Hocking Hills’ Treasure

by Marilyn Loeser

I was a child the first time I visited Hocking Hills State Park in Southeastern Ohio.

I remember enjoying the time with my parents, but very little about the serenity of the park — sunshine and shadows playing on the massive trees and cliff overhangs, birdsong, and the ornate steps and bridges built nearly a century ago.

The Hocking Hills are a destination without limits. It’s as much the feeling of slowing your pace and learning how to relax again as a location on the map.

When my husband Mark and I decided to visit this area of rolling hills and dense forests, we had a very loose itinerary in mind: visit all six park locations — Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House, Cedar Falls and Conkles Hollow — and stay at The Inn and Spa At Cedar Falls.

Park History

The scenic features of the park are the result of the Blackhand sandstone deposited here more than 350 million years when Ohio was covered by a shallow sea.

Throughout time, as streams eroded the sandstone — and depending on the sandstone’s hardness — this erosion created the awe inspiring natural beauty visitors find today.

The first human occupants of the hollows and caves were the prehistoric Adena Indians more than 7,000 years ago. In the mid 1700's several Indian tribes traveled through and lived in the area including the Wyandot, Delaware and Shawnee. Their name for the river was Hockhocking.

After the Greenville Treaty of 1795, white settlers moved into the region and Hocking County was organized in 1818. The area around the parks began to develop in 1835 when a powder mill was built near Rock House and a grist mill was constructed at Cedar Falls. The cave areas became known as scenic attractions by 1870 and in 1924, the state made its first land purchase to preserve the area’s scenic features.

Each site offers hiking trails through the gorges and along the cliff edges. There are also marked trails between the sites. Twenty-six miles of hiking trails crisscross the 2,356 acre park.

Ash Cave has a wide paved path making it handicapped accessible. The path leads to the cave which is the largest recessed cave in the state. The rim of the cave spans more than 700 feet.

Inn and Spa At Cedar Falls

After our first day of hiking and exploring, we checked in at the Inn and Spa At Cedar Falls.

Innkeepers Ellen Grinsfelder and Terry Lingo offer 12 cottages — each named for a native flower and nestled on its own two acres; nine rooms in The Inn, also designed for two guests; and five cabins. Three of the cabins can accommodate up to four guests.

Our cottage, the Yarrow, featured a large room with a bed, gas log stove and a two person whirlpool tub with a separate bathroom and shower. But, no television, telephone or cell phone reception. After the initial shock of feeling disconnected from the world, you begin to connect with yourself. There was something very decadent about sitting out on the back porch of this tiny cottage and watching deer meander through the woods or squirrels chasing up and down ancient trees.

The bed and breakfast began as the vision of Anne Castle — to establish a place where the ever-growing number of urban dwellers could retreat to a natural setting. After two and a half years of “backbreaking work, mind-bending discouragement, seemingly countless physical, emotional and financial blocks,” the inn opened in 1987.

Ellen Grinsfelder, Anne's daughter, moved to the area six months before it opened. Jointly, the women ran the business until Anne's death in 1991.

Ellen married Terry shortly after the inn’s opening and today the couple carries on Anne’s dream of providing a true getaway from the stresses of everyday life.
The Inn’s Restaurant

Like all bed and breakfast establishments, the inn offers breakfast for overnight guests.  The likes of breakfast casserole, bacon and scones greet you as you’re seated in the 1840's log houses that are home to The Inn's gourmet kitchen, dining rooms and tavern.

Or, you can greet the morning by watching the sun rise from the restaurants’ outdoor patio.

The restaurant also is open for lunch and dinner.

With Chef Anthony Schulz — a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City — and his staff at the ready, every meal is an event here. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the menu includes sandwiches, soups and salads as well as 'to go' brown bag lunches.

Dinner entrée offerings include Roasted Filet Mignon, North Atlantic Flounder, Citrus-Honey Glazed Salmon and Ohio Butternut Squash Ravioli.

Every entrée includes homemade soup, mixed greens with homemade vinaigrette dressing, and warm fresh-from-the-oven bread. The timing between courses is perfect, allowing guests to really enjoy the food before the next course arrives. The two evenings we ate here were feasts of taste and relaxation — an event more than just a meal.

To top it off, there’s also a sinful selection of desserts.

Throughout the year, Chef Schultz offers cooking classes and wine tasting events as well.

The Spa

If the majesty of the Hocking Hill, quiet and solitude of a cottage, and delectable food weren’t enough, the inn also offers a full service spa.

On Saturday afternoon, my husband and I decided to have a couple’s massage — the most popular treatment at the spa. The licensed masseuses worked their magic, releasing tension and kneading away the stress of everyday life.

Other spa offerings include relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, signature face massage, hand and foot treatments, reflexology, hot stone massage and Reiki — a safe, gentle, natural and non-invasive form of hands-on healing that produces physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

If you go:

The Hocking Hills are located 50 miles southeast of Columbus in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Two excellent websites are www.1800hocking.com for an overview of the entire area, attractions, accommodations, restaurants and shopping opportunities. The state park website is www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/hocking.htm.

For specific information on The Inn and Spa At Cedar Falls, check the website at www.innatcedarfalls.com.

And leave your stress at home. You won’t need it here!