Ohio's Old Man's Cave State Park Highlights the Hocking Hills

Old Man's Cave State Park is the most popular state park in Ohio. The mall-like traffic on a weekend at the park is the ironic effect of its beautiful scenery.

The park is named after hermit Richard Rowe, a pioneer who lived in the area around the turn of the 19th century. Rowe is buried near the main recess cave. The entire Hocking Hills area is made up of sandstone recess caves and gorges, evidence of a ancient sea that once covered this part of Ohio.

The stunning scenery at Old Man's Cave features three waterfalls, a recess cave, and a whirlpool. There is also a visitors center with a gift shop and snack bar. Quaint, inexpensive rental cottages run by the state park are nearby along with a restaurant.

The breathtaking natural environs are obviously the main attraction. A 150 foot gorge winds its way for 1/2 mile through sandstone, with the three imaginatively-named Upper, Middle and Lower Falls marking the beginning, middle and end of the gorge.

Upper Falls' picturesque 15-foot drop is framed attractively by a stone bridge which is the beginning of the Grandma Gatewood trail which leads to Cedar Falls and Ash Cave, two other Hocking Hills gems. This is also the rim trail at Old Man's Cave; one can descend steps in a few places to follow the gorge trail.

The Devil's Bathtub, a whirlpool-like vortex of stone and water is another interesting feature of the park. Folks are strongly discouraged from swimming anywhere at Old Man's Cave, and the dangerous current here are one of the reasons.

The shallow Middle Falls looks more like rapids than a waterfall. The namesake recess cave and home of Richard Rowe lies nearby. While not as impressive as Ash Cave, one can still sense how it provided shelter in the pioneer times.

One can now turn back, ascending some stairs that lead to the visitor center or continue onward though the gorge. The visitor center contains some interesting exhibits on the local geology and fauna and is worth a visit.

25-foot high Lower Falls is at the end of the gorge right before it connects with the Queer Creek gorge trail that leads 2.5 miles to Cedar Falls.

We visited the day after a heavy rainfall, so all the waterfalls flowed heartily. Unfortunately the trails also flowed heartily with people on a pretty spring Saturday. At times it felt like a mall trip on Christmas Eve. Well, maybe not that bad, but consider visiting on a weekday if you enjoy the sounds of nature as well as the visuals.

Either way, Old Man's Cave is an easy recommendation. Make plans for a visit soon.