DAY 46 began relatively late. The rest area was remote enough that no one cared that we stayed over the suggested 3 hour stopover time. Well rested we headed out for our first hike of the day at Hocking Hills State Park.

I read about this in a book titled Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, well actually listened to an audiobook to tell the truth. This is my second visit, as the last attempt found me waterlogged due to an unexpected downpour. It was nice to take the mile plus loop to see the places mentioned in the book. I really encourage everyone to read the book. Check it out of you local library or buy it online!

After that we took a driving tour through North Bend State Park. We couldn’t decide on which trails to take (and the best place to park), so the overview was perfect. We did stretch our legs a bit but then we kept on moving.

Closing in on dusk we made it to Cooper’s Rock State Forest. There we took a 1.5 mile round trip hike to an iron furnace then made the drive to the gorge overlook. There we took in the sunset and talked with some native West Virginians. It was almost dark so we decided to get going so we can find a place to spend the night.

It was yet another rest area. It didn’t look like it would be a problem if we stayed the night as it was pretty desolate, with only a few people coming and going the first hour we were there. It didn’t take much after that for sleep to come upon me.