where to find solitude."
💡 Hocking State Forest — The Closest Extension
Hocking State Forest directly surrounds the state park — adjacent land with the Buckeye Trail passing through, a fire tower, and extensive forest roads. Dogs are allowed on leash (unlike nature preserves within the park). Significantly less visited than the state park areas immediately adjacent to it. The forest road system is navigable on foot and makes for excellent add-on mileage after finishing a state park trail.