Halloween in Hocking Hills brings pumpkin festivals, costume train rides, and Ohio’s best fall color. October is the busiest month of the year in this corner of the state. Cabins fill early, weekend trails crowd, and popular events sell out well in advance.
This guide lists every confirmed 2026 event with dates, times, and prices. It also covers what to do after dark and when to expect peak leaf color.
Halloween in Hocking Hills 2026: Key Dates
Here is the full October calendar at a glance.
- September 25: ODNR begins weekly fall color map updates
- October 1 through November 1: Fall Foliage Train Rides, Thursday through Sunday
- October 3: Oktoberfest at Brewery 33, Logan, free
- October 10: Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike, free
- October 21 to 24: Circleville Pumpkin Show, free
- October 23, 24, 30 and 31: Nelsonville Halloween Train, 6 p.m.
- October 31: Jack O’ Lantern Jubilee, downtown Logan, free
We verified every date above with the organizer in September 2026. Schedules can still change, so confirm before you travel.
Halloween Events in Hocking Hills 2026
Circleville Pumpkin Show
📍 Downtown Circleville, Ohio
🗓 October 21 to 24, 2026
🎟️ Free
The Circleville Pumpkin Show is the largest fall festival within easy reach of Hocking Hills. The show runs the third Wednesday through Saturday each October, and 2026 marks its 119th year. Circleville sits under an hour north of Logan by car.
The Pumpkin Show is free to enter and has no ticket gate at all. Expect more than 100,000 pounds of pumpkins, squash, and gourds on display. Seven separate parades run across the four days, including a Baby Parade and a Pet Parade.
Why go:
✔ Free entry, with no tickets required
✔ Roughly 23,000 pumpkin pies and 100,000 pumpkin donuts sold each year
✔ Twenty-five to thirty amusement rides through the closed downtown streets
✔ Giant pumpkin weigh-in, with the 2025 winner at 1,972 pounds
✔ Free parking and shuttle service run by a local church
Go on Wednesday or Thursday if you worry about crowds. The Pumpkin Show draws over 400,000 visitors across four days into a town of 12,000 people. Full schedule at pumpkinshow.com.
Nelsonville Halloween Train
📍 Nelsonville Depot, 33 West Canal Street
🗓 October 23, 24, 30, and 31, departs at 6 p.m.
🎟️ Adults $27, children $23
The Nelsonville Halloween Train is the region’s best Halloween outing for families. The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway runs it on four evenings in 2026, each departing at 6 p.m. The ride lasts about two hours.
The train travels the historic Hocking Valley line to Haydenville, then on to Robbins Crossing. Passengers can step off to visit the lit and decorated village. Treats are handed out back at the depot, and a haunted train car rides along.
Why go:
✔ Four dates, so there is flexibility if one sells out
✔ Adults $27, children ages 3 to 12 $23, seniors and military $25
✔ Children under 3 ride free on a lap
✔ Costumes encouraged for all ages
✔ Reservations strongly recommended
Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. Paper tickets must be collected inside the depot, because a booking confirmation will not get you on board. Book at hvsry.org.
Jack O’ Lantern Jubilee in Downtown Logan
📍 Downtown Logan, Ohio
🗓 October 31, 2026, usually 6 to 8 p.m.
🎟️ Free
The Jack O’ Lantern Jubilee is Logan’s own downtown Halloween celebration. Downtown Logan and local business owners have run the Jubilee together for several years. Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the event lands on Halloween night itself.
The Jubilee usually runs 6 to 8 p.m. and costs nothing to attend. Activities include a trunk-or-treat, a treat walk through participating downtown businesses, a costume contest, a scavenger hunt, a raffle, dancing, and a photo booth.
Why go:
✔ Ten minutes from the lodges, so no long drive after dark
✔ Free, with no tickets or registration
✔ Genuinely local, run by downtown business owners
✔ Trunk or treat and a treat walk in one evening, which suits younger children
Start times have shifted in past years, so confirm before you plan around it. See the Jack O’ Lantern Jubilee listing on Explore Hocking Hills, the region’s official travel site.
Oktoberfest at Brewery 33
📍 12684 College Prospect Drive, Logan
🗓 October 3, 2026
🎟️ Free
Oktoberfest at Brewery 33 opens the month with German beer, food, and live music. The brewery sits minutes from the lodges at the entrance to Lake Logan. Admission is free, and the event runs through the day into the evening.
Brewery 33 pours 15 house-made beers built on German brewing tradition with an Appalachian character. There is a taproom, an outdoor patio, and a fire pit. Saturday hours are noon to 10 p.m.
Why go:
✔ Free to attend, with no ticket needed
✔ An adults’ evening that still works with children earlier in the day
✔ Early October timing, before the busiest fall weekends arrive
✔ Ten minutes from the lodges
Call 740-385-6033 to confirm the schedule. For more local food and drink stops, our guide to wineries and breweries in Hocking Hills covers the wider area.
Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike
📍 Hocking Hills State Park, St. Rt. 664 S
🗓 October 10, 2026
🥾 About 6 miles, difficult
🎟️ Free
This guided hike follows the Grandma Gatewood Trail from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls and back. Park naturalists lead it, and there is no charge to join. The trail is rated difficult, so dress for autumn weather and rough footing.
October 10 lands early enough that the color is usually still building. That makes this hike a good pick for a quieter park experience before the late-October rush.
Why go:
✔ Free, and led by ODNR naturalists
✔ Covers the park’s two most famous features in one route
✔ Early October timing means lighter trail traffic
✔ Six miles of difficult trail, so plan most of the day around it
Call the park office at 740-385-6841 to confirm the meeting point. If six difficult miles is too much, our guide to the best hikes in Hocking Hills has gentler options.
Fall Foliage Train Rides
📍 Nelsonville Depot
🗓 Thursdays through Sundays in October, plus November 1
🎟️ $22 and up
The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway runs fall foliage trains every Thursday through Sunday in October. One final run follows on November 1. Tickets start at $22, which makes the train the most affordable way to see the color.
The route follows the Hocking River valley on track originally built in 1869. Nobody has to hike, drive, or hunt for trailhead parking. That makes the foliage train a strong option for grandparents and small children.
Why go:
✔ Runs across the whole month, so timing is flexible
✔ Tickets start at $22, cheaper than most guided fall activities
✔ No hiking required, and seating is provided
✔ Covers valley scenery you cannot reach by road
Pumpkin Patches and Hay Rides Near Hocking Hills
Several working farms near Logan open for the fall season. Fox’s High Rock Farm sits on State Route 664, minutes from the lodges. Visitors can feed and brush goats, sheep, and alpacas, and children can go gem mining. The farm opens Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Mondays 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For a fuller list, our guide to local farms, pumpkin patches, and hay rides covers more of the area’s seasonal farm stops. Call ahead in October, since many farms shift to weekend-only hours.
What Is the Real History Behind Old Man’s Cave?
The ghost stories about Hocking Hills are fun, and most of them are invented. The documented history is stranger and more interesting.
Old Man’s Cave takes its name from a settler nobody can identify. American settlers arrived in the 1790s, and one early trapper made the recess cave his home. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources states plainly that no one knows for certain who he was. He is believed to be buried at the site.
Settlers named Ash Cave for what they found inside. Early arrivals discovered enormous piles of ash in the recess cave. Indigenous peoples had lived in this region for centuries. Later excavations turned up human remains, tools, clothing, and the bones of passenger pigeons, a species now extinct.
At Rock House, researchers found hominy holes used for cooking and small troughs cut to catch rainwater. The Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot hunted and lived across these hills for two centuries. The Delaware named the river Hockhockin, meaning bottleneck, for the shape of its gorge.
That is real history, and it makes better campfire storytelling than an invented ghost.
Can You Hike Hocking Hills Trails at Night?
