Hocking Hills State Park
Nature preserve
2,014 acres17.6 mi of trail
Buckeye Bypass TrailGorge Overlook TrailBuckeye TrailOld Man's Cave to Whispering Cave Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Ash Cave Parking
Photo: Dustin M. Ramsey · CC BY-SA 2.5–Not graded
Outdoors in Benton Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Benton Township
The biggest trail networks: Hocking Hills State Park (17.6 mi), Hocking State Forest (16.7 mi), Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve (1.4 mi). 27% of Benton Township’s land is conserved, about 6,612 acres. 6,586 acres are parks and preserves, 6,769 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
27%
6,612 acres · of 37.7 sq mi of land
Trails
37 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,586 ac
6,769 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
69%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.0 mi
3.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Hocking Hills State Park, with 17.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hocking State Forest
Managed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources
3,599 acres16.7 mi of trail
Buckeye TrailBuckeye/BridlePurple TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
86 acres1.4 mi of trail
Conkles Hollow Rim Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Deer Crossing Reserve
Nature preserve
11 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
6,612 conserved acres
27% of Benton Township’s land. Who manages Benton Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources6,185 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government417 ac
Private owners57 ac
State Conservation Area · 4,150 acState Park · 2,035 acRecreation or Education Easement · 417 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 57 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 370 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hocking State Forest State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 4,096 | Open |
| Hocking Hills State Park State Park | State natural resources | 2,035 | Open |
| Camp Otyokwa Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 57 | Open |
| Conkles Hollow Dedicated Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 54 | Closed |
Things to do
22 places to go in Benton Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Benton Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Benton Township
Ash CaveIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsBroken Rock FallsIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsCedar FallsIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsDevil's BathtubIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsLower FallsIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsUpper FallsIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsWhispering CaveIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsWhispering FallsIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsScenic views in Benton Township
Lower Falls LookoutIn Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Benton Township
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Benton Township
Hocking Hills State Park Family Walk-In CampgroundIn Hocking Hills State Park · Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsOld Man's Cave CampgroundIn Hocking Hills State Park · Hocking Hills State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
22 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.9 miHorses · 14.0 miUnpaved · 13.9 mi
Buckeye Trail5.6 mi
Buckeye Bypass Trail4.7 mi
Gorge Overlook Trail2.6 mi
Buckeye/Bridle2.0 mi
Purple Trail1.6 mi
Old Man's Cave to Whispering Cave Loop1.6 mi
Conkles Hollow Rim Trail1.4 mi
Orange Trail1.3 mi
Rose Lake Trail1.2 mi
Buckskin West0.8 mi
12 more trails
Rose Lake Access Trail
0.5 miREQUIRED BRIDLE ROUTE
0.4 miRose Lake Camp Trail
0.4 miCedar Falls Trail
0.3 miCamp Access Trail
0.3 miGorge Exit Trail
0.2 miTurquoise Trail
0.2 miAsh Rim Trail
0.2 miBroken Rock Trail
0.2 miWhispering Cave Trail
0.2 miRose Lake Trail / Gorge Overlook Trail
0.1 miAsh Gorge Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Tennis
1Basketball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Benton Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 42 | 52 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 66 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Benton Township →
Next door
Benton Township and its neighbors
Benton Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Benton Township37 miLaurel Township33 miSalt Creek Township7.4 miJackson Township4.7 miSwan Township1.9 miWashington Township0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Salt Creek Township | 7% | 0.2 | 1,532 | 19% | B |
| Laurel Township | 23% | 0.9 | 6,401 | 47% | A |
| Jackson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Swan Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Washington Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 515 | 18% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Benton Township
Where can I hike in Benton Township?
The longest trail networks: Hocking Hills State Park, 17.6 miles; Hocking State Forest, 16.7 miles; Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Benton Township’s trails?
Hocking Hills State Park and Hocking State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Benton Township?
3.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Benton Township?
46,358 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Benton Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,586 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Benton Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →