Grandma Gatewood Trail

Old Man's Cave, Ohio

The Grandma Gatewood Trail is a 5 mile long trail connecting three different parks in the Hocking Hills of Ohio—Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave. It is also part of America's Discovery Trail and the North Country Scenic Trail, but the section we will focus on here is the Old Man's Cave sector.

The trail passes through a half-mile gorge of Blackhand Sandstone and leads past three waterfalls—Upper, and Lower Falls, and of course, Cedar Falls. Upper Falls (near the trailhead) is very beautiful, especially in autumn when the deciduous trees turn the forest bright red, yellow, and orange, Lower Falls (0.5mile) is also pleasing to the eye as it cascades over a cliff into a pool below.

All along the trail, you can see old man's creek, which carries rocks along its path creating interesting formations in the soft sandstone—one of the more notable features is the Devil's Bathtub (see photo below). As you hike further down towards the Lower Gorge of Old Man’s Cave, you eventually enter the Queer Creek valley, which is among the most scenic areas in Ohio.

The trail leading to Cedar Falls (2 miles) passes through the most rugged area in Hocking Hills—nearly hidden in the thick layers of hemlocks, Cedar Falls (misnamed by settlers who thought the hemlocks were cedar trees) is one of the largest waterfalls in the Hocking Hills Region. Hikers can expect to see moss-covered cliffs, and a serene cascade of water tumbling down the sandstone into a plunge pool.