Hocking Hills with Kids: Weekend Itinerary + Campground Review (RV-Friendly)
- Dana Shik
- Apr 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 21
We took a weekend trip to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, and stayed at Campbell Cove Campground. It's a 2-hour drive from Cincinnati, so it was a short, easy trip that gave us a mix of campground time and easy hiking.
If you’re planning an RV weekend at Hocking Hills with kids, start here!
Hocking Hills State Park
Hocking Hills State Park is a national and internationally acclaimed State Park in Ohio.
Hocking state forest connects much of the park's areas while offering camping, hiking and rock-climbing within its nearly 10,000 acres.
Hocking Hills State Park is characterized in unique rock formations thanks to a rich history of settlements, and exploring these can be done through many trails in the park, that are short and are defined as easy to moderate, including Ash Cave Gorge (1/4 mile, also wheelchair Accessible), Ash Cave Rim (1/4 mile), Cedar Falls (1 mile), Rock House (1 mile) and Old Man's Cave, also 1-mile-long, which is one of the most popular ones among visitors. If you visit the lower-density spots like Cantell Cliffs, Rock House and Conkles Hollow, you will get to enjoy great views with smaller crowds in peak season.
Campbell Cove Campground - Your Choice in Hocking Hills
We stayed at Campbell Cove Campground, a beautiful camping spot in Logan, about 15 minutes from Old Man's Cave. Choosing a good campground sets the tone for a weekend like this, and truly makes or breaks the entire experience.
Indeed, over the weekend, our kids kept running the same loop over and over: jumping pad, playground, riding their scooters across the park, a quick stop at the site for water, then back out again. At some point the pickleball court pulled in the older ones, and our younger ones found a sandy beach at the shoulders of a small pond in the center of the campground, which kept them all busy for a good number of hours.
Campbell Cove is a family-friendly campground, and its roads invited kids to socialize, which we've learned to be a valuable thing when you camp. They were able to easily plug into what’s happening around them.
There’s a beautiful serene lake on the property with a short trail around it, and we ended up strolling through in between everything else. The campground also organized a treasure hunt, and our kids were fully engaged (they even got a small prize from the office at the end!).
The sites were shaded and expansive, and we used our picnic table and fire pit religiously!
The Most Popular Trail at Hocking Hills: Old Man's Cave
Old Man's Cave is highly popular and visitations are peaking when the weather gets warmer. To find a parking spot, plan to arrive early at the trailhead, even in early spring. There is also a visitor center there, where our kids enjoyed collecting another pin and magnet, even though it is "just" a state (and not a national) park (and even though we've visited Hocking Hills many times before!).
The cave is named after Richard Rowe, a hermit who lived in this area in the late 1700s. He built a shelter within the rock recess, and the name “Old Man’s Cave” stuck.
The rock formations here are part of the Blackhand sandstone, formed roughly 350 million years ago. Water erosion over time carved the gorge, the recess caves, and the layered ledges along the trail.
While the trail is short (~1mi) and easy in terms of elevation, take into account uneven terrain and that it involves getting a little wet (I suggest to wear waterproof shoes or sandals for maximum enjoyment).
What to Cook: Plant-Based Meals for a Family of Six
Back at the site, we rotated one-pot meals and yes, our burgers night for a camping weekend could not be skipped, but we paired it with roasted asparagus and corn on the cob, which balanced the heaviness. A day before the trip I ran into this Asian peanut spicy sauce, that I couldn't resist! So I stocked the fridge with cabbage and carrots, and had this idea of making these eggrolls with rice paper, stuffed with fried & shredded cabbage, carrots & tofu and chopped onion. We fried them and dipped in the spicy peanut sauce, which was absolutely delicious!!
For lunch across these 2 days, we had mujadara, a rice & lentil dish, peas with olive oil and garlic-salt, and soy hot dogs (store-bought). This meal was packed with macronutrients—protein from the lentils, hotdogs and peas, complex carbs from the rice, as well as micronutrients from the lentils and peas, including iron, folate, potassium, and fiber that round it out into a solid, sustaining meal.
That kind of setup matters more than people think when you’re cooking in an RV for a group.
Recipes I cooked on this trip
Mujadara recipe (rice & lentils)
Tofu & Veggie eggrolls recipe (coming soon to my recipes section!)
Weekend Itinerary for Hocking Hills (with Kids)
Friday
Arrival (PM) and RV setup
Scooters around the campground
Jumping pad + playground
Dinner at the RV/picnic table outside
Fire pit in the evening
Saturday
Early start at Old Man’s Cave
Lunch back at the RV
Lake trail walk at the campground
Treasure hunt + free play
Fire pit + simple dinner
Optional: explore more trails (an array of easy to difficult options are available at the park; check out the intro earlier in this post!)
Sunday
Playground + scooters
Slow morning at the site
Pack up and head out
What to Pack for a Camping Weekend at Hocking Hills
What to Pack for a Camping Trip?
Download my comprehensive camping packing list - I got you covered!
Meal Planning
Explore my roundup of a Full RV plant-based pantry setup to plan your meals ahead and keep things simple.
To keep things simple and straightforward, pick a couple of one pot meals.
Entertainment
Be sure to explore screen-free entertainment for your crew in my Road Trip Games for Kids (Screen-Free + RV-Friendly) post, written from personal experience.
FAQs
Where should you stay in Hocking Hills with an RV?
Campgrounds like Campbell Cove Campground work well for families because of the layout and activities. In peak season it can get busy. Reserve a spot in advance or check other campgrounds in the area.
Do you need to pay to enter Hocking Hills State Park?
No. Entry to Hocking Hills State Park is free.
Is one weekend enough for Hocking Hills?
Yes. One main hike plus campground time fills a weekend well, however, you can stay longer as there are many more things and trails worth exploring! Logan is a beautiful place to visit, and the park has so much to offer!
What is the best time to visit Hocking Hills?
Spring through fall offers the most accessible trails; early mornings help with parking and trail flow, however, in Ohio in general weather fluctuates in the spring and fall, so check before you pack, and make sure to wear layers!
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