Hocking Hills State Park: Ash Cave (Blog Hike #915)

Trails: Gorge and Rim Trails
Hike Location: Hocking Hills State Park
Geographic Location: south of Logan, OH (39.39612, -82.54559)
Length: 0.6 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Dates Hiked: May 1998, October 2022

Overview: A short loop featuring towering Ash Cave.
Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/hocking-hills-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=924420
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Logan, drive SR 664 south 12.5 miles to SR 374.  Turn left on SR 374 and proceed south past Cedar Falls.  Where SR 374 ends at SR 56, turn right on SR 56 and drive SR 56 west for 0.5 miles.  The small hiking trail parking lot is on the right.  A larger parking lot for the picnic area is directly across SR 56 on the left in case the smaller lot is full.

The hike: For my introduction to fall hiking in the Hocking Hills, see the previous hike, which features this park's Old Man's Cave unit.  Though not as popular, I have always found the scenery at Ash Cave to hold unique appeal.  For one, the waterfall at Ash Cave lies lower in the watershed compared to Old Man's Cave, and indeed I found this one flowing nicely even though the waterfalls at Old Man's Cave were mostly dry.  Also, unlike the trail at Old Man's Cave, which features many stairs, the trail at Ash Cave is partially ADA accessible.

Trailhead at Ash Cave

            From the signed trailhead, pick up the concrete trail as it crosses this gorge's small stream.  The first 0.25 miles are ADA accessible, so this trail's ease makes up for and partly accounts for its popularity.  The forest here contains a large number of hemlock trees.  Thus, the scenery stays very green even during the fall and winter.

Entering Ash Cave

            At 0.25 miles, the concrete trail ends as you reach the entrance to Ash Cave.  A large rock overhang rather than a typical cave, Ash Cave gets its name from the thick layer of sand deposited at the overhang's base.  Some people wonder who trucked all of this sand in here, but knowledgeable hikers realize that all of the rock above you is sandstone, which turns into sand when it erodes.

Exiting Ash Cave

            The trail heads across the sand and follows the base of the rock overhang, passing behind a tall but low flow waterfall.  Next you climb a sequence of wooden and stone steps to reach Ash Cave's rim and a trail intersection.  The famous Grandma Gatewood Trail goes left to head first for Cedar Falls and then for Old Man's Cave, but this hike stays in the Ash Cave area by turning right.

Hiking the Rim Trail

            Compared to the Gorge Trail, the Rim Trail is rather uneventful.  The gorge stays to the right as the trail descends gradually over a couple of rocky areas.  At 0.6 miles, you close the loop.  The parking lot lies just ahead.