The southern end of the broader Hocking Hills region is a different place. Lake Hope State Park, Zaleski State Forest, and the Vinton County backcountry extend south of the famous gorges into terrain that rarely makes the tourism brochures — quieter, wilder, with working-forest character and ghost stories most visitors have never heard.
If you're staying at a cabin in this southern cluster, or considering it, here's what's within reach.
What makes the southern region different
The Hocking Hills State Park areas — Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Conkle's Hollow, and the rest — are concentrated in a roughly 10-mile stretch. South of Ash Cave, the character of the land changes. You're entering the Wayne National Forest footprint and the Zaleski State Forest, which together cover most of Vinton County. This is backpacking country, iron-furnace history country, and the place where Hocking Hills ends and pure Appalachian Ohio begins.
Cabins in this southern zone — sometimes listed as Vinton County, sometimes as "south of Ash Cave" — are fewer in number, generally more remote, and give you access to trails most visitors never see.
The trails within 30 minutes of southern Hocking Hills cabins
Ash Cave
The nearest of the state park areas for southern cabins. About 10 minutes from most cabins in this cluster. Paved, flat trail to a 700-foot-wide sandstone amphitheater with a 90-foot waterfall at the center. In spring flow, the falls curtain the entire center of the cave. Evening visits are best — the cave faces west and catches golden-hour light.
Lake Hope — Peninsula Trail
Lake Hope State Park is about 25 minutes south of the Ash Cave area. The Peninsula Trail is a 2.8-mile loop along the lake shore with one detour to the ruins of Hope Furnace — an 1850s iron furnace that operated here when the region was actively producing pig iron. Swimming at the lake beach in summer. The Lake Hope Lodge has a restaurant with full lake views for post-hike lunch. Most Hocking Hills tourists never come this far south, so the trail is consistently uncrowded.
Hope Furnace Trail (short)
A separate short trail dedicated to the Hope Furnace history. The furnace itself is visually striking — a massive stone stack rising from the forest floor, a relic of the Hanging Rock iron region that once ran through southern Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Interpretive signs tell the story of the charcoal iron industry that once employed thousands across this region. Good for visitors interested in industrial history or geology.
Zaleski State Forest backpacking loop
The Zaleski backpacking loop is the best multi-day trail in southeast Ohio. Twenty-three miles of rolling forest terrain, creek crossings, ridges, and the occasional abandoned iron furnace ruin. Shelter sites are available along the loop for overnight stays. Day-hike segments can be done from multiple trailheads — the 5-mile section through the northern part of the loop is a popular Saturday workout. This is not a Hocking Hills tourist trail; it's a serious backpacker's destination.
Moonville Tunnel
The Moonville Tunnel is a 200-foot-long abandoned railroad tunnel in the middle of Zaleski State Forest, the last remaining structure of the ghost town of Moonville — an active mining and railroad community in the late 1800s that was abandoned by the early 20th century. The tunnel is famously rumored to be haunted; local legend holds that a brakeman killed on the tracks in 1859 still signals with a lantern on foggy nights. Whether you believe it or not, the short hike in through the forest is atmospheric, the tunnel itself is remarkable, and the surrounding area has almost no one else in it. About 40 minutes from southern Hocking Hills cabins, in Vinton County.
Wayne National Forest — Athens Ranger District trails
Wayne National Forest — specifically the Athens Ranger District — covers substantial acreage south and southeast of the Hocking Hills core. Multiple marked trails from easy forest walks to longer hike-in sections. Dispersed camping is allowed in much of the national forest (unlike the state park, which doesn't permit it). Good for hikers who want to combine trails with legal primitive camping.
How the southern region compares
| Factor | Old Man's Cave cluster | Southern cluster (Lake Hope / Zaleski) |
|---|---|---|
| Crowds | Heavy (peak season) | Light to moderate |
| Trail variety | Gorges, recess caves, stairs | Lakes, forest, backpacking |
| Iconic features | Waterfalls, famous caves | Iron furnace ruins, ghost towns |
| Cabin density | Very high | Lower, more remote |
| Distance to amenities | 5–15 min | 15–30 min |
| Best for | First-timers, weekend tourists | Backpackers, return visitors, quiet seekers |
How to structure a weekend from a southern cabin
The quiet-weekend approach
- Saturday morning: Ash Cave lower trail (30 min) + Ash Cave rim combined (1 hr total).
- Saturday afternoon: Lake Hope Peninsula Trail (2 hrs). Lunch at Lake Hope Lodge.
- Saturday evening: Back to cabin, fire, stars (the southern region has dark skies — the John Glenn Astronomy Park is nearby and worth knowing about for clear-night stargazing).
- Sunday morning: Short Hope Furnace Trail (30 min). Drive to Moonville Tunnel if up for it (40 min drive each way, 1 hr on site).
- Sunday afternoon: Drive home via Nelsonville or Athens.
The day-trip-up approach
If you want to experience the main Hocking Hills features but base yourself in quieter lodging:
- Saturday: Drive 30 minutes north to Old Man's Cave. Full gorge loop + Cedar Falls. Return to cabin mid-afternoon.
- Sunday: Ash Cave (10 min away). Lake Hope Peninsula Trail. Home.
The John Glenn Astronomy Park is located at Hocking Hills State Park and operates viewing programs during clear evenings. The southern region generally has darker skies than the Logan area — less light pollution. A clear October or March night from a southern cabin deck is genuinely good for stargazing without any equipment.
What to expect from a southern cabin
Cabins in this cluster tend to be:
- More remote. You drive further to groceries and restaurants. Plan accordingly.
- More private. Fewer neighbors, more forest around the cabin.
- Lower-priced on average. Less demand pressure than the Old Man's Cave corridor.
- Better for larger groups. Many of the bigger cabins are in this zone, because land is cheaper.
The trade-off: you're further from the famous stuff. If you've never been to the Hocking Hills, the Old Man's Cave cluster is probably the better first-trip base. But for return visits, or for visitors who already know what they want — solitude, lake access, real backcountry — the southern region is an underrated choice.
The Hocking Hills you see on Instagram is the northern park. The Hocking Hills that keeps people coming back for decades is the southern one.
Find a cabin
For southern-cluster cabin rentals, Hocking Cabins has listings in the Ash Cave / South Bloomingville / Laurelville areas. Ask about cabins south of Route 56 for the true southern cluster.
For other cabin zones, see Trails Near Old Man's Cave for the south-central corridor, or Trails Near Logan and Rockbridge for the northwestern cluster.