More Waterfalls in Old Man's Gorge
Apr. 18th, 2026 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerOhio Waterfalls Travelog #7
Hocking Hills State Park · Fri, 17 Apr 2026. 2pm
We had a great hike today in the gorge at Hocking Hills State Park. After hiking the upper half of the main gorge area (previous blog) we continued on to the lower half. A bailout trail would've let us cut short the hike without doing this other half, but given there are at least three waterfalls worth seeing in the lower half, WTF would anyone want to do that?
This is Lower Falls in the gorge. Like Upper Falls (see previous blog) it pours down into a nice bowl surrounded on three sides by rock walls. It's probably a nice swimming hole. We didn't hop in because we're not the sort to say, "Ooh, a beautiful body of fresh water, let's muddy it up so others can't appreciate its beauty!" I'm thankful that others around us felt the same way... or perhaps felt the temperature was a tad too cool to go swimming. I enjoyed the chance to appreciate seeing the water without the distraction of kids jumping in the water and throwing sticks and stones and trying to murder each other.
Speaking of weather, it's beautiful today. The temperature's in the low 80s, perhaps a bit cooler down here in the gorge by the creek. The next few days look to be rainy and cooler, so we're definitely enjoying it while we can.
At Lower Falls we started hiking a trail up and out of the canyon. The creek trail does continue further downstream, but there's only one other thing nearby we'd want to see. ...And as we got partway up this climb we realized that the side trail we want for it is a smidge further downstream. So we doubled back down these stairs to the creek... though not before appreciating the scene above us.
Yes, that's water pouring over the lip of the canyon way above us. It's about as much as a bathroom shower. I imagine after a rainstorm it flows a lot heavier.
Yes2, the canyon rim overhangs this area quite a bit. The trail goes behind the waterfall by at least 20'.
Yes3, that's a spiral staircase at the right edge of the frame. The canyon wall is so high and vertical here (actually it's concave) that the park built a metal staircase to climb us out.
But back to that falls we didn't want to miss....
A bit further down the main creek in the gorge a side creek pours in. There's a metal bridge over the water but no signs. The trail up the tributary is obscured at first, like it hasn't been maintained in a while— intentionally so. We figured where to go based on orienteering skill.
As we climbed the side canyon the trail emerged. It climbed steeply up steps carved into the natural rock. Debris and damage showed that, indeed, this area hasn't been maintained for a while. We scrambled past some fallen rocks and found ourselves right up close to Broken Rock Falls. Yes, the name is quite apropos. And now it comes with more broken rock in every hike. 🤣
From here we continued around a small loop trail mid-way up the canyon wall back toward the cave in the middle picture. It was cool having the perspective of the steep rock wall right next to us. And once we climbed that spiral staircase that wasn't the only oddity on the way out.... There was also a staircase some 60 steps high that ascended through a tunnel! That's one area where I really appreciated that a lot of the trails in this park are one-way and clearly (and repeatedly) marked as such. Navigating tight squeezes like these stairs would be an absolute zoo if people were pushing past each other in both directions.
Hocking Hills State Park · Fri, 17 Apr 2026. 2pm
We had a great hike today in the gorge at Hocking Hills State Park. After hiking the upper half of the main gorge area (previous blog) we continued on to the lower half. A bailout trail would've let us cut short the hike without doing this other half, but given there are at least three waterfalls worth seeing in the lower half, WTF would anyone want to do that?
This is Lower Falls in the gorge. Like Upper Falls (see previous blog) it pours down into a nice bowl surrounded on three sides by rock walls. It's probably a nice swimming hole. We didn't hop in because we're not the sort to say, "Ooh, a beautiful body of fresh water, let's muddy it up so others can't appreciate its beauty!" I'm thankful that others around us felt the same way... or perhaps felt the temperature was a tad too cool to go swimming. I enjoyed the chance to appreciate seeing the water without the distraction of kids jumping in the water and throwing sticks and stones and trying to murder each other.
Speaking of weather, it's beautiful today. The temperature's in the low 80s, perhaps a bit cooler down here in the gorge by the creek. The next few days look to be rainy and cooler, so we're definitely enjoying it while we can.
At Lower Falls we started hiking a trail up and out of the canyon. The creek trail does continue further downstream, but there's only one other thing nearby we'd want to see. ...And as we got partway up this climb we realized that the side trail we want for it is a smidge further downstream. So we doubled back down these stairs to the creek... though not before appreciating the scene above us.
Yes, that's water pouring over the lip of the canyon way above us. It's about as much as a bathroom shower. I imagine after a rainstorm it flows a lot heavier.
Yes2, the canyon rim overhangs this area quite a bit. The trail goes behind the waterfall by at least 20'.
Yes3, that's a spiral staircase at the right edge of the frame. The canyon wall is so high and vertical here (actually it's concave) that the park built a metal staircase to climb us out.
But back to that falls we didn't want to miss....
A bit further down the main creek in the gorge a side creek pours in. There's a metal bridge over the water but no signs. The trail up the tributary is obscured at first, like it hasn't been maintained in a while— intentionally so. We figured where to go based on orienteering skill.
As we climbed the side canyon the trail emerged. It climbed steeply up steps carved into the natural rock. Debris and damage showed that, indeed, this area hasn't been maintained for a while. We scrambled past some fallen rocks and found ourselves right up close to Broken Rock Falls. Yes, the name is quite apropos. And now it comes with more broken rock in every hike. 🤣
From here we continued around a small loop trail mid-way up the canyon wall back toward the cave in the middle picture. It was cool having the perspective of the steep rock wall right next to us. And once we climbed that spiral staircase that wasn't the only oddity on the way out.... There was also a staircase some 60 steps high that ascended through a tunnel! That's one area where I really appreciated that a lot of the trails in this park are one-way and clearly (and repeatedly) marked as such. Navigating tight squeezes like these stairs would be an absolute zoo if people were pushing past each other in both directions.
