Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

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Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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The wooded gorge walls of Conkle's Hollow seen from the rim

Conkle's Hollow Falls

Rockbridge · Hocking County
Narrow plunge falls at the back of one of Ohio's deepest gorges
20 to 25 ftheight
Easywalk
Yesaccessible overlook

Conkle's Hollow · Photo: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0

A narrow waterfall at the head of a gorge with cliffs nearly 200 feet high, reached on a mostly flat, partly paved trail.

Height
About 20 to 25 feet
Trail
About 1.5 miles round trip, partly paved
Accessibility
Lower Gorge Trail is wheelchair accessible
Managed by
ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Best time
Spring and after rain
Gorge depth
Cliffs rise nearly 200 feet above the valley floor

When it flows

Best in spring and after rain. The gorge stream can slow to a trickle by late summer.

The story

Conkle's Hollow is one of Ohio's deepest gorges, cut into Blackhand sandstone where a resistant cap rock protected the narrow valley from widening even as meltwater cut it deep during the Pleistocene. The cool, shaded floor of the gorge supports hemlock and yellow birch more typical of forests farther north, a legacy of that glacial era climate.

The state of Ohio purchased the hollow in 1925 to protect its scenery, and it was dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1977. The site is named for W.J. Conkle, who carved his name and the date 1797 into the sandstone on the gorge's west wall, one of the earliest recorded visits documented at the site.

Height estimates for the falls range from about 20 to 25 feet across sources; no official survey figure was found.

Stay behind railings and on marked trails. Wet rock at the top and base of a falls is slick in every season, and most Ohio falls do not allow swimming, wading or climbing. Flow depends on rain: many falls are a trickle in late summer and at their best after a wet spell, in spring, or frozen in a hard winter.

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Official page
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, use the address or trailhead
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The hidden money of Conkle's Hollow

An old folk tale holds that a band of travelers hid stolen money in a recess cave high on the hollow's west wall, marking the spot with a carved arrow on the gorge wall and climbing to the cache using two hemlock trunks laid up as ladders. When they returned for it, a storm had blown down one of the hemlocks, and the money was never recovered.

Behind the legend

No arrow carving survives today, and there is no record of any treasure ever being found in the hollow. The tale appears to be local folklore that grew up around the genuine 1797 Conkle carving nearby.

If you go

Look for W.J. Conkle's real 1797 carving along the lower Gorge Trail; the treasure cave itself is not marked or accessible from the trail.

Getting to the falls

About 1.5 miles round trip on the partly paved Gorge Trail, which follows the valley floor past sheer sandstone cliffs to a boardwalk and steps near the falls.

Status
Open to the public
Hours
Half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset, daily
Cost
Free
Phone
(614) 799-9538
Managed by
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Please note
Stay on the marked trail; No pets; No swimming or wading in the falls or creek; No climbing on the cliffs.
Address
24858 Big Pine Road, Rockbridge, OH 43149
Official page →DirectionsShow on the map

The pin on the map is approximate; use the address or the park's own directions to find the trailhead.

Trails close for repairs, ice and high water. Check the official page before a long drive.

More falls nearby

Upper Falls at Old Man's Cave
About 2 miles · 15 ft
Open
Lower Falls at Old Man's Cave
About 2 miles · 25 ft
Open
Whispering Falls
About 3 miles · 100 to 105 ft
Open
Cedar Falls
About 3 miles · 50 ft
Open

Parks nearby

Hocking State Forest
About 1 mile · Surrounds the preserve
Open
Hocking Hills State Park
About 2 miles · State park units nearby
Open
Lake Logan State Park
About 8 miles · Nearby state park with a lake
Open
Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve
About 15 miles · Nature preserve to the north
Open

Road trips

Hocking Hills Scenic Byway
A road trip that passes near this falls
Open

Buckeye Trail

Old Man's Cave Section
On or near the Buckeye Trail
Open

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

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