The Complete Guide to Canoeing in Hocking Hills, Ohio

Canoeing has been a tradition in Hocking Hills for centuries.

It began as necessity: Native tribes such as the Wyandot, Shawnee, and Delaware, built canoes and traveled along Ohio’s rivers on their journeys. Later, settlers enjoyed the waterways in the area. Today, tourists.

The best places to canoe near Hocking Hills

Canoeing is one of the best things to do in Hocking Hills. You’ll be paddling through some of Ohio’s most scenic terrain. There are five places to canoe within an hour of Hocking Hills:

Hocking River
Rose Lake
Lake Logan State Park
Clear Creek Metro Park
Burr Oak State Park

Here’s everything you need to know about each.

1. Hocking River

If you’re canoeing in Hocking Hills, chances are you’ll be heading to the Hocking River. It’s the most accessible—and possibly the most beautiful—option in the area. You can float more than 50 miles of the Hocking River, but the famous stretch in Hocking Hills runs between Clear Creek Metro Park and the town of Logan. This float is roughly 9 miles.

If you want a shorter float, you can start at Clear Creek Metro Park and take out at Rockbridge. That float is about 2 miles long. Downstream of Logan and away from Hocking Hills, there are places to put in your canoe at Haydenville and Nelsonville.

There are no serious rapids on the Hocking River: Your main consideration should be the weather and water levels. After heavy rains, the river can rise and become dangerous. Otherwise, the Hocking River is a peaceful float.

2. Rose Lake

Rose Lake is the only place you can canoe within the official borders of Hocking Hills State Park. It’s a small lake, at just 17 acres. But what Rose Lake lacks in size, it more than makes up for in beauty.

Rose Lake is a great, calm place to canoe, but don’t plan for a full day on the water: You can explore all the nooks and crannies of the lake in just a few hours. When you’re done, drag the canoe onto the shore and enjoy lunch lakeside.

You can take some excellent hikes from Rose Lake, too. After canoeing, hike up to Old Man’s Cave or down to Cedar Falls. The out-and-back trip from Rose Lake to either of those is roughly 5 miles.

3. Lake Logan State Park

This park doesn’t get a fraction of the visitors that Hocking Hills does, but it’s an excellent place to spend a few hours canoeing. Lake Logan State Park is a 15-minute drive from Hocking Hills, and it’s big enough to spend plenty of time exploring.

Lake Logan is especially fun to visit during the fall. The reds and oranges on the trees are abundant all along the lake’s shore. And because there aren’t many places to canoe in Hocking Hills State Park itself (other than Rose Lake), Lake Logan is a quiet alternative that delivers top-notch scenery.

4. Clear Creek Metro Park

This is a park worth visiting whether you’re canoeing or not. It’s full of hikes and Hocking Hills-esque scenery with a fraction of the visitors. But not many people know that Clear Creek itself is a great place to kayak, when water levels allow.

When do water levels allow for canoeing? Usually in the spring, when snow and ice is long gone and heavy rainfall keeps the creek at navigable levels. By the mid-summer, the creek gets so low that you’d have to portage frequently to canoe for any reasonable length of time.

If there does happen to be an odd rainy week in the summer or fall, though, you may be able to try your luck at Clear Creek. And at the east end of the metro park, Clear Creek joins the Hocking River. For a longer trip, continue down on the Hocking River towards Rockbridge or Logan.

5. Burr Oak State Park

Up for a drive? Grab your canoe and drive it out to Burr Oak State Park. It’s one of Ohio’s resort parks: So while Burr Oak is about an hour from Hocking Hills, there are plenty of amenities on-site that make it easy to spend a day on Burr Oak Lake.

The lake is 664 acres. If you want to spend a full day here, you can. You won’t find a lake this big in immediate proximity to Hocking Hills, meaning Burr Oak is the closest spot if you want a kayaking experience on big water.

At Burr Oak Lake, there are hidden shores and small inlets to be explored for hours. You can rent a canoe at the lake here.

Places to stay in Hocking Hills

Canoeing is the perfect activity for a multi-day getaway to Hocking Hills. Wondering where to stay when you visit? Clear Falls has 15 cabins situated on a secluded 500-acre wildlife preserve. It’s paradise in the wilderness—and just a few minutes’ walk from most of Hocking Hills’ most beautiful attractions. Find your cabin below.

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The Bottom Line: Canoeing in Hocking Hills

It’s a great choice to spend an afternoon (or a full day) canoeing in the Hocking Hills area. You’ll be participating in a centuries-long tradition that’s just as beautiful today as it was 400 years ago. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that the scenery is some of the best in the entire Midwest.