The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will celebrate the fall season and Ohio’s commemoration of America 250 with two special events in the Hocking Hills region in October.

The Hocking State Forest Fall Color Tour and the Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve Fall Open House will take place during the weekend of October 24-25.

The Hocking State Forest Fall Color Tour will be held Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tours will begin at the historic cabin across from the Hocking State Forest headquarters. Activities will include wagon rides through the forest, educational displays and presentations, firewood processing and chainsaw safety demonstrations, wildfire-fighting equipment and refreshments.

Professional foresters will also provide information on tree identification, forest and wildlife management and other forestry topics.

Visitors can also hike from the forest to nearby Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve using the Rim Trail near the historic cabin.

Hocking State Forest headquarters are located at 19275 State Route 374 in Rockbridge. Parking will be available at the forest headquarters, with activities located within walking distance.

The Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve Fall Open House will be held Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors can explore the preserve’s 2.5-mile Rim Trail or the one-mile paved Lower Gorge Trail. Naturalists will be stationed along both trails to answer questions about the preserve’s geology, natural history, plants and animals.

The open house will also feature educational exhibits and historical reenactors demonstrating Ohio frontier life during the 1790s.

On Saturday, visitors using the Rim Trail will be able to access a shortcut connecting them with activities at the Hocking State Forest Fall Color Tour.

Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve is located at 24858 Big Pine Road in Rockbridge. Parking, portable restrooms and a picnic area will be available.

ODNR notes that pets are not permitted beyond the parking lot at Conkles Hollow in order to protect the preserve’s habitats.

Additional information about the events is available through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.