Four dog-friendly cabins on 14 private acres. Hot tubs, fire pits, a shared game room, and enough trail to keep the kids talking about it for weeks. About 4–5 hours south.
Check AvailabilityThere’s a version of this trip that involves a flight, a rental car, and the general misery of airports with kids. This isn’t that. Hocking Hills is 4–5 hours south of Metro Detroit - a long enough drive to feel like you went somewhere, short enough that you’re not spending Saturday recovering from Friday.
Notestone Reserve is a family-owned property in Laurelville, Ohio - 10 rentals on 14 acres, including four dog-friendly cabins that sleep six. Hot tubs on every deck. Wood-burning fire pits stocked and ready. A shared game room that your kids will ask to go back to before you’ve even started dinner.
The parks are free to enter and genuinely worth the drive on their own. Old Man’s Cave, Rock House, Ash Cave - trails that are short enough for younger kids and interesting enough for everyone else. It’s the kind of place you end up planning the return trip before the first one’s over.
Straightforward highway driving most of the way - no mountain passes, no tolls worth mentioning.
From Detroit, take I-75 south into Ohio. Around Findlay or Lima, pick up US-33 south toward Logan. From Logan it’s another 15 minutes to Laurelville. Google Maps will handle the details - the roads are good the whole way.
Closest of the Metro Detroit area cities. Straight shot south on I-75, then US-33.
Leave before noon on a Friday and you’ll beat the Ohio traffic. Check-in starts at 4:00 PM.
A little longer, still very doable. Pack snacks, download a playlist, split the drive at a rest stop outside Toledo.
Hot tub is on and ready when you arrive. The fire pit is stocked. You don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to.
Each cabin has its own hot tub, fire pit, and deck. Shared game room is a short walk across the property.
Booking more than one cabin? Email us - we can coordinate availability across multiple units for the same weekend.
It started as a way to give guests something to do on a rainy afternoon. It turned into the reason half of them rebook. Pool table, ping pong, shuffleboard, air hockey, foosball, an arcade machine - plus a lounge area for the adults while the kids compete.
It’s free for all guests, open all day, and about a two-minute walk from any of the cabins. If your family has ever debated what to do after dinner, this settles it.
See the Game Room
All free to enter. Most trails are under 2 miles and suitable for kids who can handle uneven ground.
“The cabin had everything we could have ever wanted, including extra toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, and everything else we might have forgotten. There was even firewood for the pit. The game room was also great - we arrived a bit early and spent some time there, which was really nice.”
The ones that come up most often.
How long is the drive from Metro Detroit to Notestone Reserve?
About 4–5 hours depending on where you’re starting. Monroe and downriver areas are on the shorter end (~3.5–4h). Howell and the northernmost suburbs are closer to 5. The route is I-75 south into Ohio, then US-33 south toward Logan. Straightforward highway driving the whole way.
Are the cabins actually dog-friendly?
Yes - all four cabins (Austen, Hemingway, Stowe, Sherwood) welcome dogs. There’s a pet fee. Dogs must be leashed on the property and are not permitted in the game room. The property is wooded with natural boundaries, but not fenced.
Can two families book cabins next to each other?
Yes. The four cabins are clustered on the same section of the property, so two families can book separately and still be close. Email stay@notestonereserve.com if you’re coordinating a multi-cabin stay and we’ll help you find dates that work for both.
What do kids usually do at Hocking Hills?
The trails at Hocking Hills State Park are surprisingly kid-friendly - most are under 2 miles and the scenery (caves, waterfalls, gorges) holds their attention better than a typical walk in the woods. Back at the property, the game room and fire pit tend to take care of every other hour.
Is there a minimum stay?
2 nights minimum. Most Detroit families do a Friday–Sunday trip, which works perfectly - check-in Friday at 4 PM, check-out Sunday at 10 AM gives you a full day Saturday for trails.
Why book directly instead of Airbnb or Vrbo?
You save 10–15% - same calendar, same cabins, no platform service fee. You also deal directly with us instead of through a third party if anything comes up. More on why we ask you to book direct.
Our 2-day Hocking Hills itinerary maps out a full weekend hour by hour - what to hike first, when to eat, how to pace it with kids. Most Detroit families do exactly this trip.
Last-minute openings, seasonal deals, and a discount code for your first stay.
Discount applies to direct bookings only. 2-night minimum. Unsubscribe anytime.
