Natural Ohio Adventures

Grandma Gatewood Trail

Why You Should Hike it

This trail traverses three of Hocking Hill's five areas; starting at the Upper Falls of Old Man's Cave, hiking up Queer Creek to Cedar Falls, then continuing onward to Ash Cave. This 6-mile jaunt is a part of the 1400-mile Buckeye Trail, the 4,600-mile North Country Trail, AND the 6,800-mile American Discovery Trail. If you want to get fully immersed in nature and the beauty of Hocking Hills, there's really nothing that compares to this trail.


Trail Description

You begin at the Upper Falls of Old Man's Cave and hike downstream through Old Man's Cave. Just past the Upper Falls is Devil's Bathtub, a churning pool of water that was once believed to descend all the way to the Underworld. Closer to the Lower falls you will pass by THE Old Mans Cave, a recess cave that housed the hermit, Richard Rowe, back in the late 1700's. From the Lower Falls a short side trail can take you to the lesser known Broken Rock Falls. From here the trail follows Queer Creek upstream to Cedar and Hidden Falls, passing a handful of impressive seasonal waterfalls along the way, including Rose Lake Falls and the towering 100-foot Whispering Falls. Ash Cave; Ohio's largest recess cave is the trail's next and final destination and requires an additional three miles of hiking. Personally, I enjoy taking the Gorge Overlook Trail back to Old Man's Cave from Cedar Falls and driving to Ash Cave instead. This turns this hike into a 6-mile loop trail, and the Gorge Overlook Trail passes Rose Lake and offers several ample views of the creek gorge

Grandma Gatewood/Hocking Hills Trail Map