Hocking Hills State Park is easily my favorite place in Ohio. Dotted with unique rock formations and waterfalls, it feels like another world! As a native of this corn dense state, I try to head south to visit at least once every year or so to let my wild out.
Today, I'd like to share some of the photos I took the last time I was there. Let's go check out Old Man's Cave, and some of its unique surrounding landmarks!
We ventured down to this gorgeous place with two small kiddos. The magic of this area was evident on their faces from the moment we got there. Starting off at the Old Man's Cave visitor center, we enjoyed some history exhibits. Pictured to the right is a rendition of the old man this cave is named for.
Things are a bit blurry on who exactly the old man of the cave was. There are two contenders who have a similar story tied to their names. The tale goes that during the winter when the river was frozen over, one or both of them tried to break the ice with the butt of a rifle. This caused the gun to fire, killing the thirsty searcher. This can't have happened to two separate people, can it?
Although there are many well-known inhabitants of this area in early Ohio history, the tale of Old Man's Cave is the one with the most oomph to it. Above you can see the expansive Buckeye Trail, which laces through the state into this wonderful nature preserve. Let's head down!
Hocking Hills is marked by many remarkable rock formations, foliage clinging to their mossy faces. As you walk along, you will come to several bridges like this one. Something in my nerd heart can't help but to look for trolls under them.
This hike has a lot of ups and downs, with quaint staircases like this one leading you over the small hurdles. It can be a bit challenging for young ones at certain junctures, but I would say it is overall an excellent walk for tiny feet to enjoy.
One of the first landmarks you come to while exploring the Old Man's Cave portion of Hocking Hills is the Devil's Bathtub. Although it seems hard to believe at a glance, this sign speaks of the dangers of this spookily named feature.
Below this cute but unstable looking bridge is the Devil's Bathtub. Why was it given this name? Well, it is said that if you fall in, it is impossible to get out. Although it does not look too daunting here, the waters within often swell up, forming a whirlpool.
Here are some closer shots of this aquatic trap. As you can see, the smooth sides of this landmark leave virtually nothing to grab on to, giving life to its notorious reputation. Legend states that the bathtub extends down to the depths of Hades. Yikes! Naturally, every several years someone slides down to test their might. This inevitably ends in humiliation, and a cry for a rescue team.
There are numerous waterfalls in Hocking Hills State Park. Depending on which route you take to visit Old Man's Cave, you will most likely come to this one first. Known as the upper falls, this spot is a favorite for photographers. As we arrived here, it began to drizzle. Little did we know, it would rain basically our entire visit.
My daughter Thea hates standing still, like most vivacious five-year-olds. You can see the tension in her tiny fists from being asked to stay put for this photo. Something in her face says, "You got the shot yet lady!? I'm trying to run here..."
And run she did! With the rain, it didn't matter if she splashed, and really... It is, after all, what being a kid is all about.
I drank in her happiness, and tried not to be such a dang helicopter mom. This is a constant struggle of mine, as my high anxiety levels cannot help but to alert me... Those rocks are slippery!
Yeah yeah anxiety, you're slippery... now slither off.
Soon the rain was coming down fairly hard, and I was glad that it was fun to be soaked vs. frustrating for the kiddos. "I'm the queen of the Jungle!" Thea screams.
I spotted a few torn-up logs like this as we walked. It is almost a certainty that this is the work of a black bear. They like to tear into fallen trees to hunt for bugs. Yum! Although I had hoped to see a bear while here, (I adore them) my closest encounter was hearing one in the far distance. There are not many in Southern Ohio, and naturally, they keep a distance.
Why would I want to see a bear? For the funsies of course! I've seen many while traveling the US, and I have an understanding with them. You leave them alone, they leave you alone. Relatable. My kind of 'people'. Plus, it would have been a joy to photograph one of the beautiful buggers! Oh well, no such luck...
At some point, I became grateful for the intermittent rain. I've visited so many times, and it was always sunny and bright. That's lovely in its own right, and obviously preferable... But when life gives you rain, appreciate what you got, I say! The haze in the trees gave everything a mystical feeling, and the smell of the wet earth invigorated my senses.
I had to stop here for a few minutes, taking in the view of these sprawling roots. Perfection! It was a very humid day, but the rocks let off a chill next to me, nature's air conditioning.
