
Old Man's Cave
approximately 20-25 minutes from the cabin
Tumbling
waterfalls, recess caves and almost endless hiking trails.
Old Man's Cave is a familiar getaway for many
Hocking Hills visitors. Like an enchanted forestland, hemlock-lined
trails meander through a woodland dotted with rock bridges and waterfalls
plummeting high from cliff ledges.
It
is not uncommon to see White Tailed Deer wandering along the trails or to
catch a glimpse of a Red Tail Hawk catching the wind currents overhead. Box
turtles, grouse, opossum and raccoons are common visitors to the region and
there is even occasional sightings of bear.
Throughout history, Old Man's Cave has been a stopover
for Native Americans, settlers and nowaday sightseers to the park. In fact,
Old Man's Cave got its name from one of those visitors, a man by the name of
Richard Roe, who was the first known resident of the recess cave during the
nineteenth century.
If you visit the park, make sure you check out all six
of the major areas of the park:
Ash Cave-Hemlocks, a
sandy recess cave and a waterfall make this one of Hocking Hills most
visited trails. An upper trail is a slightly rugged 1/2 mile long and a
lower trail is handicap accessible and also 1/2 mile long.
Cedar Falls-Rocky cliffs,
wooden bridges and a picturesque waterfall offers visitors a great chance
for taking memorable photos. The trail is about a 1/2 mile in length.
Old Man's Cave-Rugged
and beautiful, there are waterfalls galore and rocky crags.
Conkle's Hollow- Not for
children, a scenic view on one trail awaits the visitor brave
enough to walk the rim trail. Lower to the ground is another trail ending in
a waterfall. The rim is 2 1/2 miles long and the lower trail is about a
mile. It takes about an hour and a half to 2 hours to hike the rim or upper
trail and about 1 hour to hike the lower trail.
Rock House-There was once
a hotel located near the 1/4 mile trail leading to an opening in a cliff
face. Rockhouse was even once said to be a hide-out for bandits and thieves
in the 1800's. The Rockhouse trail is about a 1/2 mile long and takes 30 to 45
minutes to walk.
Cantwell Cliffs-Remote
and full of wilderness, a winding trail follows a narrow passageway and ends
in a rock shelter. The trail is about a mile and takes 1- 1 1/12 hours to
hike.
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