We will be hiking in Hocking Hills State Park on Saturday, May 29 (Memorial Day Weekend). If you have not been to this Eastern Ohio gem, this event is a MUST for you!!! Perhaps no other area in the state of Ohio is as wild, romantic and picturesque as Hocking Hills State Park. In the parks you will discover amazingly massive sandstone outcroppings, deep cool gorges, towering hemlocks and glistening waterfalls that characterize the Hocking region. Abundant wildlife including white-tailed deer, barred owls, ruffed grouse and an occasional bobcat make the wooded ravines and ridge tops their home.

We will also be camping Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, so please join us. RSVP for camping: http://www.tristatehi...

We will have a hiker's potluck after the hike. Please bring some food or drinks to share with the group (cookies, chips, fruit, etc.). Leave the food in your car and we will find some tables around the parking area after the hike.

All of the scenic features of the park have been carved into the Blackhand sandstone by natural erosion and weathering. The Blackhand is more than one hundred fifty feet thick in the park area. Water is the primary erosion agent responsible for all of these forms along with freezing and thawing and wind.

We will hike the most popular of all the Hocking areas, the Old Man's Cave, located on S.R. 664. Here at Upper Falls, the Grandma Gatewood Trail begins its six-mile course connecting three of the park's areas: Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls to Ash Cave. This same trail has been designated as part of Ohio's Buckeye Trail as well as part of two national trails, the North Country Scenic Trail and America's Discovery Trail.

We will meet at the Old Mans Cave Visitors Center for a gorgeous hike that spans roughly 6 miles of the Grandma Gatewood trail. We will be traversing the section that runs from Old Mans Cave to Cedar Falls and back while enjoying the scenic beauty. This hike does include several hills and steps and is not recommended for the easily winded individual. (approx. 3 to 4 hours.)

For Trail map:
http://www.hockinghil...

Carpool Info: We'll meet at the Fields Ertel Park and Ride between 7:00 and 7:30am, and will leave no later than 7:30 sharp! (corner of Fields Ertel and Mason-Montgomery Road). The ride should take about 2.5 hours, which will give us time to stop for a restroom break along the way. Anyone who is willing to be the carpool leader please contact me.

The Hocking Hills region is home to 9 state parks, over 9000 acres of state forest land, part of the Wayne National Forest, contains 4 nature preserves and one of the largest metro parks in the state. Hiking, fishing, camping, horseback riding, canoeing, rappelling, and bird watching are just a few of the activities visitors to the area enjoy.

By joining this group and attending Tri-State Hiking Club events you are agreeing to the club's LEGAL WAIVER at http://hiking.meetup....

Scotty