HOCKING

Spring in the Hocking Hills... Ahhh





Capture the beauty of
Spring in the Hocking Hills!

The 11th Annual Shoot the Hills Photography Competition is April 20 - 22, 2012.

You and a friend could each win a Canon PowerShot SX130IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3.0-Inch LCD along with two Shoot the Hills Photography Contest Registrations and two t-shirts. ($770 value) To enter visit us on Facebook. All you have to do is fill out your info on our Giveaways page. Invite your friends and family to enter the sweepstakes as well - if they win, you win too!

All photographers (pros and amateurs) are invited to join Ohio's largest photo contest, Shoot the Hills. Held annually in the Hocking Hills State Park (Ohio), the contest primarily promotes nature photography. More than $5,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to winners at the conclusion of the 3-day photography event, April 20-22.
The contest is open to pros and amateurs alike, but digital entries must be captured within a specified 24-hour period (from 12:00 pm (noon) on April 20 to 12:00 pm (noon) on April 21). Digital entries must also have been made within the four-county coverage area of the Hocking Hills Region.


2011 DSLR Grand Prize winning photo

All photographers are invited to join Ohio's largest photo contest, Shoot the Hills. Held annually in the Hocking Hills State Park (Ohio), the contest primarily promotes nature photography. More than $5,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to winners at the conclusion of the 3-day photography event, April 20-22.

The contest is open to pros and amateurs alike, but digital entries must be captured within a specified 24-hour period (from 12:00 pm (noon) on April 20 to 12:00 pm (noon) on April 21). Digital entries must also have been made within the four-county coverage area of the Hocking Hills Region.

Click here for REGISTRATION & EVENT INFO





Click on the mushroom for morel recipes
Tips for Hunting for Morels in Ohio State Parks
by Traci Morris, Demand Media for Ohio Department of Natural Resources

According to Ohio State University Extension, there are more than 2,000 kinds of wild mushrooms that grow in the state. Of these, the morel is one of the first that you can collect in spring. The morel, which is also called the sponge mushroom because of its spongy cap, are most abundant from the first part of April to the first part of May in many Ohio State Parks. You must take great care when hunting morels, because there are some poisonous mushrooms, such as the false morel, that grow in the same conditions and look similar.

Step 1
Time your mushroom hunt for early spring when morel mushrooms are in season and weather conditions are right. Morels usually grow in moist conditions, just after the second deep spring rain. Another good seasonal indicator is that redbud trees produce tiny blooms during the same period that morels grow.
Step 2
Wear clothing designed for damp wilderness hiking, including pants and socks that wick away moisture and sturdy hiking boots that will support your feet and prevent injury. You should also carry a hiking stick to help you maintain your balance. Morels typically grow on the side of a hill, so taking these precautions will help keep you warm as well as preventing falls, bruises, blisters and rashes that can be caused by wet conditions, clothing that rubs and badly fitting shoes. Additionally, the longer you are comfortable while you hike, the longer you will be able to hunt morels.
Step 3
Plan to hunt during your first trip with a mushroom hunting society such as the Ohio Mushroom Society. The members of the society will be familiar with Ohio State Park regulations regarding mushrooms, as well as the best places to pick mushrooms. The members will also help you identify poisonous false morels.
Step 4
Search hilly areas filled with tall tulip poplar trees for morel mushrooms. Morel mushrooms like to grow in damp leaf mold in areas of constant shade. Look for plants that thrive under the same conditions that morel mushrooms like. Some of these plants include moss and fiddlehead ferns.
Step 5
Look for morel mushrooms on the south slope of a hillside in the earliest parts of April. By early May look for morels on the north slope of the hillside.
Step 6
Pick any morels that you find by breaking them off at the base of the stem and putting them in a plastic freezer bag with a zip closure. Take this bag to a ranger or group leader for the morel club, if you are hunting with a group so that he can double check your finds so you haven't accidentally picked a false morel.

A great way to get started is by joining a Mushroom Hunting Club. Click here for the 2012 Ohio Morel Foray with the Morel Mushroom Hunting Club.


We hope you have the opportunity to enjoy spring in the Hocking Hills. Our waterfalls are thundering, wildflowers carpet the forest floor and a million shades of green provide the backdrop of the blooming landscape.

Hocking Hills... Close to home. A million miles from ho-hum!