The Best Caves To Visit in Hocking Hills, Ohio

Cantwell Cliffs is about 17 miles north of Hocking Hills, and the trail around this park is a sheer rock drop-off. It’s a mile-long trail, but it takes about 90 minutes to walk it, and it’s shorter than most trails in the park. It might be best to stay back from the edge.
Rock Bridge Falls, between Cantwell Cliffs and Conkles Hollow, consists of the same Black Hand Sandstone that makes up the Appalachian Mountains. The 50-foot arch and the waterfall pouring through it are quite a sight and worth the walk.

Conkles Hollow also has death-defying, 200-foot tall cliffs and a trail around the rim of the hollow. The high trail is not easy to get to, but the views are great rewards.

Old Man’s Cave, south of Conkles Hollow, is a favorite of many visitors to the Hocking Hills. It is named for a man who actually lived in the cave in 1796 named Richard Rowe. He is buried in the main cave’s recess under the ledge.

The Lower Gorge of Old Man’s Cave has a trail leading toward Cedar Falls in Queer Creek. This area could be in any jungle film imaginable with its waterfalls, steep rock walls and primitive atmosphere. Thank goodness it still exists and wasn’t turned into a mall.

At the southern end of Hocking Hills, Ash Cave is a grand finale of amazing sites in this park. An eastern fork of Queer Creek spills over the rim of Ash Cave about 90 feet down into a small pool on the cave floor. Native Americans used this cave for shelter and also left huge piles of ashes along its floor. “Huge” means three feet deep, 30 feet wide and 100 feet long for the largest pile. The cave is 700 feet long and 100 feet deep, so there were many piles of ashes. The trail leads down to the bottom.

More information is available at www.hockinghills.com. Lodging, activities and a schedule of events can be found here along with dining options and various types of local merchants. Check out the arts, antiques and arts and crafts, too.

This post is a guest contribution provided by Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls, a lodge in Hocking Hills, Ohio.

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