Hocking Hills and Athens: Hiking and Brewery Weekend Planning

The Best Ohio Weekend You Haven't Taken Yet

Some weekends just line up perfectly. Hocking Hills State Park offers some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in the entire Midwest — ancient hemlock-shaded gorges, thundering waterfalls, and sandstone cave formations that feel genuinely prehistoric. Athens, Ohio, sits just 35 minutes east, home to Jackie O's Pub & Brewery, a nationally acclaimed craft brewery that has quietly become one of the most respected names in American wild ales and sours. Put them together and you have the definitive Ohio hiking and craft beer weekend — a trip that rewards the legs and the palate in equal measure.

This itinerary is built around a Friday-to-Sunday escape from Columbus, though it works just as well from Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Dayton. Pack your hiking boots, bring a small cooler for any bottles you pick up, and get ready for an Ohio weekend that punches well above its weight.

Day 1: Columbus to Hocking Hills — Into the Gorge

The Drive Down (About 75 Minutes)

From Columbus, head south on US-33 into the Hocking Hills region. The highway unspools through rolling farmland before the terrain shifts — the hills rise, the hollows deepen, and by the time you're approaching Logan you know you've left the flatlands behind. Plan to leave Columbus by 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. on Friday to beat weekend trail traffic and secure parking before the gorge gets crowded. Trust us: Old Man's Cave on a summer morning, before the full heat of August sets in and before the trails fill, is a completely different and far superior experience.

Morning: Old Man's Cave Gorge Trail (2–3 Hours)

Old Man's Cave is the crown jewel of Hocking Hills State Park, and for good reason. The main gorge trail winds through a cathedral of hemlock trees and exposed Black Hand sandstone, dropping into a recess cave system carved by thousands of years of waterfall erosion. The lower gorge is genuinely stunning — a narrow, shaded ravine where the air is noticeably cooler even on a hot August day, the rock walls rise dramatically on both sides, and small waterfalls feed into the clear Queer Creek below.

The full loop connecting Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls runs approximately six miles round-trip, but most visitors do a shorter out-and-back through the upper and lower gorge — roughly two to three hours of easy-to-moderate hiking. Wear proper footwear; the rocks near the creek crossings get slippery, and sandals are a bad idea no matter how warm the weather. Bring water. In August, even a shaded gorge hike builds a thirst, and you'll want to be hydrated well before your evening at Jackie O's.

A few things to look for on the trail: the natural bridge formation near the upper gorge, the Devil's Bathtub — a beautiful pothole carved into the streambed — and the layered sedimentary rock exposed along the gorge walls, some of it dating back over 300 million years. This is old country, and the trail has a way of making Columbus feel very far away.

Lunch: Refuel in Logan or at Cedar Falls

After the gorge, you've earned a proper meal. The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls, located between Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls itself, has long been a beloved Hocking Hills institution with a restaurant that leans into local and seasonal ingredients — exactly the right vibe for this kind of weekend. If they're open for lunch service during your visit, it's worth a stop. Logan, the Hocking County seat about ten minutes north on US-33, also has solid local dining options for a quick, unpretentious midday meal before you head back to the trails.

Afternoon: Cedar Falls

Don't skip Cedar Falls. Despite the name, it's actually one of the largest waterfalls in Ohio, a wide curtain of water dropping over a horseshoe-shaped sandstone ledge into a misty plunge pool. The trail to the falls from the Cedar Falls trailhead is short and relatively easy — under a mile — which makes it a great afternoon add-on after a more strenuous morning in the gorge. In August, the surrounding hemlocks stay deep green and cool, and the falls themselves offer a welcome mist on a warm afternoon. If you did the full gorge-to-Cedar Falls connector trail in the morning, you've already seen it — but it's worth a longer look from the overlook platform before you pack up and head east.

Evening: Drive to Athens and Jackie O's (35 Minutes)

This is the moment the weekend earns its reputation. From Hocking Hills, it's roughly 35 minutes east on US-33 to Athens, home of Jackie O's Pub & Brewery at 24 W Union St. Founded in 2005, Jackie O's has grown from a beloved Athens institution into one of the most nationally recognized craft breweries in Ohio — particularly for their wild ales, farmhouse ales, and the acclaimed Cellar Series of barrel-aged and mixed-fermentation beers.

