Old Man's Cave

This is a rugged, tough path to see many caves and falls. You can divide this hike into at least 2 hikes. It really is a nice hike, somewhat long, a bit slippery, large steps, no restrooms in between, so prepare appropriately. I would not recommend this for small children. You should be in fairly good shape. Take water and maybe a walking stick to help. There are many, many steps. The area is just beautiful, and the falls are wonderful also. Just be prepared. I think the map they give you at the visitor's center is not very helpful. Printing off a detail map of the actual hike from the internet was more valuable to me. Also, at the visitor's center is bathrooms on the bottom, if they are closed for cleaning or other reasons, there is outdoor potties at the back of the visitor's center. There is also bathrooms on the bottom of the visitor's center through the big doors, after 10:00 am when the visitor's center opens. I can't figure out why the visitors center opens so late in the morning.. There is a very small gift shop inside, and very little options for eating so bring your own drinks and food. The parking area is large, but it fills up fast. Maybe 250 cars can park here. Picnic tables scattered around the parking area. Best time to come is early morning or around dinner time in the evening.

This was incredibly beautiful. Couple things I wished I had knownI wish they had a level of difficulty rating on their places of interest. This was a lot of walking up stairs and became a bit difficult at one point. The stairs are all different types, some very unlevel and narrow. Also, parking during the busy times is hard to come by and you may have to walk quite far to the park from a spot. I probably would have been fine seeing this from above but it really was beautiful. Just know your abilities.

This could possibly make it to 5/5, but with the heavy traffic does hurt it. The small falls and caves are beautiful. I haven't seen anything better in the midwest that compares (although let me know if you know of any!)

The best part of this for touristy people is that most of the main things are close to the visitor center. Right away you're greeted with a fall and not much further you can see Old Mans Cave.

I would've loved to hike it further, but my party was beat so we turned back after a couple of hours.

This is a physically demanding environment, full of truly beautiful scenery. The natural beauty is strong medicine here: we ended the day physically spent and mentally rejuvenated. Bring water! We packed 2 liters each, and were glad we did. (We visited on a Thursday, and the weather was in the mid/high 80s and quite humid.) The trail from the parking lot down to Old Man's Cave itself was somewhat crowded. Once we got past the Old Man's Cave section the crowds thinned out significantly. There were many points after that where we had nobody visibly up or down the trail from us. I strongly recommend proper hiking boots with good ankle support. Simply getting down to the gorge floor at the start of the Old Man's Cave trail requires descending some rugged terrain. Further in to the gorge we encountered lots of spots that took a little creativity to negotiate. Tree roots, slippery rocks, and (thanks to an overnight thunderstorm) muddy spots all made us glad to have proper waterproof hiking boots. Even in the gorge itself there are some notable elevation changes. We encountered one bridge in the gorge that was a little like something from the Lord of the Rings movies: it spanned a stream, but had no handrails at all. Further along there was a rope bridge as well.
Jaw-dropping natural beauty abounds here. Despite the crowds at spots it feels largely untouched, which is remarkable. The only signs of human impact we noted were the trail itself, where there are spots worn down by generations of visitors. The rock formations, gorgeous woodlands, and the many interesting falls and water formations made the trek more than worth it.

I went hiking on the Old Man's Cave Trail on a fine August afternoon with a friend and thoroughly enjoyed the hike, in spite of the crowds. The trail is well marked and provides awesome views of the water and the sheer cliffs that rise above the trail. There are artfully designed foot bridges and stairs across the stream. There are two tunnels bored into the rock that make for an exciting experience. The trail is one-way, with the front leg of the trail being downhill, while the return is uphill.

Old Man's Cave Trail is worth many revisits, as a part of the amazing Hocking Hills State Park.

My husband and I drove about 2 hours to get here. We spent the night at a hotel in Logan then got up the next morning and went to the Welcome Center nearby. We decided to do the Old Man's Cave. We loved it! It was definitely exciting! We are in our 60's and a bit stiff and a little out of shape, but we surprised ourselves at how well we got through! This place is clean and well kept up. We loved the waterfalls! I don't recommend this trail for small children or old dogs. We only took our Chi with us whom my husband carried at times and who got along with everyone. We loved the experience and can't wait to come back and try some other trails. We let people go around us if we took awhile to navigate some of the rock steps, and it had rained the night before. Everyone was patient and understanding. We recommend doing Old Man's Cave first then you will want to check out the others!

Old Man's Cave met my expectations and more. The gorge trail is the first trail when you exit parking lot to the trails. The rim is further to the right as most people head that way. A little confusing. Also, nice indoor restrooms inside pavilion before you head to the trails and maps and questions by staff indoors.

We did the lower gorge area and continued to the Whispering Cave trail back to parking lot at Old Man's Cave. Pooped for sure but well worth it. Beautiful scenery and once you exit Old Man Cave territory we noticed much diminished people and traffic. Felt like I had the trail to myself. However try to go during the week and early morning because as the day moves on the herds follow. We drove by the parking lot on Saturday and WOWZA cars everywhere. Sure it was overflowing on the trails. Not my idea of serenity.

A must see as wonderful nature and beauty everywhere.

There is a moderate hiking trail that takes visitors to the Old Man’s Cave. The trail is well marked and provides awesome views of the water and the sheer cliffs that rise above the trail. There are foot bridges that take you across the stream and, in one area, cement stumps that resemble the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. The entrance to the Old Man’s Cave is like entering the mouth of a gigantic clam. The roof must be well over 100 ft. high. There are two tunnels bored into the rock that you will walk through for an exciting experience. The trail is a one-way entrance and a one-way exit. The exit trail is basically up hill and should be taken with frequent stops. There was a crowd of visitors and many were eager to assist hikers with their footing and/or take pictures in return for the same gesture. A must return state park to hike the other trails.

Tip: It is recommended that visitors wear laced footwear to provide secure footing.

October 17, 2021

We recommend starting at the Upper Falls (it begins at the farthest spot from the Visitor’s Center, go down into the gorge, and make your way to the Lower Falls. You will see the cave (recess) and the whirlpool going this route. From the lower falls, you can go up and out (which is what we did) or you can continue on to Whispering Cave and/or Cedar Falls. Over the last few decades work has been done to make the trail more accessible and we’d say it is moderate to easy compared to other hikes we’ve taken. Kids can easily hike it. There are dangerous places and you really should stay on the path. At the Lower Falls, you take the steps up and out to the path above and to the cement sidewalk to go back passed the Nature Center and to the Parking Lot. The paths are one way.

This is another great hike in the Hocking Hills. Very beautiful, the Devil's Bathtub was particularly interesting because the water moves so fast. The trees are so tall, and the roots are above ground. There is magic in these hills. You can feel it with every step!