WORTH THE DRIVE: Hocking Hills State Park’s new lodge, conference center to open Saturday

Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

The new Hocking Hills State Park Lodge and Conference Center will open to the public Saturday, Oct. 8.

The new lodge, which replaces one destroyed by fire in 2016, has 81 guest rooms, many with balconies overlooking the forest and hills behind the lodge.

The facility also includes a spacious lobby with fireplaces, an event space for over 200 people, a dining room and lounge, a grab-and-go café, fitness center, and gift shop. The lodge has indoor and outdoor pools, all-season hot tubs and mezzanine sky bridges allowing opportunities to gaze at the outdoor scenery though a wall of windows.

Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Credit: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Hocking Hills has cabins and campground sites, over 25 miles of hiking trails and a 17-acre lake and recently made CNN Travel’s list of “7 scenic drives across the United States for your fall foliage fix”.

“The Hocking Hills Lodge offers breathtaking views that the traditional cabin experience does not,” said Stephanie O’Grady, spokeswoman with Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “It’s a luxurious space that puts amenities at reach without leaving the building. We hope this new lodge will have even more people to enjoy the beauty this park has to offer.”

Reservations are being accepted now for stays beginning Nov. 1. Rates begin at roughly $200 per night.

Visit hockinghillsparklodge.com or call 1-800-AT-A-PARK (1-800-282-7275).

Hocking Hills State Park is located in Logan, particularly on the Hocking River, 48 miles southeast of Columbus.

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