Old Man's Cave

Tar Hollow State Park )(approximately 5 minutes from the cabin)

A place of Appalachian foothills and dense forests.

If Old Man's Cave is renowned for rugged cliffs and cascading waterfalls, Tar Hollow is celebrated for its Appalachian charm. Scenic and quiet, Tar Hollow State Park is abundant in Pitch Pine and surrounded by the rolling Hocking Hills.

In fact, the name "Tar Hollow" comes from the production of pitch and tar from the local Pitch Pines. The tar was used around the turn of the century for balms, liniments and as a lubricant for pioneer wagons.

If you visit the park, look forward to:

Boating

Electric motors only permitted on the 15-acre Pine Lake. A launch ramp is located near the beach.

Fishing

Bluegill are an abundant catch for fisherman on Pine Lake.

Picnicking

The picnic areas offer beautiful surroundings and a peaceful setting. There are six reservable shelter houses and other shelters are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hiking

Ross Hollow-near the camp and displays a wonderful portrayal of the area as a whole.

Logan Boy Scout Trail- 21 miles shown by red blazes traverses the park and forest.

Ohio's Buckeye Trail (blue blazes) passes through the area.

A horse camp with trails is located on the forest land. A backpack camp is located at the fire tower.

Blackberry Hill Cabin-Laurelville, Ohio

Near Old Man's Cave, Tar Hollow State Park, Ash Cave and Cedar Falls.

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.