The Book
The Hocking Hills 1900-1950, by
Judith Stoltz Makiskas, is a trip back in time, via postcards. As a part of the
Postcard History Series the focus is on the visual. Throughout the book,
readers get to see what life was like in the area surrounding Hocking Hill
State Park.
The first chapter focuses on the trails and caves in and
around Hocking Hills State Park. If a reader has already visited the Park, they
will enjoy seeing postcards that capture everyday people hiking in the caves.
The picture of Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve doesn’t look much
different than what I saw over fifty years later. The following six chapters
focus on the people, events, businesses, and holiday celebrations in that area.
While it was interesting to see them, I would have liked to have learned more
about Hocking Hill State Park.
To be honest, it was hard to find a book about Hocking Hills
State Park (maybe one of the readers of this blog knows of one). Most books
were a hiking guide and not a history of the park. It would have been helpful
if the captions in chapter one spent more time on the subject matter rather than the material or history of the postcard. The postcards do provide a window into everyday life in southeast Ohio, and reading the book is a bit like going through an old photo album with your grandparents.
The Place
Hocking Hills State Park is one of the best places to visit in Ohio during the Fall.
The color of the leaves pop against the blue sky and the rock formations. Of
course, it’s more crowded during that time; however, visitors can choose some
of the lesser-known trails to explore.
Old Man’s Cave is a popular destination and is located by the
Visitor Center. When we visited, the water was very low and we didn’t see the
waterfalls. We did get to wander through rock formations far below the tree
line. Adjacent to Hocking Hills State Park is Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve.
This was actually my favorite part of the trip. We started out on the upper
trail, overlooking the gorge and tree line. Since it was a sunny day, it was
fairly warm. Then, we descended into the gorge. The temperature dropped
drastically and we were looking up at the trees.
Hocking Hills State Park is
open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Admission is free and the Visitor
Center has restrooms. Since you will be hiking, you’ll want to plan on dressing
appropriately and packing snacks and water. Several of the trails require
driving time in between and there is ample parking. Conkle’s Hollow has the
same hours as Hocking Hills and a portion of the trail is wheelchair
accessible.
