Hell Hollow Wilderness Area

Size: 800+ acres

​Location: Lake County-Northeast Ohio

Maybe I have a bit of personal bias towards this place since the inspiration for my Instagram page came after I hiked this gorge, but perhaps that in itself is a testament to how incredible the Chippewa Creek gorge truly is. The Brecksville Reservation is undoubtedly the least secluded park that made this list, but the Chippewa Creek gorge feels as wild as anywhere in Ohio. Chippewa Creek Gorge is a deep and rocky gorge that has definitely had its fair share of boulders fall into the creek. These boulders dominate the landscape of the creek, with some towering as much as 40 feet above the stream and others damming and diverting the flow of the water, creating dozens of small cascades throughout the gorge. The most impressive section of the gorge is its final 200 yards, where several massive rocks have created a 10-foot waterfall and sharp boulders jut into the sky like mini mountain peaks. There’s no trails down here, so the only way in is to find a way to safely descend into it. There’s several relatively easy ways in, so don’t settle on a descent route you don’t feel safe doing. Once in the gorge, all sounds from the nearby road are out of earshot and it’s unlikely you’ll see more than one or two people down here.

​And the winner is....

​​

Officially named the “best place to explore in Ohio” by the Natural Ohio team as of right now, Hell Hollow Wilderness Area is so perfect that after spending an afternoon there I told the co-founder of Natural Ohio that I didn’t want to hike anywhere else but there for the rest of my life. Obviously I wasn't completely serious, but after visiting Hell’s Hollow I can almost guarantee you’ll feel the same way I did. The park encompasses the narrow Paine Creek Valley and several of the tributaries that spill into it. Hell Hollow’s only trail, the Beechridge loop trail, will take you past an overlook of the Paine Creek from 130 feet up and then descends into the valley before ending at the valley floor. This may seem like the end of the road, but it’s far from it. It’s the beginning. Although no trails continue downstream, perhaps the best 1.5 miles off-trail hiking in the state are located past this point. You’ll pass by two spectacular waterfalls, and two more if you know where to look. The minute you leave the trail you'll feel like you have left Ohio and entered the movie “The Revenant”. The only sound you’ll hear is the sound of the rushing Paine Creek and your own footsteps. While the downstream hiking is initially rather easy and has almost developed a trail, after you pass the first waterfall things get much more difficult and I advise only taking on this hike if you’re confident in your mobility.

Best Places to get lost at in Ohio

Jacob Teed

​March 2nd, 2016

Hocking Hills State Forest

Size: 9000 acres

Location: Hocking County-Southeast Ohio

Photo by Jacob Teed

Hocking Hills State Park is Ohio’s most popular and well known park, and rightfully so, but the park’s 2,000+ acres offer little opportunity to escape from the crowds and enjoy the rugged beauty of the Hocking Hills region in peace. Surrounding the Hocking Hills State Park is its much lesser known counterpart: The Hocking Hills State Forest. 50 miles of trails crisscross the forest, leading to secluded caves like Chapel Cave, towering overlooks like Airplane Rock, and rock formations like Balanced Rock, a rock so oddly shaped it looks like it has been photoshopped. The state forest may not be as much of a jaw dropper as the state park it surrounds, but unlike the state park, this is a place you can truly immerse yourself in and feel miles away from any form of civilization.

Chippewa Creek Gorge - Brecksville Reservation

Size: 3000 acres (approx)

Location: Northeast Ohio

Chapel Cave by Javi Gutierriz

Source: http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/wayne/recreation/natureviewing/?recid=6203&actid=64

It’s hard to get a lot of information on Wayne National Forest, which is probably the main reason the park has yet to be added to this website. If there’s one thing I’ve gathered from my attempts to research the Wayne National Forest, it’s that the park is absolutely massive. 250,000 acres of land is split up among 3 different areas and over 300 miles of trails go through the park. The isolation Wayne National Forest can bless you with can be best demonstrated on the Wildcat Hollow Trail, at 14+ mile 2-day trek that ventures into the deep wilderness of the Wayne forest, passing stands of pine trees, scenic vistas, and a beautiful stream known as Wildcat Hollow. For those who want to experience the trail without having to spend a night camping, a connector trail allows you to shorten the loop to approximately 5 miles, turning it into a day hike. 

Photo by Nick Hoeller

Sheepskin Hollow State Nature Preserve

Size: 453 acres

Location: Columbiana County-Eastern Ohio

Wayne National Forest

Size: 250,000+ acres

Location: Southern Ohio

This is the smallest park on this list, but don’t underestimate it based on its size. Sheepskin Hollow was deemed the “wildest park in all of Ohio” by the Ohio department of Natural Resources. There are no trails in this park, nor are there plans to EVER build trails here either. Park visitors are allowed to explore the preserve to their heart’s content. This is something really unique to Ohio. There are very few parks in Ohio that don’t condemn off-trail hiking, let alone endorse it! The centerpiece of Sheepskin Hollow is a rugged hemlock ravine that contains two pristine 15+ foot waterfalls. While the entire park is located in Ohio, if you continue about ½ of a mile past the upper waterfall, you’ll be crossing state lines and entering into Pennsylvania.

Natural Ohio Adventures

If you know Ohio like I do, you know that Ohio has its fair share of amazing natural landmarks. From 60+ foot tall waterfalls to towering sandstone ledges, you usually don’t have to drive too far to find something worth seeing in Ohio. Unfortunately, thanks to the fact that Ohio is the 7th most populated state yet is only the 34th largest in terms of area, little opportunity for getting fully immersed in nature exists. That’s why some of Ohio’s coolest waterfalls, like Willey Creek Falls or Hayden Falls, exist in miniscule nature enclaves just steps from suburban development and bustling roads. While it’s much harder to embark on a venture into the unknown in Ohio than lesser populated states, there’s several gorgeous Ohio parks and wilderness areas that allow you to do just that. This list isn't necessarily in any order, but the final park on the list is our personal favorite spot to get lost at in Ohio!