(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- The Hocking Hills Holiday Treasure Hunt, which runs through Dec. 12, is now in full swing in the southeast Ohio destination. The much-anticipated 11th annual event encourages travelers to unwind surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of the Hocking Hills this holiday season as they explore the unique independent local shops and art studios that pepper the region.

Visitors can grab a treasure map from the Hocking Hills Welcome Center at 13178 OH-664 Scenic, Logan, OH 43138 or download it from the Explore Hocking Hills website. They then visit at least six of 20 participating shops and art studios, collecting stamps from each to enter a drawing. Entrants can win a host of prizes, including shop-specific items and gift certificates and a Grand Prize Weekend Getaway for four. The Grand Prize includes: a two-night stay in cabin, Hocking Hills Canopy Tour passes, canoe rental on the Hocking River, Hocking Hills Adventure Golf, candle making, lunch and dinner – all for four people.

The Holiday Treasure Hunt helps travelers support local small businesses while discovering truly unique and locally made gifts. They'll find antique shops, local coffee roasters; craft beer, wine and spirits makers; a one-of-a-kind gift shop at the last remaining washboard factory in the U.S., handmade soap and candy shops and much more. They can watch gifted artisans at work at local art studios and even purchase a gift certificate for glass blowing or other learn-to-make-it classes.

The Downtown Logan Christmas Parade ensures that Dec. 6 is a special weekend for Hocking Hills visitors, featuring Santa, open house events with local shops, the Gifts that Give Back Holiday Market, Fields of Flowers' Gnome Night craft workshop and live music at Brewery 33 and Rockbridge and Hocking Hills wineries. Christmas in Ash Cave, Dec. 12, is an unforgettable family experience that begins with an easy, lighted stroll into wheelchair- and stroller-accessible Ash Cave. Inside the cave, refreshments by an open fire are made even more festive with Christmas carols, a visit for kids with an old-fashioned Santa and the chance to help decorate Christmas tree for wildlife. And The magical Christmas Santa Train leaves the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway depot every Thursday and Saturday through Dec. 21.

Visitors are invited to book an overnight at one of the region's special accommodations, many offering hot tubs and fireplaces for warming and stargazing. Complete travel and lodging information is available at ExploreHockingHills or by calling 1-800-Hocking (800-462-5464). Most holiday and winter guests get together with friends and family in the gorgeous cabins and lodges around the Hocking Hills to reconnect, play games, share stories and even enjoy holiday baking together. A brisk winter hike through some of the many stunning trails in Hocking Hills State Park is a free and restorative way to spend time with loved ones instead of getting bogged down by holiday hubbub.

Located 40 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio's Hocking Hills is home to loads of affordable accommodations, from cabins, cottages, hotels and country inns, to treehouses, yurts, geodomes, hobbit houses and more unusual lodging. Miles and miles of wooded trails marked by gorgeous rock formations deep gorges and waterfalls offer stunning winter hikes. Unique galleries, gift and antique shops are home to wonderful locally crafted treasures and holiday gifts. A salt cave, woodland spas and sauna pods and a visit to John Glenn Astronomy Park add to the allure of the Hocking Hills as the perfect place to unplug during holiday time and throughout the winter. Complete traveler information is available ExploreHockingHills or 1-800-Hocking (800-462-5464).

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