No. Hocking Hills State Park trails close at dusk. Park hours run half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset. The gorges have unlit cliff edges and steep stone stairs, so this rule exists for good reason. Please do not plan a night hike on park trails.
One exception exists, and it is a good one. John Glenn Astronomy Park is the only part of the state park open at night. Programs run on clear Friday and Saturday evenings, March into late November. Hocking Hills holds some of the darkest skies left in Ohio.
Parking registration is required on program nights, and passes are free. The grounds also open for individual stargazing on non-program nights, and visitors may bring a telescope or camera. Check the forecast first, because programs are canceled when clouds move in. You can find more details at jgap.info.
Beyond that, October evenings belong at the lodge. A fire pit, a full kitchen, and a game room fill the hours after sunset. Guests who would rather not cook can book a private chef through our additional services. We can also arrange on-cabin massages, private yoga, and guided winery tours. Every add-on booked supports our give-back partners.
When Do Fall Colors Peak in Hocking Hills?
Nobody can forecast peak color accurately in September. Leaf timing shifts every year with rainfall and temperature.
ODNR publishes a weekly fall color progress map, and the first 2026 update lands September 25. That map is the most reliable source for planning around color. Check it the week before you travel rather than booking around a predicted window.
Late October usually delivers strong color across southeast Ohio, which is why it overlaps so neatly with Halloween. For a fuller seasonal breakdown, see our guide to fall in Hocking Hills.
Track current conditions on the ODNR fall color page.
Tips for Planning Your Halloween Trip
- Book your cabin early. October is peak season here, and weekends go first.
- Buy event tickets in advance. The Halloween Train recommends reservations, and it sells out.
- Pack layers. October in Logan averages highs in the mid-60s and lows in the upper 30s and 40s. Late-month evenings run colder still.
- Book add-on services ahead. A private chef, massage, or yoga session needs about two weeks’ notice.
- Start hikes early. Parking at Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls fills fast on autumn weekends.
- Watch your footing. Wet leaves on sandstone steps are genuinely slippery.
- Confirm every date. Event schedules change, and organizer sites are not always updated.
Frequently Asked Questions: Halloween in Hocking Hills
The main events are the Circleville Pumpkin Show (October 21 to 24), the Nelsonville Halloween Train (October 23, 24, 30, and 31), and the Jack O’ Lantern Jubilee in downtown Logan, Ohio (October 31). Oktoberfest at Brewery 33 runs October 3; Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike runs October 10; and fall foliage trains run Thursday through Sunday all month.
The Halloween Train departs the Nelsonville Depot at 6 p.m. on October 23, 24, 30, and 31, 2026. The ride lasts about two hours. Tickets are $27 for adults, $23 for children ages 3 to 12, and $25 for seniors and military. Reservations are strongly recommended.
No. Hocking Hills State Park trails are open half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset.
Peak timing changes every year. ODNR publishes a weekly fall color progress map beginning September 25, 2026, and it’s the most reliable source. Late October is usually strong across southeast Ohio.
Circleville sits under an hour north of Logan by car. The Pumpkin Show is free to enter, and free parking with a shuttle service is available.
October in Logan, Ohio averages highs in the mid-60s and lows in the upper 30s and 40s. Late October evenings run colder than the monthly average, so pack layers for outdoor events after dark.
Plan Your Stay at The Woodlands
October fills quickly in Hocking Hills, and the lodges that sleep a whole family go first.
Magnolia Grove Lodge sleeps up to 20 across 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. There is a walkout basement game room, a 6-person hot tub, an indoor fireplace, and an outdoor fire pit. Magnolia Grove Lodge is also our only fully ADA accessible property, with step-free entry and a wheelchair-accessible master suite.
Woodland Lodge sleeps 18 across 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, with 13 beds. The lodge has an in-home theater room, a large game room, a 6-person hot tub, and two outdoor fire pits. Book both lodges together for up to 38 guests.
Every stay here gives something back. Five percent of each booking goes to charity, helping us live out our mission of making a difference one stay at a time.
Check availability now and plan your Halloween in Hocking Hills.