Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills is Indiana's Clifty Falls turned up to eleven. Old Man's Cave is like walking through a cathedral made of sandstone. Ash Cave's horseshoe opening is 90 feet high - you feel tiny standing under it. Cedar Falls pours over a cliff into a box canyon. The trails are all paved or well-maintained boardwalks, so even younger boys can handle it, but the scenery rivals anything out west. The campground is huge and well-equipped. Yeah, it's popular - expect crowds on weekends - but there's a reason everyone goes. This is 'wow' factor camping that builds excitement for harder trips ahead. Sometimes you need to show boys what's possible before asking them to work for it.