A Winter Weekend in Hocking Hills Built Around Warm Stops

A winter weekend in the Hocking Hills does not have to revolve around ice-covered gorges. If you plan around warm stops (coffee, a tasting room, a candle shop, a visitor center, maybe a train) and add one short walk each day, you get the quiet of the season without spending the whole trip cold and cautious. This itinerary is built that way.

For frozen waterfalls and the full cold-weather hiking picture, see Winter in Hocking Hills. This guide is the indoor-leaning companion.

Ground rules for a cold-weather plan

• Daylight is short. Put the outdoor part in the morning and early afternoon, and keep the evening for places with a roof.
• Trails can be icy. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Hocking Hills trails are typically icy in winter and recommends proper outerwear and footwear, including ice cleats. Keep walks short.
• Winter hours differ. Seasonal businesses cut back or close, and small shops set their own days. Treat every time below as something to verify the week you travel.
• Drive carefully. Hill roads shade early and stay icy longer than main highways. See our guide to driving to Hocking Hills in winter.

Friday: arrive, eat, stay in

Aim to arrive before dark so you are not looking for your cabin on unlit gravel roads. Stock up on groceries in Logan on the way in (our grocery guide lists the stores), then pick a simple dinner. In our local directory, 58 West at 58 W. 2nd Street in downtown Logan is described as a restaurant, winery, brewery and distillery under one roof, which makes it a good first-night option if you want a warm room and a drink menu in one stop. Confirm hours and reservations before you go.

Check the Stuart's Opera House calendar in Nelsonville and the Logan Theater listing in downtown Logan for a Friday-night show; both venues host events year-round.

Saturday morning: coffee, one short walk, then a warm-up

Start with coffee. Hocking Hills Coffee Emporium on SR 664 South in Logan is described in our directory as serving locally roasted coffee, breakfast and lunch, with a souvenir shop. Call or check its page for winter hours.

Then do one walk. The Ash Cave Gorge trail is listed by the state as about a quarter mile, easy and wheelchair accessible, which is the most winter-friendly option in the park. The cave is dramatic in cold weather, and a short trail leaves you time and energy for the rest of the day. After the walk, warm up at the state park visitor center in the Old Man's Cave parking lot. The state lists it as open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with interactive exhibits and a raptor enclosure, but says hours can change seasonally.

Saturday afternoon and evening: pick a warm stop or two

A train, if one is running

The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway runs regular weekend trains from May through October, so most winter weekends will not have one. It does list special trains, including a Santa Train and a New Year's Eve train, and the railway's guide on our site describes an enclosed car with pull-down windows and a wood-burning stove. Dates were not posted on the pages we checked, so look at the railway's site first. See our complete railway guide.

A tasting room

Our directory lists several options: Brewery 33 on College Prospect Drive (craft beer and mead, with flights), Hocking Hills Winery on Freeman Road (flights, pizza and a relaxed patio), and Revolution Rockbridge in Rockbridge, which the directory says is open Friday through Sunday. Allegria Wine Room in downtown Logan is a wine shop with a tasting bar next to the Logan Theater. Pick one or two. Wintertime hours can be shorter than summer hours, and you need a sober driver for the hills. The Ohio legal limit for most adult drivers is 0.08 percent blood alcohol, but impairment begins well before that. For route planning, see our tasting route guide.

Shops and small museums

• The Wind Chime Shop & Candle Co near Logan has a year-round Christmas shop, and next door the Hocking Hills Candle Co lets you make your own candle, according to the directory.
• The Columbus Washboard Company at 4 E. Main Street in downtown Logan has a gift shop and factory and, per the directory, an ice cream parlor inside.
• Gifts That Give Back, on Main Street, sells fair-trade goods.
• Our Logan guide notes the Bowen House arts center, the Hocking Hills Children's Museum and Hocking Hills Escape Games as indoor options.

For dinner, choose something with a fireplace or a bar you can settle into, such as the BBQ and pub options in our directory, then head back before the roads get dark and icy.

If you want an alternative to a restaurant dinner, a Saturday evening at the cabin with a fire (if your rental allows one), cards and groceries from your Friday stop is often the most restful part of a winter trip. Keep the next morning simple.

Sunday: information stop, brunch, early exit

If you want local advice before you go, the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center on SR 664 South in Logan lists hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The visitor center in Laurelville keeps winter hours from November 15 through May 14, including Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Many downtown shops close on Sunday, so make that a brunch-and-go day and leave in daylight.

Pack and plan for bad conditions

What to pack

• Layers you can peel off, since you will be moving between cold air and heated rooms.
• Traction: boots with real tread and, if you plan to walk any gorge trail, ice cleats.
• A thermos and snacks for the car and short walks.
• A phone charger and offline maps. See our cell service guide.
• A small car kit: a blanket, an ice scraper and a flashlight.

If conditions turn bad

If it snows or ices heavily, drop the second outing and keep the plan to the cabin and one short drive. Our rainy day guide has indoor ideas, and it is better to skip a stop than to drive hill roads in poor conditions.