Where to Buy Firewood in the Hocking Hills: A Complete Guide

If you're staying at a cabin in the Hocking Hills and you need firewood, you have more options than you might think — and not all of them are equal. Here's the honest breakdown of where to buy firewood locally, what each option costs you in time and quality, and which one actually makes your weekend work.

Your options, ranked by what you actually get

There are essentially five places to buy firewood for a Hocking Hills cabin stay. Each one has a different tradeoff between convenience, quality, and price.

1. Local firewood delivery (Rockbridge, Logan, Sugar Grove)

If you're staying at a cabin anywhere in the core Hocking Hills area — Rockbridge, Logan, Sugar Grove, and the hollows in between — local delivery is the option that actually solves the problem. We deliver free across this service area, which means the wood arrives stacked at your cabin before you check in. No stopping at a gas station. No lugging bundles out of your car trunk. No wondering whether the wood is going to burn or just smoke.

What you get from local delivery:

• Properly seasoned firewood. A mix of local species — cut at least a year ago, split, stored under cover, ready to burn.
• Local sourcing. All from Hocking County or immediately adjacent — which means it complies with Ohio's emerald ash borer transport restrictions.
• Stacked and ready. Not dumped in a pile. Stacked near the cabin fire ring so you can grab what you need without a flashlight hunt.
• Volume options. From a single face cord up to full cords for longer stays or year-round rentals.

The tradeoff is that you have to plan a day or two ahead — ideally when you book the cabin, or at latest 24 hours before arrival. Text us with the cabin address and the stay dates, and we handle scheduling.

2. Hocking Hills State Park camp store

If you're camping at the state park campground, the Hocking Hills State Park camp store sells firewood bundles on-site. The wood is generally sourced locally, complies with park regulations, and saves you a trip off-property.

A few things worth knowing:

• Bundles are the standard size — roughly enough for one evening fire, not a full weekend.
• Store hours vary by season. In off-peak months, it may close early or be staffed intermittently. Call ahead if you're arriving late.
• The park prohibits bringing in untreated firewood from outside the immediate area — the camp store option is partially a solution to that restriction.
• Pricing is cash or card at the counter.

Good for a one-night stay. If you're camping the whole weekend, you'll make several trips back to the store, and that math usually doesn't beat ordering a proper quantity ahead of time.

3. Grocery stores in Logan (Kroger, IGA, Walmart)

On your drive in, you'll pass through Logan, which is the main commercial hub for the Hocking Hills area. Three stores sell firewood bundles:

• Logan Kroger — usually stocks bundles year-round, often near the entrance or garden section.
• Logan IGA — smaller selection, often local-supplier bundles.
• Logan Walmart — bundles available seasonally; in peak summer/fall they also sell larger "value packs."

Grocery store bundles are convenient but inconsistent. Some are excellent — properly seasoned local hardwood. Others are green, soft pine padding, or hardwood that's been stored wet. Check the wood before you buy:

• Look for gray-brown color and cracks in the end grain (signs of seasoning).
• Lift the bundle — seasoned wood is noticeably lighter than green wood.
• Knock two splits together. A sharp "tock" means seasoned; a dull "thud" means green.

If the bundles on the shelf all look fresh-cut and bright, consider passing and going elsewhere.

4. Gas stations (Speedway, Marathon, BP along Route 33 and Route 664)

Gas station bundles are the most convenient option and usually the worst quality. They're designed for impulse purchase by travelers who didn't plan ahead. A gas station bundle will produce a fire, but expect:

• Often poorly seasoned or stored wet.
• Inconsistent seasoning — some bundles fine, others visibly green.
• Smaller volume per bundle than grocery store equivalents, at a comparable or higher price.

Our honest take: gas station firewood is a last-resort option. If you forgot wood on the way in and the cabin is already dark, fine. But don't plan around it.

5. Roadside farm stands and private sellers

Drive any of the back roads around Rockbridge, Laurelville, or Murray City and you'll see hand-painted signs: Firewood $XX/rick or Seasoned Oak. These are often excellent — small-scale local operators with properly seasoned wood, sold cheaper than commercial sources.

The tradeoffs:

• Cash only, usually. Bring small bills.
• Self-serve honor systems are common — stack outside, coffee can for payment.
• You load it yourself. Bring gloves and plan for a dirty car trunk.
• No delivery. The price is lower because you're doing the work.
• Hit-or-miss supply. The good operators sell out fast, especially in fall.

For longer stays or if you own property in the area, farm stands can be an excellent source. For a weekend at a cabin, the convenience gap is usually too large.

The one rule that matters more than the source

Don't bring firewood with you from outside the Hocking Hills area. Ohio has active transport restrictions on firewood due to the emerald ash borer — an invasive beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees. Moving firewood more than about 50 miles from where it was cut risks spreading the infestation. For Hocking County specifically, the rule is: buy local or buy USDA-certified heat-treated.

This isn't bureaucratic — it's how the ash trees that remain in the Hocking Hills stay standing. Every source on this list meets the local rule, which makes the decision simpler.

The best firewood is always the closest firewood. Local means it burns cleaner and doesn't carry pests.

What we actually recommend

If you're staying at a rental cabin for a weekend: order delivery before you arrive. Text us with the cabin address and dates. The wood will be stacked when you get there. You'll use the rest of your time on hiking, dinner, and sitting by the fire — not on hunting down wood at 8 PM.

If you're camping at the state park: camp store for convenience, plus maybe one farm-stand run for a bigger supply.

If you're passing through or picked up a last-minute cabin: Logan Kroger or IGA, inspect the bundles before buying.

For everything else — and especially for cabins where the owner doesn't provide wood — local delivery is the move.

Quick FAQ

Whatever source you choose, the night works or it doesn't based on one variable: whether the wood is actually seasoned. Everything else is secondary. Start there and everything else falls into place.