Hiking Conkle's Hollow
Apr. 20th, 2026 07:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerOhio Waterfalls Travelog #13
Rockbridge, OH · Sat, 18 Apr 2026. 2pm
Three. The number of hikes we could squeeze in today before it started raining on us was three. And this third one, a visit to the falls at Conkle's Hollow, we finished just in time. It started to sprinkle on us during the last minute or two of our trek. By the time we'd shucked our packs into the car and driven back onto the main road, it was pouring.
But about that hike...!
The trail up the gorge starts out easy. Like the Ash Cave trail we hiked earlier today it's flat and paved. It's even touted as being accessible. We even saw two people in wheelchairs/scooters on it. The only problem is....
The full trail is not accessible. It turns a bend where the canyon gets narrow, the pavement ends, and the trail scrambles over rocks and mud. And it's past this breakover point where all the fun stuff is. Sorry, disabled visitors. Disability sucks.
Accessibility is something that stays on our minds because even though neither of us are confined to a wheelchair, Hawk does contend with disability.
It may not seem like she's disabled, but that cane she walks with is not a hiking pole. It's actually a cane. People who see her on the trail often comment, "Oh, that's a nice stick! I should get one like that!" And Hawk scowls at them that it's not a fashion accessory. She's able to do as much hiking as we still do because (a) she's determined and (b) she was a strong, knowledgeable hiker before disability. While her physical abilities are much less than before she still very much knows what she's doing, and that helps her pick her way over obstacles a lot of people wouldn't attempt.
But back to this hike again....
We walked past a mostly dry waterfall in a side canyon. Maybe if we'd waited a few hours (in the pouring rain!) we could've seen nice flow over it. Around another bend from there the trail ends in a grotto. There we did find a flowing waterfall— no waiting!
Once again I was pleasantly surprised with the trail manners of Ohioans. Back in California, at a spot like this with a small waterfall and a pool, there'd be at least 3 people taking freakin' baths in it. Here everyone stayed at a respectful distance and allowed one another to take turns photographing nature undisturbed.
We stayed at the grotto for about 10 minutes, quietly absorbing the ambience. Then we headed back out the trail to the car— arriving, as I noted above, in the nick of time. Rain was merely starting to sprinkle as we walked the last 100 steps to the car. By the time we'd driven even 1/2 mile away it was pouring.
Rockbridge, OH · Sat, 18 Apr 2026. 2pm
Three. The number of hikes we could squeeze in today before it started raining on us was three. And this third one, a visit to the falls at Conkle's Hollow, we finished just in time. It started to sprinkle on us during the last minute or two of our trek. By the time we'd shucked our packs into the car and driven back onto the main road, it was pouring.
But about that hike...!
The trail up the gorge starts out easy. Like the Ash Cave trail we hiked earlier today it's flat and paved. It's even touted as being accessible. We even saw two people in wheelchairs/scooters on it. The only problem is....
The full trail is not accessible. It turns a bend where the canyon gets narrow, the pavement ends, and the trail scrambles over rocks and mud. And it's past this breakover point where all the fun stuff is. Sorry, disabled visitors. Disability sucks.
Accessibility is something that stays on our minds because even though neither of us are confined to a wheelchair, Hawk does contend with disability.
It may not seem like she's disabled, but that cane she walks with is not a hiking pole. It's actually a cane. People who see her on the trail often comment, "Oh, that's a nice stick! I should get one like that!" And Hawk scowls at them that it's not a fashion accessory. She's able to do as much hiking as we still do because (a) she's determined and (b) she was a strong, knowledgeable hiker before disability. While her physical abilities are much less than before she still very much knows what she's doing, and that helps her pick her way over obstacles a lot of people wouldn't attempt.But back to this hike again....
We walked past a mostly dry waterfall in a side canyon. Maybe if we'd waited a few hours (in the pouring rain!) we could've seen nice flow over it. Around another bend from there the trail ends in a grotto. There we did find a flowing waterfall— no waiting!
Once again I was pleasantly surprised with the trail manners of Ohioans. Back in California, at a spot like this with a small waterfall and a pool, there'd be at least 3 people taking freakin' baths in it. Here everyone stayed at a respectful distance and allowed one another to take turns photographing nature undisturbed.
We stayed at the grotto for about 10 minutes, quietly absorbing the ambience. Then we headed back out the trail to the car— arriving, as I noted above, in the nick of time. Rain was merely starting to sprinkle as we walked the last 100 steps to the car. By the time we'd driven even 1/2 mile away it was pouring.
