Farm Field Trips in Hocking Hills: Plan Your Group Visit to Fox’s High Rock Farm
School groups, homeschool co-ops, scout troops, and daycare classes book field trips with us every fall. When you visit our farm, kids get to touch, feed, and brush our animals, then dig through mining rough at the sluice and keep everything they find. No screens, no lecture hall, just a day outside on a working family farm in Logan, Ohio.
We host field trips and group visits April through May and September through October. We cannot take groups between Memorial Day and Labor Day, so fall dates fill up fast once school planning starts.
What Your Group Does During the Visit
Every visit starts with animal feed and guided time in our animal areas. Kids can pet, brush, hold, and feed the animals. You will meet alpacas, goats, donkeys, mini pigs, sheep, horses, and our barn cats. We serve the feed in edible ice cream cones, so there is nothing to throw away and one more thing for the kids to laugh about.
After the petting zoo, groups will move to the gem mining sluice. Everyone sifts a bag of mining rough through the water and pulls out real gemstones, fossils, and shark teeth. Participants get to keep every piece they find. It doubles as an earth science lesson, and the kids usually spend the bus ride home comparing rocks.
Your visit also includes:
- Our covered picnic pavilion for lunch or snacks at no extra charge
- Use of the grassy play area for games or free time (activities are not staff led)
- Access to the gift shop
A petting zoo visit runs up to 2 hours. Adding gem mining takes it to about 2 and a half hours. Larger groups may need more time, and we build the rotation schedule with you when we confirm your date.
We split larger groups into smaller ones and rotate them through the activities. That keeps the animal areas calm and gives every kid real hands-on time instead of a spot at the back of a crowd.
What a Field Trip Costs
- Petting Zoo: $6.50 per student or group member, includes animal feed and hands-on time with the animals
- Gem Mining: $9.50 per participant, includes a 3 lb bag of mining rough
- Petting Zoo + Gem Mining: $16.00 per participant, our most requested option
- Parent chaperones: $2.50 each
- Teachers and staff: free
A $150 deposit holds your date and comes off your final bill, so it is not an extra fee. A $150 minimum applies to every field trip and group visit. If your group total lands at $225, your deposit covers $150 of it and you owe $75 on the day of your visit.
For a class of 25 students doing the combo, plus 5 chaperones and 2 teachers, you are looking at $412.50 for the whole group.
Who Books With Us
Field trips are for organized groups: school classes, homeschool co-ops, daycares, preschools, scout troops, church youth groups, and workplace teams looking for something different than a conference room.
The activities work best for pre-K through elementary students, though we host plenty of middle school, high school, and adult groups too. Younger kids build confidence around animals they have only seen in books. Older kids get more out of the sluice and the conversations they have about where the gemstones come from.
Families visiting on their own do not need a field trip booking. Come during regular petting zoo hours, or book a private tour in the off season for a smaller group.
Planning Your Day
We sit just off State Route 664 in Logan, about an hour from Columbus and closer for schools in Lancaster, Chillicothe, and Athens. Most groups arrive mid-morning, spend the visit with us, eat lunch in the pavilion, and are back on the bus by early afternoon.
If you want to fill out the rest of the day, Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave are both a short drive away and their trails work well for student groups of any age or size. Our family also runs the Hocking Hills Canoe Livery on the Hocking River, so older groups can add a canoe, kayak, or tubing trip in the afternoon.
A few planning notes:
- Book early. October dates are the first to fill up.
- Reservations are required. We cannot take a bus that shows up unannounced.
- Send us your final guest count 5 days before your visit so we can staff the day and bag the right amount of mining rough.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are field trips available?
We host field trips and group visits April through May and September through October. We cannot host groups between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
How much does a field trip cost?
Petting zoo is $6.50 per student or group member. Gem mining is $9.50 per participant and includes a 3 lb bag of mining rough. The combo is $16.00 per participant. Parent chaperones are $2.50 each, and teachers or staff with the school or organization are free.
Is a deposit required?
Yes. A $150 deposit reserves your date and applies in full toward your final cost. Your trip is not reserved until we confirm your date and receive the deposit. A $150 minimum applies to all field trips and group visits.
How long does a field trip last?
A petting zoo visit takes up to 2 hours. Petting zoo plus gem mining takes up to 2 and a half hours. Gem mining alone depends on your group size.
Can our group bring lunch?
Yes. Bring a packed lunch or snack and use our covered picnic pavilion at no extra charge. Lunch time is part of your scheduled visit.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancel 14 or more days out and you can get the $150 deposit refunded or moved to another open date. Inside 14 days the deposit is nonrefundable, but we can transfer it one time to another date. Cancel inside 48 hours or no-show and the deposit is forfeited. If we have to cancel for weather or anything outside our control, you can move your deposit or take a refund.
Reserve Your Group’s Date
Fill out the reservation form on our field trips page with your group size, preferred date, and which activities you want. We will confirm availability and walk you through the schedule.
Questions first? Get in touch at (740) 370-0800 or info@foxshighrockfarm.com.
Fox’s High Rock Farm, 14977 OH-664, Logan, OH 43138.