Hocking Hills Tourism Association - Ohio Tourism and Travel Blog

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:15 PM PDT

A beginner’s guide to camping in Hocking Hills

While camping can be overwhelming for newcomers, coming armed with a foolproof checklist and the basic knowhow can make all the difference. Whether you’re in a tent or a trailer, the Hocking Hills State Park Campground and other area campsites make up some of the best camping in Ohio. Take some time to learn the basics before you book your next adventure.

Image courtesy of http://www.hockinghillscanoeing.com

1. Make a checklist. You’ll want to divide your checklists by category. Try shelter, bedding, cooking, personal, clothing, miscellaneous and a basic first aid kit.

2. Know how to start a campfire. You can use everything from commercial fire starters to egg cartons with shredded newspaper.

3. Learn first aid basics. Know how to use everything in your first aid kit. Make sure to inspect your kit before each trip and restock often. You may also want to consider taking CPR and first aid classes.

4. Meet your neighbors. Camping is a community. Taking the time to meet your neighbors is a fundamental part of camping – and sometimes the most memorable. Offer to help new arrivals unpack, set up camp or share your family’s grub.

5. Look after your campsite. While rules vary from site to site, there are a few common courtesies to keep in mind both for your neighbors and future campers. Be aware of firewood rules (whether you need to purchase it, not chopping down standing trees, etc.) and only use designated areas for fires; be a considerate smoker; don’t walk through others’ sites; and store food appropriately.

6. Use a timer for your lights. Always being conscientious of your neighbors also means not making others subject to your bedtime. When you have others sleeping close by, consider investing in an outdoor timer (like you would for Christmas lights) so you can set it and forget it and no one is disturbed by your lights.

7. Stay safe. While there are plenty of safety tips for camping in the Hocking Hills, remember the basics: never approach or surprise an animal at close range, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return, don’t hike alone or at night and stay on trails.

8. Store your food properly. How to pack food for a camping trip is often a big question mark for first timers. You should freeze or refrigerate cold food overnight, freeze juice boxes to use as ice packs to keep your food cold as the boxes thaw, keep all fruit and vegetables refrigerated before putting them into the cooler and freeze any meats that you are going to cook within a couple of days so they can thaw out slowly in the cooler. Always keep perishable foods stored in the cooler and wrap containers holding foods like dips and sauces in plastic bags to contain leaks. Keep nonperishables out of the cooler and in a separate bag, including trail mix, crackers, bread, peanut butter and canned fruits and vegetables.

9. Keep kids entertained. While children love camping and exploring the outdoors, you should always be mindful others’ space and peace. Teach kids about the invisible boundaries surrounding your campsite and campground rules. Take them ziplining, canoeing, rock climbing, horseback riding or explore dozens of other things to do in Hocking Hills.

10. Leave the campsite clean. The last thing you should do after packing up to leave is clean the site. Many campers pride themselves on leaving the site cleaner than when they arrived. You can even get the kids involved by paying them a nickel for each piece of trash they pick up. For just a couple bucks, you can leave your campsite spotless.

If you’re ready to get lost in the Hills, check our campsite availability now or order your free Visitors Guide for more information.

Filed under: Vacations

Visitor Reviews

Rating

4 out of 5

red cabin Frontier Log Cabins

Traci and Bridgett, Streetsboro,Ohio Portage

Review Posted: Mar 27 Date of Visit: February

This place was awesome.They thought of everything.We stayed in the red cabin it was so wonderful.We were in the hot tub non-stop felt so good on our weiry bodies.If your looking for a wonderful cabin where theres piece and quiet this is the one.Thank you

Rating

5 out of 5

Frontier Log Cabins - Great Getaway!

Mike&Kari, Dayton, OH.

Review Posted: Feb 23 Date of Visit: February

My wife and I have been coming to Hocking Hills for the past 8 years for getaway weekends. 7 of the 8 years we have stayed at Frontier Log Cabins. They are by far the best cabins in the area. Cozy, Exceptionally Clean, Great Hot Tubs, Secluded in a Pine Forest. If you are looking for a place to get away this is the Place! You will Love it!

Rating

5 out of 5

Wonderful getaway with awesome service!

Nichole, Akron, OH

Review Posted: Feb 2 Date of Visit: January

We had a wonderful stay at the Frontier Log Cabins, specifically the Red Cabin. The owner, Teresa Smith, gave us the tour. Explained where we could find everything throughout the cabin. She showed us the hot tub and fireplace, including all settings. Teresa brought fresh towels, delivered in cute little baskets each day. The cabin had everything. All we brought were our belongings, food for the fridge, and a Crockpot. All other cook ware and utensils were there. The property included a sweet walking trail that wrapped around a pond at one end. It gave us enough outdoor time for a January walk in the snow. We hope to return again soon !

