Hocking Hills: Hiking Old Man’s Cave Loop

Old Man’s Cave is the main attraction in southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park. It’s not just a cool cave—it’s an awesome loop hike with several options for length.

"Hike Old Man's Cave" with image of woman inside the cave, camera looking out

My daughter, Jamie, and went on a road trip together to West Virginia a couple years ago to visit friends.

I’d never hard of Hocking Hills until a friend shared something about it on Facebook. The photos convinced me it was worth taking the time to drive an hour out of our way, and are we ever glad we did!

There’s a large Visitor Center at Old Man’s Cave and a large parking area. Unfortunately, the Visitor Center was closed (presumably still due to Covid restrictions) so we couldn’t pick up any printed info, including a trail map. But the signage makes it easy to find your way for the most part.

Our visit was mid-day on a Tuesday in early May…and it was rainy. So there were very few visitors that day compared to what, I’m sure, would be normal for weekends and during the summer. (The size of the parking lot is a good indication of how busy it can get!)

Why You’ll Love Hiking Old Man’s Cave Loop

We wanted to see things we don’t commonly see in Minnesota, which is why we wanted to focus in on the main cave features of Hocking Hills.

But the cave was just one of the reasons we liked this hike so much…

woman hiking inside the gorge — *The trail down in the gorge is lush and beautiful!*

It’s Gorgeous

We visited in early May so spring was in the air. The trees and the moss lining the cliff walls were SO green, especially in the light rain. There was lush vegetation of all kinds. Mature trees towered over us.

I found out later by looking at the map online that there’s also a Gorge Overlook trail. I’m sure it’d be beautiful, too. We took the trail in the gorge, called Grandma Gatewood Trail (I’m sure there’s some history there).

The rock walls of the gorge, the intense greens, the creek and waterfalls and the dramatic cave all add up to almost sensory overload.

Not in the way a mountain scape does—grand and sweeping—but in a more intimate way. You feel closed off from the world down inside the gorge.

water runoff down the cliff sides — *Water spills over the cliff sides and into the gorge*

Old Man’s Creek & the Waterfalls

We expected the creek and falls to be higher since we were there in the spring. Whether it’s just a small creek or whether it had been dry for awhile, we didn’t know. But it was very pretty just the same.

The creek water is clear with a greenish tint, particularly noticeable in the pool beneath the Upper Falls. There’s a Middle Falls right beneath Old Man’s Cave, and then a Lower Falls we didn’t get to see because we didn’t know about it (we didn’t have a trail map).

Upper Falls, Hocking Hills — *Upper Falls of Old Man’s Creek with its beautiful green pool*

There’s also a water feature called Devil’s Bathtub where the creek falls into a cauldron and spins into a whirlpool.

woman looking down into Devil's Bathtub in the creek, Hocking Hills — *Looking down to Devil’s Bathtub from one of the cool stone bridges*

None of the waterfalls are big or extra amazing, especially by Minnesota standards. But the overall setting in the gorge that makes them so lovely.

There were also several places where water was spilling down over the cliff walls, which added to the beauty and mood of the place.

The Cave

Old Man’s Cave was named after an old man who really lived in it with his two hounds back in the day. It’s a large recess cave above the creek in a particularly beautiful spot in the gorge.

inside Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills — *Inside Old Man’s Cave, a recess cave up above the creek and Middle Falls*

The hiking trail leads right up inside the cave. It’s quite dramatic. As far as caves go, Rock House (also in Hocking Hills State Park) is cooler…but the hiking loop to get to Old Man’s Cave makes this one the overall winner.

Cool Stone Walls & Bridges

Along with the stone walls of the gorge, there are several human-made stone walls along the trail, with bridges that cross the creek fairly often. I love things like that so they made the hike even more enjoyable, even if it distracts from it being entirely natural.

What to Know about the Loop

Lots of Ups and Downs

You need good knees for this hike! It’s not long—maybe a mile around the loop—but there are plenty of steps. I wouldn’t call it strenuous, but consider trekking poles if you have knee or hip pain.

It’s a One-Way Trail

We’d couldn’t remember being on a one-way hike before, but it’s really nice! It seems less crowded when you don’t meet people on the trail. And in a few places the trail is simply too narrow to pass.

We did disobey the law once to get back up to the Visitor Center, but no one else was in that area at the time so we felt OK being a bit rebellious.

woman on narrow trail, Hocking Hills, Ohio — *Why the trail is one way! (Old Man’s Creek below)*

Try to Look at the Map First!

We would’ve saved some time and not have missed the lower falls if we’d have had a map.

We also might have decided to hike the Gorge Overlook Trail if we’d known it was there. You can find a map on this page, and hopefully the Visitor Center will open up again soon for a printed one.

hiker inside a narrow tunnel along the trail — *Another reason the trail is one way—this cool tunnel!*

How to Get There

Set your GPS for Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, Ohio. It’s just over an hour southeast of Columbus, two hours east of Dayton and two-and-a-half hours east of Cincinnati.

Once you’re in the area you’ll see signs for the park. Then look for signs to Old Man’s Cave.

Hocking Hills is considered Ohio’s most popular state park, getting around 2 million visitors each year, just FYI when you make your own plans to visit. Consider skipping the busy summer season.

There’s no fee to enter the park or hike the trails. Here’s an FAQ page for the park.

Final Thoughts

It was well worth adding a couple hours to our travel day to swing by Hocking Hills State Park. We knew we only had time to hit a couple of the attractions, and we’re very glad the hike to Old Man’s Cave was one of them.

It would be well worth spending a day or two at the park as there are several cave attractions. There’s a large campground nearby, although we didn’t stop to check it out.

Aren’t you glad the Lord created so much diversity in the terrain, vegetation, landscapes and beauty in our world?

This state park in Ohio offers a much different experience than the state parks we’ve visited in our home state of Minnesota. And that’s true all across the country, our continent and around the world.

It’s a privilege to get to explore new places when we get the chance!

Middle Falls of Old Man's Creek, Hocking Hills Ohio — *Middle Falls of Old Man’s Creek, just below Old Man’s Cave*

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Sharon Brodin

Sharon is the principal author and publisher of the "Heaven and Nature Sing" devotional book and founder of this website. She loves how God created such an amazing world and is continually in awe of His goodness, wisdom and creativity.