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Rockbridge Falls

Rockbridge · Hocking County

Seasonal falls flowing beneath Ohio's longest natural bridge

40 ftheight

Easywalk

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.

A little known seasonal waterfall that drops beneath Ohio's longest natural stone bridge, away from Hocking Hills' crowds.

Height: About 40 feet
Trail: About 1 mile loop
Managed by: ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Best time: April and after heavy rain; often dry by midsummer
Natural bridge: About 90 feet long and 40 feet high, Ohio's longest
Also nearby: A second seasonal falls on the Rock Shelter Loop

When it flows

Light flow most of the year. Runs best in April and after heavy rain, and can dry up completely by midsummer.

The story

Rockbridge State Nature Preserve protects a large natural stone arch, formed as groundwater and frost wedged apart weaker layers within Blackhand sandstone above the Hocking River. The same freeze thaw and seep erosion that hollowed out the arch also cut the narrow ravine just downstream, where the falls drops.

The site was set aside as a state nature preserve to protect the bridge and gorge. Unlike the crowded Hocking Hills units nearby, it draws relatively few visitors, and the waterfall itself is a minor, little publicized feature that most guidebooks mention only in passing next to the natural bridge.

Height and flow details come from a single detailed hiker trip report rather than an official ODNR source; treat the 40 foot figure as an estimate. This is one of the up to four additional southeast Ohio falls added beyond the core Hocking Hills list.

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.

Getting to the falls

About a 1 mile loop across former farmland and wooded hills to the falls, with a side trail, the Rock Shelter Loop, leading to a second seasonal waterfall and a Hocking River overlook.

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 designated trails; No pets; No public restrooms on site.