Hocking HillsWhere all the best roads lead . . .HIKE. STAY. PLAY. YOUR HOCKING HILLS ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE!
Hocking HillsWhere all the best roads lead . . .HIKE. STAY. PLAY. YOUR HOCKING HILLS ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE!
Parking/Trailhead: State Route 278/Lodge Road McArthur, Ohio 45651 (39.327018, -82.346700).
There is a gravel pull-off along State Route 278 just before the entrance to Lodge Road. It is a loop trail. Hikers will see one sign noting the trailhead (start or finish) on the same side of the road as the parking area.
A secondary trailhead (start or end) is also on Lodge Road's opposite side, just past the park signage. Either can be chosen for the loop.
Hike the Peninsula Trail: 2.8 miles. Loop. The trail follows the park lake proper on a fairly level, tree-lined path with some short ups and downs, then turns along a finger of the lake before passing Hope Furnace (a side trail can be taken to see the furnace up close here: (39.3324920, -82.3423918). To do so, hikers will need to walk along the roadway. After, the trail ascends slowly before working back down to the parking area.
The course has no blazes or markers but features a couple of map signs along the route.
Hope Iron Furnace Lake Hope State Park OH-278 McArthur, Ohio 45651 (39.331976, -82.340552) About a half hour from Old Man's Cave.
Trailhead of Peninsula Trail. 2.8 miles total, Loop.
Trail follows lake through the forest.
Along the dirt path trail.
The trail is not blazed (does not have blaze markers on trees). However, on the map, the trail is the yellow line.
Click on the QR Code for a map of the trail!
There are seven major hiking areas in Hocking Hills State Park - All are one-way trail systems.
Ash Cave, Old Man's Cave, Rock House, Conkle's Hollow, Cedar Falls, Cantwell Cliffs, and Whispering Cave Trail. These park areas offer a unique experience for those who walk its paths no matter what season (the park is open year-round from dawn to dusk)—located on the southern edge of Hocking County. But those are just a handful. There are many hiking trails in the Hocking Hills include those at Wayne National Forest, Clear Creek Metro Parks, Lake Hope State Park, Vinton County Park District's Moonville Tunnel, and Hocking College's Robbins Crossing (with park programs) and the Athens Hock-Hocking Adena Rail Trail bikeway.