Plan to arrive in time for dinner and a proper session at the taproom. Jackie O's has a full food menu, which means you can settle in for the evening without rushing. But the beer is the reason you drove here, so let's talk about it.

What to Order at Jackie O's

If the Cellar Series is pouring — and on a summer Friday evening it very well may be — start there. These are Jackie O's barrel-aged and wild-fermented beers, often blended across multiple vintages, and they represent some of the most thoughtful and complex work being done at any Ohio brewery. The complexity in a good Jackie O's wild ale — the interplay of acidity, oak, funk, and fruit — rewards the kind of slow, contemplative drinking that fits perfectly after a day in the woods.

Beyond the Cellar Series, look for Mystic Mamma IPA, a flagship that showcases Jackie O's command of hop-forward brewing alongside their sour program. Firefly Amber is a sessionable, approachable option if you want something lower-key to start the evening. The rotating tap list frequently features collaborations, seasonal releases, and experimental small-batch beers — ask your server what's new and trust their recommendations. Jackie O's staff know their beer.

The Athens taproom itself has a comfortable, unpretentious energy that reflects the Ohio University college town surrounding it. It's a place where serious beer nerds and casual drinkers coexist happily, and that welcoming atmosphere is part of what has made Jackie O's such a durable beloved institution over more than two decades.

Day 2: Athens Morning and the Road Home

Morning: Rare Releases and the Athens Farmers Market

One of the great advantages of staying overnight in Athens is access to Jackie O's on Saturday morning. The brewery occasionally releases rare bottles, cans, and Cellar Series offerings on weekend mornings — check their social media in the days before your trip for any announced releases, because these can draw visitors from across Ohio. If there's a bottle release happening during your visit, build your Saturday morning around it.

If you're visiting on a Saturday, the Athens Farmers Market is one of the best in southeastern Ohio, typically running on Saturday mornings in the warmer months. Athens has a deeply rooted local food culture — the university town and its surrounding region have long supported organic farming and small-scale food production — and the market reflects that. It's a lovely way to spend an hour before the drive home, and you might find local provisions worth tucking into the cooler alongside any Jackie O's bottles you've acquired.

Optional Stop: Kinship Brewing in Chillicothe

If you're not in a rush to return to Columbus (and why would you be?), consider routing home through Chillicothe, roughly an hour northwest of Athens on US-50 and SR-159. Kinship Brewing is a worthwhile stop in a city that's experiencing a genuine cultural and culinary revival. It's a solid craft beer destination that rounds out a Hocking Hills brewery weekend nicely — a third act before the highway pulls you home.

Planning Your Hocking Hills Brewery Weekend: Key Tips

• Book accommodations early. Hocking Hills is one of Ohio's most popular outdoor destinations, and August weekends fill up fast. Cabin rentals in the area book weeks or months in advance. Athens has standard hotel options closer to Ohio University.
• Hit the trails early. Old Man's Cave parking fills quickly on summer weekends. Arriving before 9:00 a.m. makes a significant difference in your experience.
• Check Jackie O's tap list and release schedule before you go. Their social media and website are the best sources for what's currently pouring and any special release events.
• Bring a cooler. Jackie O's often has cans and bottles available to go, and the Cellar Series offerings are worth bringing home.
• Wear real hiking shoes. Hocking Hills gorge trails are beautiful but can be slippery. Leave the sandals for the taproom patio.
• Stay hydrated on the trail before your evening of craft beer. August in Ohio is hot, even in the shade of a hemlock gorge.

Why This Weekend Works

The best Ohio travel itineraries create a coherent sense of place — they don't just stack attractions, they build a story about what makes this state worth exploring. The Hocking Hills and Jackie O's weekend does exactly that. You spend a day in landscapes shaped by hundreds of millions of years of geology, then spend an evening drinking beers shaped by wild yeast, oak barrels, and years of patient fermentation. Both experiences reward slowing down. Both are distinctly, proudly Ohio. And both are better for being paired together.

This is the Ohio weekend you plan once and repeat every few years — each time the trails are familiar but the Jackie O's tap list is entirely new. That's a pretty good deal.