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

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The field guide to outdoor Ohio

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

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Six places to start

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01Old Man's CaveHocking Hills · SoutheastA gorge of waterfalls and recess caves where a hermit is said to have lived, with the park's visitor center. 02Great Serpent MoundAdams County · SouthwestA gigantic earthen snake on a hilltop over Ohio Brush Creek, built by a people whose name is still argued over. 03Brandywine FallsCuyahoga Valley · NortheastThe tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached by an easy boardwalk with an accessible upper overlook. 04Marblehead LighthouseMarblehead · Lake ErieThe oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, lit since 1821, on nine acres of limestone shoreline. 05Zoar VillageTuscarawas County · EasternA well-preserved communal village founded by German separatists in 1817, on the Ohio & Erie Canal. 06Longaberger Basket BuildingNewark · CentralA seven-story office building shaped like a picnic basket, with handles that are heated in winter.

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Lower Falls at Old Man's Cave

Logan · Hocking County
Plunge falls into a deep pool at the far end of the gorge
25 ftheight
Moderatehike
Directions →Official source →

A deep plunge pool at the far end of the Old Man's Cave gorge, reached down a steep stone stairway.

Height
About 25 feet
Trail
About 1.5 miles round trip, steep stairs
Managed by
ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft
Best time
Spring and after rain; slows in late summer
Nearby feature
Devil's Bathtub, a plunge pool upstream
Difficulty
Moderate, with a steep winding stairway and elevation change

When it flows

Best in spring and after rain. Slows in late summer, but the deep pool below usually holds water even when flow drops.

The story

Lower Falls sits at the downstream end of the Old Man's Cave gorge, where the creek makes its final drop over Blackhand sandstone before the valley widens. The same glacial era meltwater that shaped the rest of the gorge cut this stretch, leaving the winding stairway and steep walls hikers pass through on the way down.

Like the rest of the gorge, the area is tied to the story of Richard Rowe, the hermit believed to be the namesake of Old Man's Cave, who is said to have lived nearby in the late 1790s and early 1800s. Ohio acquired the gorge as parkland in the 1920s, and Civilian Conservation Corps labor in the 1930s built much of the stonework and stairs still used on the trail down to the falls today.

The exact coordinates for Lower Falls are approximate; sources describe its position along the trail rather than giving a surveyed point.

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.

Getting to the falls

About 1.5 miles round trip along the gorge floor from the main trailhead, down a steep, winding stairway past Devil's Bathtub to the base of the falls.

Status
Open to the public
Hours
Half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset, daily
Cost
Free
Phone
(740) 385-6842
Managed by
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft
Please note
Stay on the marked trail; No swimming or wading in the falls or creek; Pets allowed on leash.
Address
State Route 664, Logan, OH 43138 (reached via the Old Man's Cave gorge trail from the main parking area)
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 1 mile · 15 ft
Open
Whispering Falls
About 1 mile · 100 to 105 ft
Open
Cedar Falls
About 1 mile · 50 ft
Open
Conkle's Hollow Falls
About 2 miles · 20 to 25 ft
Open

Parks nearby

Hocking Hills State Park
The falls is inside this park
Open
Hocking State Forest
About 2 miles · Surrounds the state park units
Open
Lake Logan State Park
About 9 miles · Nearby state park with a lake
Open

Caves

Old Man's Cave
Recess cave (sandstone)
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.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.