For the 2019 Spring season we will feature a Wildflowers and Waterfalls tours starting in mid April through May at our sister property, Cool Rock Valley. Tours will still meet at High Rock and then you will drive a short distance, about 3.5 miles to Cool Rock Valley and park there for this new tour. Cool Rock Valley features 84 acres, half a dozen private waterfalls (nothing large most are around 25-35 feet high) and flow seasonally with their best flow in the Spring. Cool Rock also features some amazing woodland wildflowers like Bloodroot, Hepatica, lots of Trillium, Jack in the Pulpit, Spring Beauties, mountain laurel, wild rhododendron, dogwood, the state listed Flame Azalea, mayapple, redbud, blue cohosh, and more. We will include some edible and medicinal plant identification on this tour as well history of this unique property, its cliffs, beautiful rock features, and its multiple scenic streams. This tour will include a few challenges as well as getting up and down some steep hills will require using a rope in few locations (if a tour member is not physically able we do have alternative routes). Waterproof shoes or boots would be recommended on this tour as some stream crossings and hiking areas could get your feet pretty wet. The scenic views are amazing on this private property are totally worth your time. High Rock and Cool Rock are private and not open to public. All tours are guided and we practice “leave no trace” to ensure these properties are pristine and lightly used. We will have these tours listed to soon and ready to reserve. Experience Wildflowers and Waterfalls in Cool Rock Valley this Spring! Only available through Hocking Hills Ecotours and High Rock Adventures!
Have you ever thought about Rock Climbing or Rappelling, or Bouldering, or Spelunking? Want to try a little of everything, and do it in Ohio’s Hocking Hills? We’ve got the tour for you! Yes we offer full blown Rock Climbing and Rappelling and they are amazing, but this unique tour, our High Rock Challenge lets you try several of these on a smaller and very cool scale.
Larger groups and families love this tour because it moves quickly, there is not much down time at all. You are either hiking, doing a boulder style climb, going down a rope rappelling style, crawling through rock crevices, caves, and rock squeezes, climbing through cracks, and just having a ton of fun all while taking in some of the most spectacular scenery Ohio has to offer.
We practice “leave no trace” on all of tours so there are many rocks we just appreciate for their beauty. Several are covered in moss, ferns, lichen, and look ancient, because they are. The Rocks we do use for Climbing, Rappelling, and our Rock Challenges, are our harder sandstone and they have very little green on them, which makes them much easier to navigate.
During the Rock Challenge you will be up on top of few our cliffs with outstanding views and at other times you will be underground (not far) but definitely under and between rocks, massive ones. We also will point out a few plants and trees along the way because we like to include some nature education in all we do. This Rock Adventure includes a few timed challenges if your group or family wants to compete against each other for added fun.
What ages can participate? Kids 6-70+ Anyone can opt out of a challenge they feel pushes them too far beyond their comfort zone. There are at least 10 different challenges and your guide(s) will assist in all of them with pointers to make them easier or ways to increase the skill level on some should you wish. This tour is offered three times a day in the summer and is one of two we can typically do year-round. So if fun is what you are looking for, we’ve got your covered. Rock On!
