Date: 01/15/2022 – Distance: 9.0 mi – Elapsed Time: 4.5 hr – Ascent: 1220 ft – Descent: 1201 ft – Difficulty: Difficult
Welcome to the most amazing place in Ohio. I’m staying in the State Park Cabins/Cottages for the weekend, and today is the 56th annual Winter Hike in Hocking Hills State Park. It is characterized by lots of people of course, being the most popular park in the state, but also by the potential for dramatic ice on the falls and cliffs, as well as bean soup and hot chocolate at the Cedar Falls picnic Area, and shuttles if you choose to go from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave, which is little over 6 miles. There were also Naturalists from all over the state in attendance with many giving presentations of artifacts they brought from their Nature Centers around the state. I saw a few Naturalists who I have run into in the past in my adventures.
I wanted to take the Gorge Trail, aka Grandma Gatewood Trail, from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls and return on the Gorge Overlook Trail, however the Gorge Trail was closed below Old Man’s Cave as they were trying to minimize the potential for injury on the ice in the gorge. So the hike was a predefined route starting at the Visitor Center and entering the gorge at Upper Falls, following the gorge to Old Man’s Cave, then climbing back out of the gorge and crossing the A-Frame Bridge to the Gorge Overlook Trail and following that to Cedar Falls. From there, you could continue to Ash Cave and take a shuttle back, or take a shuttle back from Cedar Falls, or like I did, hike back to Old Man’s Cave along the Gorge Overlook Trail.
I arrived just after 9am and the parking lot was nearly full already, but this is typical for this place.
I included a GPS waypoint for the Visitor Center below, but this is where I parked.
56 years. This is my second year.
They are building a new lodge here, to replace the one which burned down in 2016, on the same location.
It looks really nice, and should be completed this fall.
This is a map of the Old Man’s Cave area. The Red and Blue Trails both lead to Cedar Falls. There are many more trails in this park than this.
This place does a great job at education.
Protect the ecosystem and your life and stay on the trails. People die here every year.
The Visitor Center is only a couple years old and is filled with great educational displays.
This bronze sculpture depicts the Sphynx Head feature just downstream of Old Man’s Cave.
This map shows the Blue Trail all the way to Ash Cave. It’s a little over 6 miles one way.
There were several naturalists from all over the state here giving demonstrations and educating people.
This cabin is just at the top of the Old Man’s Cave Trail.
Emma Gatewood was a famous Appalachian Trail hiker who frequented this area as well.
This little falls is just above the Upper Falls at the top of the gorge.
Looking down on Upper Falls from the bridge.
The Upper Falls lower viewing area.
A little story about the spot.
It’s about 3 miles to Cedar Falls from here. The Gorge Overlook Trail being much easier than the Grandma Gatewood trail through the gorge, but much less scenic.
Upper Falls from the rim.
The iconic stump at Upper Falls.
Check out this 360 degree panorama. The left and right parts of the photo are the same area behind me.
I love this gorge, and ice just adds to the magical nature here.
Heading down the gorge.
This rock always amazes me.
Coming up on Devil’s Bathtub.
The icicles here are amazing and dangerous.
Devil’s Bathtub.
Another angle of those icicles.
The hole is said to go all the way to hell.
They recently replaced this sign.
Looking back up at Devil’s Bathtub.
These narrow stairs…
More incredible icicles coming from a side stream.
These stairs are right in front of the Visitor Center on another side stream.
Eagle Rock.
A-Frame Bridge.
This bridge is under the A-Frame Bridge.
Here’s a view of both bridges.
Amazing.
This recess cave shows how they form.
Coming up on Old Man’s Cave.
Old Man’s Cave from the opposite side of the creek.
A little tunnel.
The trail to Lower Falls and the rest of the gorge was closed due to dangerous ice, they said. I wanted to take this trail all the way to Cedar Falls, but I had to turn right and go up through Old Man’s Cave back toward where I began.
What a beautiful place.
I’ve never noticed that stub sticking out straight ahead, it looks like an old bridge.
Looking up the gorge.
Another tunnel.
The other end of the tunnel.
A really good look up the gorge.
This is a very frequently photographed spot from inside the cave looking downstream.
Looking across the creek where I was earlier.
This cave is pretty big.
Another higher viewpoint.
A little history about the cave.
More history.
Crossing the A-Frame Bridge to the Gorge Overlook Trail.
Looking down from the A-Frame Bridge.
The Gorge Overlook Trail is relatively flat compared to the Gorge(Grandma Gatewood) Trail.
The dam at Rose Lake.
Rose Lake.
70 feet deep and supports fresh water jellyfish.
I believe this is the top of Whispering Falls(not to be confused with Whispering Cave).
This is just above Cedar Falls as seen from the Gorge Overlook Trail.
A suspension bridge over the creek above Cedar Falls.
Looking down toward Cedar Falls from the bridge.
Stairs into the gorge to Cedar Falls.
Cedar Falls.
The often overlooked Hidden Falls.
Like pancakes.
Cool ice sculpture at the Cedar Falls Picnic Area.
They were serving Bean Soup and Hot Chocolate at Cedar Falls. The line was huge.
This beautiful Great Horned Owl suffered from a broken wing and can’t fly/hunt, so must be cared for.
Cool wing samples.
Shells, skin, beak, and feet.
Hummingbird and nest.
Black Bear. I think I’ve seen this one before at Lake Hope.
Nice pelts, and yes, the Lake Hope Naturalist was there.
Another view of Hidden Falls.
There once was a mill above Cedar Falls.
The Hemlock Pines are thick here.
And tall.
Little seen view of the gorge from the Gorge Overlook Trail.
