Wednesday was our last day in Ohio and I woke up with a plan... I was itching for some more cliff action like we experienced on our hike at Rock House so I did some searching on Google Maps. The plan was to take a short drive North and check out Cantwell Cliffs.
That was thrown out the window when I went to get breakfast and my wife's parents were talking about how they planned on visiting Ash Cave that morning. Knowing that my wife wouldn't want them to go alone I quickly adjusted my expectations and started getting ready to visit Ash Cave.
Ash Cave is at the very Southern tip of the Hocking Hills park area and upon further reflection, probably one of the most photographed areas in the park. In fact, I used one of my pictures from there in another post and a commenter knew exactly where it was taken without me even referencing it.
It is just one of those iconic spots.
The parking area near Ash Cave is fairly deceiving. You come around a corner on one of the many winding roads in Hocking Hills and boom, there it is. There is a small area right off the road that is typically packed full of cars. However, on the other side of the road is a larger parking area that can accommodate many more vehicles. We actually had to turn around and come back because we thought the parking lot was full at first.
The hike back into Ash Cave is relatively easy as well. It is a wide paved one-way path that takes you to the heart of the cave. From there, you can climb a stairway and hike out of the area along the perimeter of the gorge. Those who have mobility issues are allowed to hike back down the paved path. My wife, sister in law, brother in law and I hiked the more rugged path out. Her parents took the paved trail back to the car.
Apparently, Ash Cave gets its name from the large amount of fire ashes they found at the site when it was first discovered. For centuries the Native Americans have been using this overhang as shelter. If you remember from my post linked above, Rock House is the only true cave in the Hocking Hills park. All of the other "caves" are actually outcroppings or overhangs.
Although it wasn't the hike I originally planned, Ash Cave was totally worth the visit. It was really spectacular and humbling to be standing in a place so old and alive with history. It was the perfect way to spend out last day in Hocking Hills.
I forgot to mention, the "hike" is only about 1/4 of a mile and we actually made it back to the head of the trail before @mrsbozz's parents did! To be fair, they were taking their time and enjoying the sights on the way back.
Here is that iconic photo again in case you didn't catch it at the beginning of last week.
My visit to Hocking Hills is something that is going to stick with me for quite some time. It is almost hard to believe that this little slice of heaven is in a state that is infested with Buckeyes.
I can't wait to make my way back there and do even more exploring!
Other posts in this series:
https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@bozz/hocking-hills-oh-vacation-part-1-webb-pointe
https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@bozz/hocking-hills-oh-vacation-part-2-conkles-hallow
https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@bozz/hocking-hills-oh-vacation-part-3-old-mans-cave
https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@bozz/hocking-hills-oh-vacation-part-5-john-glenn-astronomy-park
Beautiful Hill Nature Photography
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haha you adjusted your expectations! 😆
Love how big those rocks look when you see the people from a way away. Great photos. That was a cracking series.
Thanks! I appreciate it!
That is so beautiful
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