Rating

5 out of 5

Great unplugged getaway

TJ, Dayton, OH

Review Posted: Dec 1 Date of Visit: October

Very nice, well equipped cabins. Our cabin was the cleanest cabin we have ever stayed in. Very quiet location in the woods. A good location for Hocking Hills activities. Great to be disconnected from electronic world (no cell phone, internet, broadcast/cable TV). Very nice and responsive owners. We look forward to visiting again next year.

Rating

5 out of 5

Perfect

KB, Sagamore Hills, OH

Review Posted: Nov 5 Date of Visit: October

Quiet, clean, quaint. This is our 2nd year staying in the cabins and we are never disappointed. Owners are friendly and helpful. The area is beautiful. We will be back again next year!

Rating

5 out of 5

Blue Cabin

Gary & Ronetta, Hartville,Ohio

Review Posted: Oct 28 Date of Visit: October

Cleanest cabin we ever stayed in at Hocking Hills or anywhere else. Super owners.

Rating

5 out of 5

Great Weekend

Julie, Lisbon Ohio

Review Posted: Oct 1 Date of Visit: September

My daughter, sister in law and myself got together for a crafting weekend. They scrapbooked and I knit in the leather recliner. We had so much fun. So comfy and a lot of room. We were treated wonderful. We had a lot of fun and plan on doing this yearly.

Rating

5 out of 5

Great Get Away location

A.J., Columbus, OH

Review Posted: Sep 28 Date of Visit: September

My wife and I stayed here for 3 days and 2 nights. It was extremely clean and comfortable. The surroundings were beautiful and serene. The hot tub worked great. We will definitely be returning again and we would recommend Frontier Log Cabins to our friends.

Rating

5 out of 5

The Hitchin' Post

Jan, Eaton

Review Posted: Sep 5 Date of Visit: January

We were so glad that we chose your facility to stay. It was so nice meeting Teresa and Mike and being able to understand their love of the property through the History. The cleanliness of our cabin far exceeded our expectations and by far one of the nicest places we have ever stayed. We spent our days relaxing and fishing at the beautiful pond and our evening at the fire pit and relaxing before bedtime in the beautiful hot tub. We will definitely recommend it to all our friends and are making plans to return ourselves.

Rating

5 out of 5

Quiet and peaceful

LeeAnn, Columbus

Review Posted: Sep 5 Date of Visit: August

Every year my husband and I spend our anniversary down at the cabins. They are historic, rustic (not to rustic!) and immaculate! This is the best place to disconnect from your everyday hustle and bustle and reconnect with each other, nature, yourself etc! There is even a stocked catch and release pond you can hike to ¿ all on private property!!! Mike and Teresa are wonderful hosts. We can¿t wait to return next year! We love this place!

Rating

5 out of 5

wonderful, relaxing, friendly!

A SMITH, Chillicothe

Review Posted: Aug 28 Date of Visit: August

What an amazing place to come and relax! From the hiking trails to the stocked pond to the hot tub and all the little details. Such a sweet family. Very welcoming and willing to accommodate all of our needs. Highly recommend these cabins! Looking forward to our next visit!

Rating

5 out of 5

We are in love with the Blue Cabin!

KatieSielke, Springfield , Ohio

Review Posted: Jul 16 Date of Visit: July

My husband and I stayed in the Blue Cabin last week. Our stay was wonderful!! Can can not say enough about how clean the cabin was. Everything we needed was available. We just added food and our stay was complete. The hot tub was great too. There is nothing like a good soak after a day of hiking. I didn't even mind the lack if cell phone service...it just forced me to relax!

Rating

4 out of 5

Vacation 2013 Frontier Cabins

D & C, Canton, OH USA Stark County

Review Posted: Jun 23 Date of Visit: June

Our cabin was in excellent condition and had all of the things we needed to prepare our meals. We were 10 minutes from the pond which is well stocked. We were close to all the sights and had a helpful map showing where they all were. We loved all the caves.

