Is Hocking Hills the Pinnacle of Ohio's Natural Beauty or Just Overhyped?
- Sarah
- Dec 9, 2025
- 8 min read
Outside of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hocking Hills is Ohio's other top destination for breathtaking nature and hiking. Â Hocking Hills State Park is located in southeast Ohio about 45 minutes outside of Columbus. The surrounding Nature Preserves, State Parks along with State and National Forests make the area is somewhat Instagram famous for its photogenic waterfalls, rock formations and caves. While the photos on social media make it look like heaven for photography and enjoying the outdoors, is that really true?
We visited in June. Although I was worried that there might not be any water in the
waterfalls as was the case the previous year (2024), we had the opposite experience. There were downpours every evening we were there so falls were rolling. The only downside to that was that the water in the Devil's Bathtub didn't have the clear swirl it is known for. It was also extremely hot on our trip, with the doggos in tow, this meant that we were more limited to doing things earlier in the day, Ronan in particular, doesn't handle the heat super well. If you're hiking and camping with your pets, always keep in mind what their limits are and how to keep them comfy. Both Ronan and Ryker have cooling jackets and blankets to help them chill out. Want more information on taking your furry friend on outdoor adventures and keeping them comfortable? Check out our resources here.
Background & History
The park is home to over 25 miles of hiking trails and in some places, it butts up against Hocking State Forest expanding your area to roam. Nearby you can find several Nature Preserves, the most popular of which is Rockbridge Nature Preserve, as it is not dog friendly we did not visit on this trip.
The rock formations and caves the area is famed for are made of sandstone that was formed
over 300 million years ago when the area was covered by an ocean, as the ocean receded sand was deposited and bonded with silica to form the black hand sandstone that formed the basis for the features in Hocking Hills. Glaciers melting over time further eroded the sandstone to help form the rock formations and caves that we enjoy today!
The area was home first to the Adena culture, who are thought to be the first inhabitants of the area. The Delaware, Wyandot and Shawnee tribes all traveled through and lived in the area starting in the 18th century. Europeans first arrived in the 1800s and powder mill was built in the area, and Hocking Canal was finished in the 1840s. In 1915 the state forest line was passed, and this allowed the state to purchase Old Man's Cave and the area around it.
Where to Stay
There is no shortage of accommodations in the area including campgrounds, cabins, a state
park lodge and Air BnBs. The nightly rates also tend to be pretty pricey, think $200 - $300 a night on the low end even during low season to over $1,000 a night for weekends during the summer. Camping is a much more affordable option with sites ranging from $25 to $75 a night depending on the kind of site and other amenities that are offered.
We stayed at Top O the Caves campground which was pretty nice. The campground is situated on 60 acres and includes a swimming pool, game area, laundry, gift shop, playground and fishing pond. The showers and bathrooms were clean and had hot water and decent water pressure. They could be a little sticky and stifling, but that could also be due to the time of year.
One downside was a lack of privacy between campsites, and very little or no shade depending on your site. We visited in June, and it was HOT, so we were happy that there was a tree that provided a little shade, and we had selected a sight with electricity so we could charge the batteries for the fan. Some of the tent sites were also situated on something of a hill so that could make setting things up a little challenging.
Attractions
Old Man's Cave
Probably the best-known attraction in Hocking Hills is Old Man's Cave, you can actually hit several features on this loop including Devil's Bathtub, along with Upper and Lower falls
among others. The cave gets its name from a hermit, Richard Rowe who is said to have lived in the cave. Another Man, also with the first name of Richard is also rumored to have been the hermit who lived there, the truth is most likely a mix of the two.
The 6 miles of winding trails is known as the Grandma Gatewood Trail. One day in 1955 Grandma Gatewood told her family she was going for a walk, and she did, it just happened to be a walk on the Appalachian Trail that lasted for two years. The trail is easily walkable and well-maintained; in some parts it is one way traffic in an attempt to help with congestion. and although to see all of the attractions you walk about 6 miles, you can make much shorter loops and hit just the main highlights.
Highlights
-Upper Falls: This highly photographed falls is easily recognizable by the stone bridge sitting above the falls that you walk over on your way down to the bottom of the falls.
-Lower Falls: Lower Falls in no less beautiful than Upper Falls, besides the cascading falls, there are moss covered cliff faces with man-made cutouts in the rock. We enjoyed putting the dogs in them.
-Devil's Bathtub: A distinctive waterfall comprised of hollowed out tired bowls of sandstone, this formation causes the water to swirl around as it cascades down. You can find similar waterfalls around the world with the same name as they were considered to be portals to the underworld.
