Best Hocking Hills Hikes, Ranked by Effort

The best Hocking Hills hikes are short gorge trails. Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave and the Conkle's Hollow gorge each take about an hour or less, and one 6-mile trail links the first three. Below, every major trail is ranked from easiest to hardest, using lengths from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

All of them sit inside Hocking Hills State Park or right beside it. Most are 10 to 22 minutes from our cabin, so you can mix and match over a weekend.

The best Hocking Hills hikes at a glance

Lengths come from Ohio DNR and the official park map. Leashes can't be longer than 6 feet, and many trails are one way, so follow the signs.

Easy hikes in Hocking Hills for anyone

Ash Cave gorge trail

Ash Cave is the easiest walk in the park and one of the most impressive. The gorge trail is a flat, paved quarter mile that ends under a recess cave nearly 700 feet wide and 100 feet high.

A thin waterfall pours over the rim after rain. Settlers named the cave for the piles of ash they found on its floor, likely left by centuries of campfires. If you want more, a quarter-mile rim trail loops above the cave.

Conkle's Hollow gorge trail

The gorge trail at Conkle's Hollow runs about a mile round trip, partly paved, between sandstone cliffs that rise nearly 200 feet. In places the gorge is only 100 feet wide, and some consider it the deepest in Ohio.

It's a state nature preserve, not part of the park, so pets aren't allowed. Leave the dog at the cabin for this one.

Moderate: the classic Hocking Hills hiking trails

Old Man's Cave

If you only do one trail, make it this one. The 1-mile route follows a gorge past the Upper Falls, the cave itself, the Lower Falls and a plunge pool called the Devil's Bathtub, crossing stone bridges along the way.

Expect stone stairs and narrow spots, so plan on about an hour. The cave is named for Richard Rowe, a hermit who lived there from 1796. The visitor center and the park's main lot sit at the trailhead off State Route 664.

Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls is the biggest waterfall in Hocking Hills by volume, at the end of a 1-mile trail through hemlock woods. Settlers mistook the hemlocks for cedars, which is how the falls got the name.

It's at its best in spring and the morning after a hard rain, when the falls run loudest.

Rock House

Rock House is the only true cave in the park, not a recess overhang like the other Hocking Hills caves. It's a sandstone corridor about 200 feet long and 25 feet high, with seven window-like openings that look out into the trees.

The gorge and rim trails add up to under a mile on the park map. Rock House sits north of Old Man's Cave, so it pairs well with Conkle's Hollow or Cantwell Cliffs on the same drive.

Difficult: the best trails in Hocking Hills for a real workout

Conkle's Hollow rim trail

The 2-mile rim loop follows the top of the cliffs above the gorge, and the views down are some of the best in the region. It's also the most exposed walk on this list, with long stretches along the cliff edge.

Keep kids close and skip it in ice or heavy rain. No pets, as our guide to Conkle's Hollow, Hocking Hills explains.

Cantwell Cliffs

Cantwell Cliffs is rugged and steep, with rim and gorge loops that the park map puts at about 1.3 miles. Ohio DNR rates the area difficult and lists it at 2 miles.

Its waterfalls peak in spring and are often dry by summer. Go for the cliffs and the steep gorge, not the falls.

Whispering Cave via Hemlock Bridge

Whispering Cave is the newest trail in the park, opened in 2017 after volunteers built a swinging bridge and boardwalks. The route with Hemlock Bridge runs 4.5 miles from the Old Man's Cave area.

The reward is a huge recess cave with a ribbon waterfall, named for acoustics that are said to carry a whisper from one end to the other. Budget a long morning, and read our guide to Whispering Cave, Hocking Hills before you go.

Grandma Gatewood Trail

This is the big one: 6 miles one way from Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls to Ash Cave, through the gorges in between. It's named for Emma "Grandma" Gatewood, who in 1955, at 67, became the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail alone.

The Buckeye, North Country and American Discovery Trails share this stretch. Leave a second car at Ash Cave, or plan on walking back.

