Hocking Hills and Old Man's Cave
Ash Cave - Hocking Hills State Park Hiking Area
Towering hemlocks, a cascading waterfall and a wide recess cave make Ash Cave one of Hocking Hills State Park's most popular hiking trails. An added bonus is that the part of the trail leading to the cave is asphalt and easily accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
Directions: From Logan Take State
Route 93 south to State Route 56 Interesting things to look for: As you
enter the recess cave, look for the huge rock formation on the opposite
side of the creek. This is known as Pulpit Rock and was once used as a
"preaching pulpit" for ministers of area churches having services in the
cave. In the winter, the waterfall has been known to freeze from top to
bottom! The waterfall makes an eerie, low echo against the walls if you
stand near the bottom of the steps leading to the upper trail. The birds
you see flying around the top of the recess cave and nesting in the
eaves are Rock Pigeons. Their native habitats are cliff sides in
Europe-they are here because their early ancestors stowed away on ship
masts and crossed the ocean into America.
Length: There is an upper and lower
trail at Ash Cave, each one approximately a 1/2 mile long. The lower
trail is handicap accessible along a paved sidewalk ending in the large
sandy region of the recess cave. It takes approximately a 1/2 hour to
hike the trail. The upper section is a little more rugged and takes 40
minutes to an hour to complete.
