COLUMBUS, OH - Two major improvements at key outdoor recreation sites in the scenic Hocking Hills, representing important state investments in the region’s growing tourism economy, were dedicated today by Ohio’s First Lady Hope Taft.
Mrs. Taft joined Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Sam Speck in opening a newly reconstructed Lower Gorge Trail at Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve and a new Visitors Plaza at the entrance to the Old Man’s Cave Trail at Hocking Hills State Park. Together the two projects represent an investment of more than $750,000, part of $8 million invested by ODNR in the Hocking Hills region since 1999.
In dedicating the improved Lower Gorge Trail, Mrs. Taft cited the enhanced accessibility the trail’s new concrete surface offers to parents with strollers, people using wheelchairs and those seeking a casual, easy walk through the unique natural environment of Conkle’s Hollow.
“The new trail will increase visitor accessibility while providing maximum protection for the preserve’s ecosystem,” Mrs. Taft said. “More than 150,000 people visit Conkle’s Hollow each year, and now even more will be able to savor its special beauty.”
Accessibility to the lower gorge is aided by the new trail’s hard surface, which has been designed to limit any impact on fragile soils and plant life alongside the trail, according to ODNR Director Speck. Other improvements include two new footbridges and a series of culverts to divert water away from the popular hiking trail. The Conkle’s Hollow project is part of an ongoing effort by ODNR to make accessibility improvements at state parks, nature preserves and wildlife sites throughout Ohio, Speck said.
Later in the day, at Hocking Hills State Park, Mrs. Taft toured a new Visitors Plaza adjacent to the park’s Nature Center at the entrance to the Old Man’s Cave Trail. The plaza serves as a focal point for the hundreds of thousands who each year visit Old Man’s Cave, one of Ohio’s most spectacular natural vistas. Designed as a restful spot to reflect on the region’s beauty before and after a hike into the gorge, the plaza has already become a favorite spot for families to pose for photos of their trip to the Hocking Hills.