How to pick from the best trails Hocking Hills has

The best hiking in Hocking Hills depends on who's with you. A few rules of thumb:

• With little kids or grandparents: Ash Cave first, then the Conkle's Hollow gorge if the dog stayed home.
• With one day: Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave, by car between trailheads or on foot along the Grandma Gatewood Trail.
• With dogs: everything except Conkle's Hollow, on a leash 6 feet or shorter.
• For photos: Cedar Falls and the Old Man's Cave falls the morning after rain.
• For fewer people: weekdays, and any trailhead before mid-morning.

If you'd rather skip crowds entirely, our Hocking Hills cabin with private pond has its own wooded trails and footbridges on 97 acres. For everything beyond hiking, see our guide to things to do in Hocking Hills.

Hocking Hills hiking by season

Spring is the season for waterfalls in Hocking Hills. Snowmelt and rain push the falls to full flow, and wildflowers come up along the gorge floors.

Summer is shady and green, and the gorges stay cooler than the ridgetops. The tradeoff is that waterfalls often thin out by August.

Fall brings the Hocking Hills fall colors and crowds. October weekends are the busiest stretch of the year, so start early or go midweek.

Hocking Hills winter is quiet, and in a cold snap the falls freeze into ice columns. Ohio DNR recommends ice cleats. The park's annual Winter Hike, which Grandma Gatewood began leading in January 1967, drew more than 4,000 people in 2013.

Rules and tips before you go

• Admission is free, and the trails are open from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
• Stay on the marked trails. Every named waterfall can be seen from the trail.
• No swimming or wading in any water in the park, including the Devil's Bathtub.
• Dogs need a leash of 6 feet or less, and they aren't allowed in state nature preserves like Conkle's Hollow.
• Wear shoes with real grip. Sandstone steps get slick after rain.
• Arrive before mid-morning on fall weekends, when the main lots fill.

Traveling with a dog? Our page on pet friendly cabins in Hocking Hills covers where to stay with one.

Our pick for a first visit

If you only have time for one of the best Hocking Hills hikes, do Old Man's Cave at opening, before the lot fills. Then drive to Cedar Falls and finish at Ash Cave, where the paved path makes an easy last stop for tired legs.

That's three of the park's headline sights by early afternoon. Then come back to a Hocking Hills cabin with hot tub and 97 quiet acres, and save Conkle's Hollow for the next morning, as in our Hocking Hills weekend getaway plan.

Hocking Hills hikes FAQs

What is the easiest hike in Hocking Hills?

The easiest hike in Hocking Hills is the Ash Cave gorge trail. It's a flat, paved quarter mile that's wheelchair and stroller friendly, and it ends at one of the most dramatic sights in the park: a recess cave about 700 feet across with a seasonal waterfall. Leashed dogs are welcome.

How long does it take to hike Old Man's Cave?

Hiking Old Man's Cave takes most people about an hour. The trail is roughly a mile, but stone stairs, narrow spots and photo stops slow you down. On fall weekends, add time for parking and crowds, or start at opening, when the trail is quietest and the light in the gorge is softest.

Can you hike Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave in one day?

Yes, you can hike Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave in one day. Drive between the three trailheads and you'll finish by early afternoon. Or walk the 6-mile Grandma Gatewood Trail, which links all three one way, and leave a second car at Ash Cave so you don't have to hike back.

Is hiking at Hocking Hills free?

Yes, hiking at Hocking Hills is free. Ohio's state parks don't charge entrance fees, so every trail in the park costs nothing to walk. Trails open half an hour before sunrise and close half an hour after sunset, and the visitor center at Old Man's Cave is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Can you go rock climbing in Hocking Hills?

Hocking Hills rock climbing and rappelling aren't allowed in the state park itself. Ohio DNR allows them in a designated area of the neighboring Hocking State Forest, which covers more than 9,000 acres. In the park and the nature preserves, you have to stay on the marked trails at all times.

What should I wear to hike Hocking Hills?

Wear shoes or boots with real grip to hike Hocking Hills, because sandstone stairs and gorge floors stay slick after rain. Bring water and a layer, since the gorges run cooler than the ridgetops. In winter, Ohio DNR recommends ice cleats, and trails can be icy even when the roads are clear.