Planning a Hocking Hills vacation? Excellent choice! Hocking Hills boasts some of the most exciting activities in Ohio, including ziplining, rock climbing, rapelling, and of course famous hiking trails through the area’s amazing natural formations, waterfalls, and foliage. Once you’re done packing your day with the sights of Hocking Hills, you want to retreat to a place of comfort and relaxation – your Hocking Hills cabin. The following offers tips for choosing the best Hocking Hills cabin for your vacation.
Make your list of amenities
Start by making a list of desired amenities. For example, most visitors want a Hocking Hills cabin with a hot tub. The following are common amenities that enhance your comfort and Hocking Hills experience:
- central air conditioning (not all cabins have this!)
- central heating
- fireplace
- free Wi-Fi and television
- covered deck/porch (you want to sit in the hot tub if it rains, right?)
- outdoor space (many cabins do not feature ample outdoor space or a wooded area on-site)
- bed linens (you don’t want to lug your own sheets and blankets, do you?)
- seclusion (do you want privacy, or are you OK with seeing other vacationers from your hot tub?)ll
- occupancy (how many people do you need to sleep? will you have visitors? is there a maximum occupancy?)
- washer and dryer
- full kitchen
- fire pit
- gas grill
- pond
- fishing on-site
- telephone (wireless service can be tough to get in Hocking Hills!)
Once you’ve made your list of amenities, list them in order of priority. For example, you might be willing to forgo a gas grill to get a hot tub that’s under cover. Make a checklist you can reference to see which cabins you’re interested in have your desired amenities. Now you’re ready to search for Hocking Hills cabins.
Search for Hocking Hills cabins
With your amenities checklist in-hand, visit the following sites to find Hocking Hills cabins that meet your criteria (many sites allow you to choose amenities when you search):
- Google or other search engine (search for specific amenities you want; for example, you might search for “hocking hills cabin with hot tub”)
- HockingHills.com
- ExploreHockingHills.com
- FlipKey.com
- HomeAway.com
- VRBO.com
- AirBnB.com
Make a shortlist of cabins that feature the amenities you’d like. It might be helpful to save their websites using a free app such as Evernote, which features one-click browser extensions for saving web pages.
Choose your Hocking Hills cabin
Now that you have a shortlist of Hocking Hills cabins, pick the best one for your trip. Consider the following to make your selection:
- Pictures – does the cabin feature comfortable furniture and beds, does the decor align with the experience you’re seeking?
- Reviews – several of the cabin search sites include reviews from past visitors who reveal guest-perspective details you won’t find in the listings; see if you can identify common themes and trends. A single bad review means very little, while multiple negative reviews should throw up red flags. If positive reviews are a trend, you’ve probably found a winner
- Proximity to activities – how far is the cabin located from Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave, Hope Lake, Logan, etc.? Many of Hocking Hills’ attractions are spread out, so you might want to pick a cabin that’s centrally-located to minimize drive times. Cabins located within 15-20 minutes of most attractions are ideal
- Availability and minimum stays – most Hocking Hills cabins require minimum stays, especially on weekends. Some require two-night stays; others, three nights or even a full week. Make sure the cabin you’re interested in is available the dates you want to travel (or that you can adjust your travel dates to get the cabin you want) and that you’re able to satisfy the minimum-night requirement
By now you should be able to narrow your Hocking Hills cabin search down to just a few properties. If you’re still not sure which to choose, go with your gut: which cabin do you feel will deliver the best possible Hocking Hills experience? Pay attention to details such as websites; cabin owners who have invested the time to properly present their properties have most likely applied the attention-to-detail it takes to prepare their cabins to deliver a wonderful Hocking Hills experience.
Happy cabin hunting!