Discovering the Beauty of Hocking Hills State Park

Ohio

April 2025

Hiking Through History and Nature at Old Man's Cave

We visited Old Man’s Cave, the most popular area in Hocking Hills State Park. It was named after an old hermit who made the cave his home during the mid-1700s. We followed a one-way loop with several short trails through Old Man’s Cave’s five sections (Upper Falls, Upper Gorge, Middle Falls, Lower Falls, and Lower Gorge) and were rewarded with scenic views of falls, caves, cliffs, and other natural features of this beautiful gorge.

A Water Spectacle at Cedar Falls

Afterward, we drove to Cedar Falls, the park’s most abundant waterfall. Fortunately, it had recently rained, so we saw significant water rushing over the edge.

Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls were unexpected yet amazing highlights, and we’re already looking forward to returning to discover other areas of this beautiful state park.

Conquering the Challenging Cantwell Cliffs Loop

Following the park ranger’s suggestion, we returned to Hocking Hills State Park, exploring the park’s famous Cantwell Cliffs Loop. This 1.8-mile trail is known for its challenging experience. Almost immediately, the path descended into a narrow passage carved between towering cliffs through a set of natural stone steps; we successfully passed this “Fat Lady Squeeze.”

The trail revealed a landscape of waterfalls with little water over the edge, big boulders, and tall trees. The path demanded careful hiking since the steps were covered with wet leaves, the tree’s roots were on the surface, and some stairs fell apart.

Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed this hike because cliffs and gorges were not the kind of landscapes we expected to find in Ohio.