-Whispering Cave: Whispering cave is similar to Old Man's Cave but on a slightly smaller scale. You can enjoy sweeping views of the gorge as you walk along a trail that has a handrail to help you feel more secure.
-Old Man's Cave: The main highlight and namesake of the area, Old Man's Cave is not an actual cave but a formation that resembles more of an overhang carved from the gorge by melting glaciers and Salt Creek which runs through it.
We actually went to Old Man's cave twice, on our first visit we arrived around 10am and the parking lot was already mostly full with loads of people, by the time we finished around two hours later it seemed like the area was just teeming with people. Old Man's Cave would
definitely benefit from some kind of permit or timed entry to help better preserve the natural area and to give a better visitor experience. It was harder to enjoy the trails with people rushing along and constantly stopping for Instagram selfies at the main attractions with very little regard for the other visitors.
These same people also got bent out of shape that I was using a tripod to take photographs of the waterfalls, you know actual photography. The amount of trash being left behind was appalling water bottles, snack wrappers, items of clothing and even bags. It definitely gave off people of Wal-Mart go outside vibes.
We went back around 8am the next morning so I could get some better photos of the waterfalls and caves without other people in the pictures, the only other people we saw was a bachelorette party that zoomed through the loop in about 45 minutes collecting there Instagram shots.
Ash Cave
This was another hike that would be better done first thing in the morning before the crowds arrive. We went after going to Rock House* so it was already busy when we arrived even though it was only around 10. It's another easy and short walk from the trailhead along a paved path to the cave and waterfall. Ash Cave is considered one of the most spectacular features of the area, measuring 700 feet in width and 100 feet high at its tallest point, this horseshoe shaped cave showcases a waterfall that originates in the East Fork of Queer Creek.
A kind of magical effect is created by the water cascading over the edge of the cave into a
shallow pool which is often a teal color. Despite the signs that indicated no wading and to stay out of the pool, people were of course wading in the pool. Doing this can disturb delicate ecosystems and go against LNT principles. Someone was also smoking weed and the area reeked of it, while I have no problem with people partaking in private, it's so inconsiderate to do it in public spaces. I get terrible migraines from the smell.
We didn't stay very long as it was crowded, and people were just generally being disrespectful of others and nature. It was possible to hike to Ash Cave from our campsite, it was around 3 miles with a stop at a fire tower, we opted not to do this as we were short on time.
Rockhouse
This was probably our favorite hike of our trip as we had the place to ourselves. Rock House is a short hike, but it has some steep descents and accents which can be slippery when wet. Rock House is the only true cave in Hocking Hills and is situated about halfway up a 150-foot
cliff, it's a tunnel like complex that is home to lots of pigeons and their wings create a strange noise when they're flapping them inside. The trail has the magical forest quality due to the random waterfalls, moss and ferns. This trail was also devoid of the trash that was so common on the other trails we visited.
Rock House is believed to have been utilized by Native Americans in the area as evidence of backing ovens carved out in the back of the cave. It is also to have been utilized by numerous others over the decades; robbers, murderers and horse thieves to name a few. The area is also home to a former hotel and post office although nothing remains of them today.
Cedar Falls
This is another easy access short trail with a moderate descent to get there; this is another
one-way loop trail, so if you visit during regular hours you will have to go that direction. On our first night in Hocking Hills, it POURED which gave us the idea to head over to Cedar Falls as soon as the rain let up as it was only about 5 minutes away. This paid off as the falls were flowing and I got some great pictures of the falls; we had the place to ourselves until one other person came down. Yet again there was a good bit of trash left about, which was impressive considering the rain that we just had.
Other Notes
Flooding - In 2025 we experienced a lot of heavy rain in the form of evening storms, due to the geology of Hocking Hills being a gorge, many of the attractions are in areas that could be at risk of flash flooding.
Dogs - The area is overwhelmingly dog friendly. Many campgrounds are dog friendly, and a quick search revealed several dog-friendly Air BnBs and cabins in the area. Some notable exceptions are Nature Preserves, in Hocking Hills this includes two popular areas: Conckles Hollow and Rockbridge Nature Preserve.
The scenery on Hocking Hills gets a 7/10, the biggest thing I disliked about the experience was the people. I've visited some very popular locations and even lived in major cities in South Korea and China, yet Hocking Hills was one of the most unpleasant in terms of the swarms of people and their behavior, it was like the people of Wal-Mart went outside. There was trash EVERYWHERE. The typical plastic water bottles and food wrappers, along with clothes, backpacks, and so much more. In many places the crowds really took away from the experience, several of my friends who also visited Hocking Hills this year also expressed having similar experiences and not enjoying their visit as much as they had thought they would. For your visit considering the timing of your visit to the different attractions carefully, especially if you are interested in doing any photography.