Getting ready to zip! We got a great view of the ravine on this line.

Hocking Hills , located an hour from Columbus, is like an outdoor playground for adults. Activities range from leisurely hikes through Old Man’s Cave and family-friendly overnights at Lake Hope State Park, to ATV rides through the Hocking Hills Nature Trails. Between four years at nearby Ohio University and a fiancé that loves anything outdoors, I’d experienced it all. Well, almost…

In late 2008, the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours brought Ohio its first zipline course. This 1.5-mile trail takes you across 10 ziplines and over five skywalk bridges. Groups of 10 — eight zipliners and two guides — spend three hours gliding from platform to platform and learning little known facts about the Hocking Hills. Could there be a more perfect way to spend an afternoon? I didn’t think so, so I signed up my fiancé and I in time to celebrate our two-year anniversary. (more…)

Looking for something a little different to do? The warmer weather and the longer days provide a perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the scenery.

The Hocking Valley Canoe Livery in Logan, Ohio offers several canoe trips that are affordable and only about an hour outside of Columbus. My boyfriend and I took part in the Romantic Full Moon Canoe Trip this past weekend. We joined an eclectic group of canoers including a mother and her two sons, a couple celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary and even one surprisingly well-behaved dog.

Getting ready to row

An hour before sunset, we were all dropped five miles up the Hocking River to paddle our way back. The trip is supposed to last about two hours—although this depends a great deal on whether you are in the mood for exercise-like rowing or laid back drifting. When we arrived back at the livery, the sounds of music and the warmth of a roaring bonfire greeted us. We grabbed a glass of wine and joined the livery staff and our fellow canoers around the fire. After enjoying several perfectly roasted s’mores, we said our goodbyes and hit the road.

With two nighttime canoe trips each month for beginners and experts alike, there are more than enough opportunities to fit your calendar. Grab a group or a friend and experience Hocking Hills in a whole new light.