A New Year's Day Hike in Hocking Hills: What to Expect on the Trail

A New Year's Day hike at Hocking Hills is a quiet, cold, short-daylight outing. Expect ice on shaded stairs, a sunrise around 7:49 a.m. and a sunset around 5:15 p.m. on January 1, 2027, and gorges that are dim well before the sun goes down. It is not the same as the park's famous Winter Hike, which falls on the third Saturday of January. Here is what to expect and how to plan.

New Year's Day is not Winter Hike day

The two get confused. The annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike is a separate, long-running event of about 6 miles that ends at Ash Cave. According to the event's own page, the 62nd edition is scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, with hikers starting between 9 and 11 a.m. It is free, with donations welcome. The 2026 edition was on January 17, so the pattern is the third Saturday of January, not January 1. See the event page for current details, because the starting point and logistics can change.

Some Ohio state parks host organized First Day Hikes on January 1. In 2026, ODNR naturalists led them at 15 state parks and one nature preserve. Coverage I found did not name Hocking Hills among them, and I could not confirm a 2027 list. If you want a guided hike on January 1, check the ODNR events calendar before you travel. If nothing is scheduled, a self-guided walk is still a good way to start the year.

Daylight is short

Ohio DNR says trails are open from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. On January 1, using standard solar calculations for the Logan area, sunrise is around 7:49 a.m. and sunset around 5:15 p.m. Gorges get dim sooner than open ground, so plan to finish by about 4 p.m. Confirm the minute in a sunrise-sunset calendar for your date. See our after-dark safety guide for why you should not push the time.

Ice is the main variable

Ohio DNR states that trails are often icy in winter and suggests ice cleats. After holiday weather swings, shaded steps can be glazed while the parking lot looks fine. Our freeze-thaw guide explains the pattern, and the winter traction guide compares microspikes, cleats and going without. If ice is heavy, the park can close trails, as it did in February 2022. Check the status before you drive. Our closure-checking guide shows where.

Walks that fit a short winter day

Ohio DNR lists these distances:

• Ash Cave gorge trail: about a quarter mile, easy and wheelchair accessible. The best start for a first-day outing and the easiest winter option. See the Ash Cave guide.
• Old Man's Cave: about a mile, moderate, with stairs that can ice.
• Cedar Falls: about a mile, moderate, with steps.
• Rock House: about a mile, moderate.
• Conkle's Hollow gorge trail: about a mile round trip, partly paved. Pets are not permitted in the nature preserve.

Our winter-safe trails guide looks at which routes are friendlier in cold months, and which to skip.

What the day will feel like

• Quieter, probably. January is generally less busy than summer or fall color season, though a holiday can bring its own crowd. I could not find official visitor counts for January 1, so treat crowd expectations as general and arrive early.
• Cold. Gorges are shaded and cool. Dress in layers, with a hat, gloves and an insulated outer layer.
• Beautiful. Bare trees open up cliff lines, and cold spells can freeze seeps and waterfalls. How much ice forms depends on the weather. See our guide to photographing frozen waterfalls if you plan to shoot.
• Short on services. Ohio DNR lists the visitor center as open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with seasonal changes. I could not confirm holiday hours, so check ahead.

A simple New Year's Day plan

1. Pick an easy trail. Ash Cave first, then one gorge if conditions allow.
2. Arrive in the morning. Light is best between about 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
3. Check the footing at the trailhead. Put on traction before the stairs, not in the middle.
4. Carry a pack. Water, a snack, a light, a layer. Keep the pack light.
5. Turn around when needed. If the stairs are sheeted in ice, enjoy the view from the top and walk elsewhere.

If you want the full Winter Hike instead

The Winter Hike is a long, difficult day. Its own notes call it difficult, with steep hills, roots, rocks and icy steps in some years, not recommended for people in poor health or without regular exercise, and dogs are not recommended. Cell service can be unreliable at the bottom of Old Man's Cave. If you plan to do it, start training early for the stairs, wear traction and pack for a long day.

Dress for the gorge, not the parking lot

The gorge floor is cooler and more sheltered from sun than the rim, and it can feel colder after you stop moving. Start slightly cool so you do not overheat on the climbs, then add layers at rest stops. A wool or synthetic base layer, an insulating mid layer and a wind-resistant shell cover most days. Keep gloves dry, bring a spare pair if you can, and avoid cotton against the skin. Warm drinks in the car are a small pleasure, and a change of dry socks makes the drive back more comfortable. If you wear glasses, expect them to fog when you climb out of a cold gorge into warmer air, so carry a soft cloth in a pocket.

Bottom line

Treat January 1 as a short, careful outing: an easy trail, traction on your boots, a firm turnaround time and a check of current conditions. If you want the big organized hike, save your energy for the third Saturday of January.

Sources and verification. Trail hours, distances, winter ice advice and visitor center hours come from the Ohio DNR Hocking Hills State Park page. The Winter Hike details are from the event page (2027) and the 2026 event notes. First Day Hike information is from Ohio Magazine. The February 2022 closure is from News 5 Cleveland. Sunrise and sunset are my own approximate calculations. All sources were checked in October 2026, and event details can change, so confirm before you go.