The Akron Legal News

Guests will start to see updated cabins at Hocking Hills State Park this year

ELISSA COLLOPY
Special to the Legal News
Published: April 25, 2016

With the prime season for hiking and camping right around the corner, overnight visitors to Hocking Hills State Park will see a lot of renovation work underway at the park’s 40 cabins.

This year, as part of a statewide effort from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, workers will be updating the park’s cabins for the first time in more than 40 years, adding many modern amenities to the cabins.

The work will also include improvements to accommodate newer, large recreational vehicles at the park’s 46 campsites with full-service hookups, according to the ODNR website.

The money for the improvements is coming from the state capital improvement budget.

The budget includes $88.5 million worth of improvements at 54 state parks with about 10 percent of that targeted for Hocking Hills State Park.

The projects are expected to be completed this year.

Most cabins have not been renovated since the 1970s. Among the improvements at the cabins will be modernized kitchens and bathrooms.

Restroom improvements are also planned at facilities at Ash Cave and Cedar Falls.

ODNR Director James Zehringer said on his blog that many patrons enjoy day trips to state parks for free hiking, biking, fishing and more; however, many visitors choose to stay overnight.

“Last year, we had an average of 2.3 million overnight visits at our 74 state parks,” Zehringer wrote.

In addition to camping and cabin upgrades, the ODNR has also improved trail markers in the hiking area, which were showcased during the annual winter hike at the park.

Workers are also in the process of upgrading the dining lodge and have finished improvements at the bathroom facilities near the entrance to Old Man’s Cave.

The mild winter and early spring are already attracting more campers. Ohio’s wildflowers have already started to bloom nearly a month early and countless waterfalls have thawed.

Hocking Hills offers an abundance of opportunity to discover beauty by offering daily events such as Yoga in the Hills, live music at the winery and guided trips through trails and the dam.

State parks are also important to local businesses.

A 2014 report by the Hocking Hills Tourism Association noted that visitors to the region supported upward of 1,000 jobs in Hocking County, which generated $4.7 million in state taxes and $3.2 million in local taxes.

Another draw to the region every year are the scheduled hikes.

“Our rentals are spotty in the winter time, but a lot of people come out and stay for the winter hike,” Sammons said.

Meanwhile, privately owned cabins in the region are also expecting a busy year.

Kaylynn Etienne, a Reynoldsburg resident, was a first-time visitor to the Hocking Hills area and Serenity Ridge Cabin.

“It’s going so well here at Hocking — it’s an escape from the city and such a relaxing experience,” said Etienne.

Serenity Ridge cabin is one of 40 cabins managed by the Buffalo Lodging Company in the Hocking Hills region.

Improvements made to privately owned Serenity Ridge include a completely remodeled living space with a large screen television with a satellite and DVD player, an updated bath and a hot tub on the rear covered deck.

The Serenity Ridge cabin accommodates two people and is situated in a cozy nook in the woods.

“We are in a cabin that’s pretty new — washer and dryer, dishwasher and a hot tub,” Etienne said. “I think just being able to get outside, and in this case go to a park and not worry about city life is the best part.”

While difficult to provide an average number of visits per year, Angel Sammons, who operates the front desk at Buffalo Lodging, said their cabin rentals stay busy.

“We are currently very busy due to spring break,” she said. “But we stay busy throughout the summer and currently have almost every weekend booked and will have most weekdays booked as well.”

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