Every autumn the same question lands in visitor forums: is it safe to hike Hocking Hills during deer season? Short answer — yes, and the state park's trails see no hunting at all. But the region is a patchwork of park, preserve, state forest, and national forest, each with different rules, and knowing which land you're standing on is the entire game. Here's the map and the calendar.
Where hunting is and isn't
| Land | Hunting? |
|---|---|
| Hocking Hills State Park (all seven trail areas) | No. The famous trails — Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Conkle's Hollow, Rock House, Cantwell Cliffs, Whispering Cave — are hunting-free. |
| State nature preserves (Conkle's Hollow, Rockbridge, Boch Hollow) | No. Preserves prohibit hunting entirely. |
| Hocking State Forest (surrounding the park) | Yes — legal public hunting land, and its trails interweave with the park's edges. |
| Zaleski State Forest & the backpack trail | Yes — actively hunted; the backpack loops cross prime deer country. |
| Wayne National Forest (incl. the Baileys area) | Yes — multiple-use land where hunters and trail users share the woods. |
The 2026–27 calendar that matters to hikers
Ohio's approved deer seasons: archery Sept 26, 2026 – Feb 7, 2027 (long but low-conflict — bowhunters are stationary, close-range, and scarce near trails); youth gun Nov 21–22; deer gun week Nov 30 – Dec 6, plus the bonus weekend Dec 19–20 — the high-awareness window, when the state forests fill with hunters; and muzzleloader Jan 2–5, 2027. Legal hunting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Small-game and turkey seasons add lighter background activity through fall.
Hiker protocol on huntable land
- Wear blaze orange — hat and vest — anytime you're in the state forests or the Wayne from late September through January, and treat it as mandatory during gun weeks. Dress the dog too.
- Prefer the park during gun week. The simplest strategy: spend Nov 30–Dec 6 on the hunting-free state park and preserve trails, and save Zaleski or the Baileys for other weeks.
- Be audible and predictable. Stay on marked trails, skip the dawn/dusk edges of the day on forest land, and talk normally — hunters identify targets before shooting; your job is to be unmistakably human.
- Expect company at trailheads. Forest parking areas fill with trucks during gun week; it's normal, and hunters are overwhelmingly courteous trail-sharers.
Off-season stays, on-point rates
Late fall and winter bring the year's best cabin availability and pricing across the region.
Find Cabins & Lodging →Frequently Asked Questions
Is hunting allowed in Hocking Hills State Park?
No — all seven state park trail areas and the state nature preserves are hunting-free year-round. Hunting is legal in the surrounding Hocking State Forest, Zaleski State Forest, and Wayne National Forest.
When is Ohio's deer gun season in 2026?
November 30 – December 6, 2026, plus a bonus weekend December 19–20, with youth gun November 21–22 and muzzleloader January 2–5, 2027. Archery runs September 26, 2026 through February 7, 2027.
Do hikers need to wear orange in Hocking Hills?
On state park trails it's optional (no hunting occurs there). On state forest and national forest land, wear blaze orange from fall through January — and treat it as essential during gun week, for you and your dog.