24 Hours in Hocking Hills, Ohio (aka, Do Go Chasing Waterfalls)

I was in first grade when TLC’s “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls” hit the airwaves. I remember tumbling and dancing in my living room, singing along to the chorus with my friends. We were convinced that we sounded just like the real deal.

It took a couple more years to realize the song wasn’t actually about waterfalls.

Today, though, we are literally talking about waterfalls—specifically, the waterfalls at Hocking Hills State Park.

About an hour south of Columbus, Ohio, and three and a half hours southwest of Pittsburgh, Hocking Hills is renowned for picturesque landscapes and trails beautifully engineered to complement their natural surroundings.

A friend had told me about her visit to Hocking Hills State Park (as opposed to the general Hocking Hills, Ohio, region) and then, as the internet is always listening, gorgeous photos from the park started popping up left and right on my Instagram feed.

I do think it’s worth chasing these waterfalls, even though the park is not always *quite* everything Instagram makes it out to be (I know, shocker).

Leo and I decided to make it an overnight trip but we had to be back by 5 p.m. the next day, so our schedule was very tight. We decided to stick with the big guns of Hocking Hills State Park, so to speak: Ash Cave and the Old Man’s Cave area.

As good fortune would have it, Leo and I arrived at our accommodations for the night— Ravenwood Castle, a fairy tale and regency themed inn tucked into the woods of nearby New Plymouth, Ohio—in the middle of one of the heaviest rainstorms of the year.

Good fortune, you ask?

While I didn’t enjoy driving in that rain (and, particularly, pulling off to the side of the road in a fruitless effort to let it pass), something quite spectacular happened thanks to that same weather.

When the rain began to lessen and the radar revealed that it would soon stop altogether, we decided to give a go at sneaking in a hike before dark.

We headed to the Ash Cave trailhead, knowing it would be a short, easy hike. We didn’t know it would also have a huge payoff.

Ash Cave

Ash Cave Trail

This giant, horseshoe-shaped sandstone cave, which has a rich history as a meeting place for both indigenous and settler populations, sits among lush green foliage at Hocking Hills’ southern end.

Like the rest of the most popular trails at Hocking Hills State Park, the trail at Ash Cave is now a one-way loop. However, it does have a two-way, wheelchair-accessible pathway that leads to the mouth of the cave. Parking with picnic tables and restroom facilities are also available.

There are two trail loops.

The first is the Ash Cave Gorge loop, which begins with the accessible trail, wending along a small stream and along the base of the cliff wall before opening up grandly at Ash Cave. After spending some time on the soft sands of the cave, the path continues up *slippery, uneven* steps behind the waterfall. Turn right and walk along the ridge to return to the parking lot or turn left to extend your hike with an out and back trail northwards along the stream.

The second loop goes along the rim of the gorge. We did not walk along this path beyond the mandatory section on the gorge loop, but the Ash Cave trail map does mark some areas with potential fall risk.

A Special Moment at Ash Cave

Typically, the waterfall trickling over the rim of Ash Cave is just that—a trickle. If you have the chance to visit right after a rainstorm, though, I encourage you to do it if safe to do so.

We heard the waterfall before we saw it. For a few terrifying seconds, I wondered if the rumbling we were hearing was a landslide. But, no, it was this:

We had timed our visit so well that when we first got to Ash Cave, we were the only ones there. We took our time taking in the basin walls, which are marked by names, dates, and professions of love from countless visitors over the years.

As the sun peeked out and weather cleared, more visitors joined us. We talked to one local woman who always rushes out after a rain to catch the waterfall at its fullest. We were photographed by a photographer testing out a new lens on the waterfall.

The beauty of Ash Cave draws people in every day. But that evening, its effect on everyone we spoke to was the buzzing energy of experiencing something truly special.

Old Man’s Cave

The Old Man’s Cave area of the park encompasses parts of the Grandma Gatewood and Gorge Overlook trails. As with other popular parts of the park, it includes a strict one-way loop. This loop takes hikers along a picturesque stream, around waterfalls, over bridges, and up into sandstone cliffs.

While I don’t like that the one-way direction potentially makes this beautiful trail less accessible (a little more about that below), I see why they might have wanted to enact this change. Because the area is so heavily trafficked, at times there really isn’t room for anyone to safely go “upstream.”

The Old Man’s Cave region includes a visitors center, restrooms, and picnic tables. On-site parking will fill up fast on sunny weekends.

The components of the loop at Old Man’s Cave, at the base of the gorge seems to be rated moderate to difficult, depending on the source.

Much of it is easy-peasy for even casual hikers, but the relatively short trail, at 1-1.5 miles depending on where you enter and exit the loop, includes sections literally carved into a sandstone gorge and cliff wall. Add mud and water from the stream to smooth, uneven sandstone and you get a challenging trail.

To get the most out of your outing, start by following the path from the visitors center along to the far end of the parking lot and across the bridge. You will find access to the Upper Falls down a set of stairs. From there, follow the trail along the stream.

This loop includes numerous waterfalls (and even more after a rain or snowmelt); water features such as the Devil’s Bathtub, where the stream has carved a tunnel through the rock; across bridges; through dark tunnels; and through the namesake Old Man’s Cave, named for a man who lived on the cliffside in the 1800s.

We highly enjoyed the loop—the first time. Our first go-round we realized we had started the loop in the middle and missed Upper Falls and Devil’s Bathtub.

By our second tour, the trail had become so crowded and bottlenecked in places that it felt like we’d picked the slowest checkout lane. It was at a standstill and people were NOT happy. (And by people, I mean me. I’m people.)

Notes

Accessibility. While Ash Cave is accessible by a wide, flat path, after the heavy rain, there were muddy patches and the stream running along the path had swollen over. You may wish to wait for a clear, dry day. Old Man’s Cave loop does not have a wheelchair accessible section. Because it is one-way, it may also be difficult for those with limited mobility due to its many steps, caves, and limited places to sit and rest.

Footwear. Please wear proper footwear when hiking. Please. When you look at Hocking Hills’ trail maps, they are riddled with little symbols of people falling. It’s easy to become desensitized to these kinds of warnings, but I promise you they are there for a reason. Over the course of 24 hours, we saw no less than six people wipe out precariously close to the edge of a drop. Nearly all of these slips and ankle twists could have been prevented by hiking shoes or sneakers with good traction in lieu of flip flops and sandals.

Crowds. Like any tourist area, visit during less popular times, such as weekdays. Avoid holidays. And be sure to hit the popular trails early. If you plan on a full day of hiking anyway and want to avoid parking headaches, make use of the connector trails between sites if possible. A six-mile trail connects Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave via Cedar Falls and would be a great day hike! When you hit the lower falls area at Old Man’s Cave, follow the path straight south instead of looping back toward the parking lot.

The Round-Up

Hocking Hills State Park has some intense beauty. I truly enjoyed our less than 24 hours there. But would I return? That’s a hard maybe.

Here’s what is potentially important to you:

Do I recommend checking out Hocking Hills State Park if you’re within four hours driving distance and haven’t been before? Yes.

Do I recommend flying in from across the country to experience it? No. You will find suitable replacements in your own state with a little Google elbow grease.

Until next time, Mel

This post reflects a trip taken in May 2022. All statements made about locations mentioned are still true to the best of my knowledge. I always encourage doing your own research prior to traveling.