Splashing in the water does the job too! At each turn of the trail there was somewhere for the kids to explore and cool off. Thea practiced her rock stepping skills, and thankfully laughed it off the few times she fell over doing so.
I think at some point Emory discovered his reflection. He stared down into the water, smiling and giggling. "Dang, who is THAT handsome fella?!"
After a cooldown, it was time to keep trekking on!
I thought that caves have to be underground, and google backs this up.
So, the name "Old Man's Cave" is a misnomer, but the overhanging rocks of the 'cave' do seem like they would provide great shelter.
You can find all sorts of alcoves in the rocks on the way there, I envision people resting in them decades ago.
This is a location that reminds you that the journey is more important than the destination. Every so often you see a sign which makes you feel like you haven't walked far at all. The truth is, there are so many looping paths that the rangers just want to make sure you don't get lost.
In the final stretch along this route, you will come to this interesting spot. There is something both cringey and enticing about these strange stairs!
Who left these prints? It's a mystery!
Thea placed her hand on each of these prints remarking "None of these hands are the right size..."
Hold up, snack time! If you love any lady small or tall, you know snacks fix everything. It's in our wiring. Applesauce in a pouch? Fancy.
We had a proper laugh about this tree, which despite its slumped form, was very much still alive. "Why's it like that mom?" Thea wonders.
"I think its sleepy, it must be awfully tiring to be a tree." I muse.
"I'm going to sleep like that tonight!" Thea answers. I think to myself that at the age of five, she probably could, AND get right back up the next day, no problem! Ah, to be young...
As we near Old Man's Cave, where the lower falls are located, there is one more unique landmark to take in. A rock cropping shaped liked a face, it was given the name "Spinx Head".
This is probably one of the worst photos I've ever taken of the sphinx, but it felt like a shame not to include it.
Tiny hands were pushing me along to get to the cave, so I snapped this shot in haste.
If you look to the right side, you can still make out the face clearly... Just with a Tree plastered to it. The most distinctive feature of the rock face is the nose, which sticks out from the leaves here.
We made it!
As you can see to the side, many lame people choose to leave their trash all over the place in this location, sadly too commonplace no matter where you go...
It added a damper on my spirits as well as the view. By this point we had stuffed every crevice of free space we had with trash to dispose of. Wack. Still, the view of the outer edge of the cave always sings to me! (No trolls under this bridge either, I checked)
Maybe I'm the troll... Thea throws up a thumb to let me know she sees me trying to snap her picture yet again... Moms, large sigh.
On the other side of the bridge you will find this boulder, which many have chiseled their initials into. I enjoyed thinking of all of the cutesy couples and gaggles of close friends who decided to stop here and leave their mark on the stone.
Just past this fun tunnel, we finally were within the cave!
I asked Thea if she was a dwarf, and she scoffed at me. Sheesh, sorry for asking...
Being inside this cave gives me the feeling that I am a slice of fruit swimming in a giant punch bowl. Certainly not a traditional cave, yet a captivating one.
Thea was immediately back in the water, leaving me to my boring photography hobby.
The thumbs up had now been solidly established as her way of giving my lifelong sass back to me. Karma is cute sometimes.
The lower falls are mesmerizing! On less dreary days, this water will appear an almost pastel blue.
I wanted to take a dozen more photos of this spot, but as fate would have it, the sky opened up to pour buckets. Eeek! My camera! I quickly wrapped it in whatever I could and hoped the waterproofing of my backpack would be enough to keep it safe.
At least I got a few nice shots before I had to fight for my camera's life. Heh.
By the time we were headed out, the rain had let up. I was grateful to be able to snap a photo of this staircase, as it brings out my inner child every time I see it.
A staircase to another world!
Maybe it's my thing for moss, or maybe it's the way these stairs curve, but this spot feels like something out of a fairytale to me.
Soon, we were headed back to the car to retrieve dry clothing and rest up for our next adventure. I had some idea in my head that I would include all of the photos from this trip in one post, which is laughable as I scroll up.
Even selecting only my favorite shots, I ended up leaving out a dozen more photos I wanted to include here. So, with that in mind, I will share my photos from Ash Cave in a separate post.
I hope that you enjoyed visiting Old Man's cave with us!
All photos are my own, taken with a Canon EOS Rebel T100
[//]:# (!pinmapple 39.43334 lat -82.54296 long Old Man's Cave d3scr)