Rating

4 out of 5

awesome getaway

JD, Mansfield, Ohio

Review Posted: Jun 20 Date of Visit: June

great quiet place, uncommercialized, with privacy and all you need for a great weekend, vacation

Rating

4 out of 5

Unplugged - Perfect Quite Getaway

Susan, Burlington, KY

Review Posted: Jun 3 Date of Visit: May

We looked at other sites and organizations who offer rental accommodation similar to Frontier Cabins. However, we really were 1st impressed by the video of our cabin we selected. The video of all three cabins was well made and presented an overall snap shot of what we could expect. When we arrived, we were not disappointed and there were no surprises and our expectations was well met and then some! We met the owners and connected with their warm spirits and hearts right away and resonated with their history and their continuing work of preservation and stewardship of the land and its history. While modern and updated, the cabins have the essential raw elements of what Frontier Cabins were like back in the day. Mike reestablished those elements with craftsmanship and Teresa finished the rest with time period décor and furnishings that tied all the elements together into a great cabin rental experience that we really enjoyed. We both enjoyed the walk to the pond through the pine trees having a respite along the way with strategically placed benches all of which grant the oneness of the trees in solitude. We also caught a few fish and saw a turtle, a few hawks and made some new friends with the local song birds. The cabins were close to everything and we really enjoyed the peace and quiet amongst the trees in the evenings after a long day hike, sitting on the front porch in the rockers and just relaxing. If you like nature, the sun glistening through the trees with beams upon your face hearing the song of the trees blowing in the wind overhead, the peace and serenity with the Frontier log cabin experience, then this place is the place to be for your body, souls and spirits, for surely rest, love and blessings are found here. Peter & Susan Papucci

Rating

5 out of 5

Could not have been any better!!

Lovers, Wellington, OH

Review Posted: May 7 Date of Visit: April

This was our first time to stay at Frontier Log Cabins....we loved it!! We enjoyed the quiet peacefulness and beauty around the cabin. We found everything to be just like it was described in their literature and on their website. The cabin was comfortable, cozy and clean. It was also nice to walk to the pond and sit on one of the benches. We would recommend Frontier Log Cabins to everyone...we have already told some friends about it.

Rating

5 out of 5

First Time Visitors

First Timers in the Area, Ball Ground, GA

Review Posted: May 2 Date of Visit: April

Excellent alternative to motels. the modest extra cost was well worth it for us. Everything was as advertised. VERY clean, private, parking at the door, quiet,well decorated/furnished, friendly/professional management. We had a great time there and would recommend it for those who love nature.

Rating

5 out of 5

A Little Slice of Heaven on Earth!

Brenda & Kevin, Maybee, MI

Review Posted: Apr 9 Date of Visit: March

My husband and I have been visiting Frontier Log Cabins for 19 years now. (It's hard to believe!) We were actually married at the red cabin 18 years ago. We visit probably 3 or 4 times a year. There is NOTHING like Frontier Log Cabins. Teresa and Mike are amazing. The cabins are spotless. And the smell of the pine, when you get out of the car. . . Mmmmmm. The cabins are situated in a pine forest! How cool is that? We love to walk the trail in the mornings. Not only is it a great workout, when you do the loop, but it is so beautiful and peaceful. If you stay in the red, green or blue cabins you will not be disappointed. I'll guarantee that! (I haven't stayed in the others as I am hooked on the pine forest.) I love staying at these cabins so much that I cry every time I have to come home. True story. Well, if you will excuse me. . . I think I'm going to make a reservation now. :)

Rating

5 out of 5

What a wonderful place.

Barb @ Dan, Palestine, Ohio

Review Posted: Mar 15 Date of Visit: March

We chose the green cabin and what a good choice, just the right size for us. The cabin was very nice inside with the stone fire place and log furniture not to mention the nice quilts they have and other decorations, it feels quite home like. We also loved the trails to walk and the pond with the seating to enjoy the views. Wish we could live in a place like that so beautiful,quiet and peaceful. Thanks for the great time Mike and Teresa. P.S. We will be back.

Rating

5 out of 5

Wonderful peaceful retreat

MJ, Euclid, OH

Review Posted: Feb 23 Date of Visit: February

Beautiful cabin surrounded by quiet woods yet close to area attractions. Especially loved the hot tub with the view of the forest out back!

Rating

5 out of 5

Peace and quiet

Jill, Brookville, Ohio

Review Posted: Feb 4 Date of Visit: January

The Green Cabin could not have been a more perfect place to spend a quiet weekend. Before we even arrived, we knew we were in good hands. Even with a last minute booking the morning of the trip, Teresa and Mike were so very helpful and friendly making us feel welcome! The quilts and fireplace were the perfect welcoming touches to an already perfectly restored cabin. The only problem with our trip? It was not long enough. Next time we stay AT LEAST three days!

Reviews are the subjective opinions of Hocking Hills visitors and not of HockingHills.com

Hocking Hills Frontier Log Cabins

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