Hocking Hills Adventures

Good location & friendly staff! We had an awesome time! We were given good directions & the driver had a great sense of humor. We have NO complaints :)

Excellent location and super friendly staff. Loved it! Will be back for sure. It did rain while camping but we had such good tree coverage it didnt make a difference for us. First time out to Hocking Hills and saw how much to do. Adventure for sure!

We LOVE Hocking Hills Adventures. We have camped there several times now and keep going back. The staff is very friendly and we have always met really nice people while camping there too. We look forward to come back again many more times! The camp sites are huge and come with a fire ring and picnic table. We always take our own Kayaks and enjoy the river and it is really nice to be able to put in right at our camp site and they will bring you back up when your trip is completed.

Made a game-​time decision on a Sunday morning to take some time out and take a nice trip down the river while we were visiting HH. Came across Hocking Hills Adventures based on a Google search, and it came with good reviews and a good price. We (GF and I) stopped in their shop and booked our trip for later that afternoon.
When we showed up around 1pm, we got outfitted, and were shortly whisked off to our put-​in point for Trip #2 (Stone Bridge). Our shuttle driver was cool, a bit crazy, but a GREAT beard lol.
He told us basically to paddle straight across from the launch to the opposite shore, then follow the trail a little ways to the «Stone Bridge» rock formation. We did — It was awesome!
Back in the canoe, it was a nice, lazy ride down the river. Water levels were generally pretty good. Never had to get out to drag the canoe through shallow waters (but got close in a few places).
There were other people on the river, but it was never «crowded».
Not a lot of great scenery on Trip #2, but it was ok. Seemed lacking in wildlife — not even turtles out sunning on a warm sunny day. Just birds — lots of birds :)
Our driver had told us that the trips that start further upstream (#3 & #4) are more scenic than the ones downstream.
When it was time to put in back at the livery, we had a hard time paddling into their inlet. Maybe the water was a little low, but there are wooden pilings at the entrance that we got hung up on. Then once in the little inlet, we were dragging bottom so we just got out and dragged the canoe the last 50 ft.
TIPS:
1) Wear shoes you won’t mind getting wet or muddy — just in case you need to hop out in the middle of the river, or to help pull up on shore.
2) Bring something to drink. This run didn’t have anyplace to put in for a drink or a snack, like along the Mohican. It’s just you and whatever you bring with you.
3) Have a waterproof container for your valuables and electronics. sometimes a ziplock bag just won’t cut it.

Went canoeing down the river with a group of 4 adults and 3 children. What fun! They have a variety of trips to choose from as well as different boat options (canoe, kayak, raft, etc.). All children are fitted for life jackets and all adults are required to have a life jacket and oars (provided).
Pros:
*Affordable
*Knowledgeable and courteous staff
*Like new equipment and comfortable canoes
*Beautiful and scenic river route
*The people of Hocking County! Having not been from the area, I was completely taken aback by how friendly and courteous the residents are. Don’t get me wrong — they love to party and were clearly enjoying their time on the river but every time we asked them to please leave our canoe alone as we had a 2-​year-​old on her first canoe trip, they not only quickly backed off their canoe games but then called ahead to friends and others in our path that we had «children aboard». We were very impressed!
Cons:
*The wait was pretty long; we canoed on a very busy (and hot) Saturday morning. After paying, we had to wait for our group to be called which took about an hour. Once we arrived at our departure spot, we had to wait another hour for a canoe. I understand that you can reserve ahead to avoid these wait times (no same day reservations are accepted).
*Not much instruction was given — in fact, none was given. Half of our party had never canoed before and were pretty lost when they got on the river.

My son is 3.5 and old enough to start going on some adventures. I decided to take him Canoeing and see how he did. We are a little less than an hour from Hocking Hills so I researched providers in that area. I decided to go with Hocking Hills Adventures.
Their website is very good and I was able to research/​navigate all the different river trips with ease. I picked Crocketts Run (Trip #1 best for beginners). Their website allowed me to make a reservation, pay ($ 40ish for 5 mile trip seemed like a decent price) and sign all the appropriate waivers before ever leaving my house. This makes it really convenient on check in.
We left the house at 8:30 AM in order to be there by 9:30 AM to check in a half hour before our reservation time of 10 AM. The place was very easy to find and although I used my GPS I really didn’t need it.
Once I got there I drove down a path preceded by a sign saying parking with an arrow. However, once you drive down the path nothing is marked and after asking someone I found out you can just park pretty much where ever along the sides. It would be nice if it was marked a little better but wasn’t a big deal as I’ll know in future trips.
Checked in at the desk. Lady was friendly and I received directions on where to board the bus and where to pick up our equipment along with our bus pass. I did want to buy some water but they didn’t have any for sale. I was able to buy a pair of water shoes and some snacks (chips) but no water (or other drink)!!!
Grabbed my paddle and head back down to where the buses & life jackets were. While I was picking out my jacket a man ask what trip I was taking and if I had my pass. I said I was on trip #1 but I needed to go to my car first before I gave him my pass. He pointed out the bus I needed to get on and said I had time before it left and took my pass. I walked to car put my shoes up and put on my water shoes. Then walked back to the bus area. Just as I got there my bus was leaving, without us. (I did have my 3 year old son with me so maybe we weren’t as fast as we should have been.)
I tried to explain to a couple of the guides/​bus drivers that I think I missed my bus for trip #1 and they seemed pre occupied and annoyed that I missed the bus for trip #1. The driver that actually ended up taking us up there acted really smug and put off by having to take us. Sort of like, you missed your bus and now you inconveniencing me. Sorry guy, my guess is you don’t have kids.
Anyway, my 3 year old loved the bus ride and when we got to the starting point the guide help us get the canoe in the water and made sure we were all set. His attitude was a little better but not by much.
The trip was awesome. The canoe and other equipment were in great shape. We stopped at a few sandbars along the way and had an excellent time. At the end of the trip the area to stop was clearly marked. We got out and returned our equipment. There was a Church supplying free hot dogs and drinks which was a really nice touch.
Everything was clean and overall, aside from the minor glitch described above, everything was pretty good. I will be going back to do a longer trip as my son loved it. I think things will go a little smoother now too, having learned a little bit on what to expect and not to expect. DON’T MISS YOUR BUS! :-)

My family has been going to Hocking Hills adventures for over 18 years. We go for Father’s Day every year, and repeatedly just for fun. They keep the river clean, and natural.
We have camped out and celebrated birthdays, canoed, kyacked and also used the big inner tube with 7 kids. It was a blast.
A great place to enjoy family, friends and just an awesome time with your kids!