September 22, 2023
We drove southwest from Akron to Hocking Hills State Park. We had some issues finding our cabin in the forest due to losing our cell signal and having to guess where to turn on these unmarked forest roads.
We finally found our cabin. I was so happy there weren't two dueling banjo players on the front porch.
This was our loose gravel driveway that required using the low gear at top speed to make it up the hill.
This might be a better way to go up & down the long driveway.
We unloaded the car and left to find a place to eat.
We drove to the nearby town of Laurelville and had a wonderful dinner at the family-run and very friendly Ridge Inn Restaurant.
Across the street was another locally owned family business.
It was closed by the time we got here. We did stop again on our way home and picked up some cider and lots of apples.
After driving around this little town, I will admit that I loved that there were no corporate chain stores. I kept joking about this area being 70 years behind the times, but everyone we met this weekend was very friendly. By the time we left, I knew I would miss this place.
Goodnight from our little cabin in Hocking Hills
September 23, 2023
We passed this church on Stump Run Road early this morning on our way out for a day of hiking in Hocking Hills State Park.
Just past the church, we stopped at this farm with fog caused by the rising sun.
If I keep stopping to take pictures at this pace, it will be a very long day for us.
Our first scheduled stop of the day is at Rock House.
We could hear the young couple parked next to us making phone calls to friends and family to announce they got engaged while hiking this morning. We congratulated them when we walked by.
Due to the popularity of this area, many of the trails must be hiked one way only. So once you start the hike, you have to finish the hike.
It wasn't very crowded when we headed out.
It didn't take long for me to realize that I was going to love hiking here.
The rock formations are similar to what I saw in Cuyahoga Valley National Park last week.
Always amazed by huge trees growing on rock.
The trail has been mostly downhill so far.
While I stop to enjoy the scenery all around us, Christy keeps walking.
Now she is ahead of me and below me.
Erosion creates some incredible photos.
This looks like the stairway to heaven to me.
We hiked the one way trail through the valley...
...then hiked the second half of the Rim Trail.
We always try to get a photo of the entrance signs to all the parks we visit.
Our second hike of the day is at Cantwell Cliffs.
Nice entrance dropping you into the gorge.
This looks like it will be a fun hike.
This might be the Fat Women's Squeeze. I didn't make this up, it is on the trail map.
Interesting colors on this rock
Looking up on my way down.
At some point we will have to climb out of this gorge, so far it has been all downhill.
It is a perfect weather day for hiking.
Hiking along the bottom of the gorge.
These trails are marked well but in some areas, you have to decide which path to take.
Going up!
The rock formations are at every level of this hike so far.
Now on the Rim Trail
Looking into a small cave.
Sometimes I feel like I am hiking by myself.
Fun with dead leaves...
...and sunlit live leaves.
She never smiles. She must be having fun today.
Looking into the Gorge from the Rim Trail.
I hope there is a special place in Hell for people who leave their garbage on the ground.
Our third hike of the day is at Conkles Hollow. You know you are in the south if you hike in a Hollow.
This hike starts out in a forest.
We got lucky with beautiful weather today.
Exposed tree roots on rock.
We were hiking above the hollow on the rim trail.
Had to watch out for tripping hazards...
...due to long falls right on the edge of the trails.
We passed a few small caves along the trail...
...and a bridge that took us over the hollow.
This was closed and an uphill climb, so we continued along the rim trail.
The Rim trail follows along the rock edge of the hollow, so the trail has a lot of twists and turns on the hike.
The trees grow tall up here.
I love looking up at the treetops.
Some rock areas have separated from the main rock walls of the hollow. That didn't stop some people from jumping onto it. FYI, the gap is much closer to the left of this photo.
Now we are on the Gorge Trail at the bottom of the Hollow.
I'm a big fan of memorial markers.
This lady takes as many pictures as I do nowadays.
This cave allows access. Some along this trail do not to protect the habitat.
There isn't much to see but unlike my dogs, I will not stick my head into the small openings.
I would not want to be here when a rock this size tumbles down the hollow.
This park does a nice job of providing access along the trails.
The far end of the Gorge Trail ends with huge rocks and caves.
This is the horizontal view...
...and the vertical view.
We tried to avoid the crowds here...
...that wasn't possible.
But I did my best.
This short Gorge Trail was well worth the hike...
...on this beautiful day.
I think The Walking Dead found us, it's time to go.
We loved hiking both trails here. Now it is time for lunch.
Christy found this location online. We drove up a gravel road that led us to a turnoff that ended at a secluded dirt parking area in the Hocking State Forest. What could go wrong here? We started walking along this dirt road.
Still walking along this dirt road.
Still walking and still nothing that looks like a trail on either side of the road. It will be months before our bodies are found. We agreed to walk to the turn to the right up ahead.
That is where we found the trailhead. So into the woods, we go.
This trail starts to look very interesting. At some point around here, we stepped off to allow a big group of people on horses to walk by.
Then we headed down into the gorge.
Several trail options are down here.
We took this one. There are Blue Blazes on the trees here. This trail is part of the 1,400-mile Ohio State Buckeye Trail.
After following the mostly dry creek bed for a while, we headed back along another trail...
...that led us to some caves.
The same cave zoomed in a little bit...
...zoomed in some more.
We kept walking through this very colorful area.
Looking up at the rock walls around us.
It was getting late in the afternoon, so the sunbeams were breaking through the trees.
Different angles, different colors.
We were having so much fun with all the rock formations and caves down here.
I love these photos from inside the caves looking out at the sunlit forest.
After taking this colorful photo...
...I realized this tree trunk was growing out of the rock.
What a great way to end a day of hiking.
There were great views all around us on this hike.
Once again, it is easy to feel small on this hike.
Mother Nature is putting on a show for us.
Now that Christy likes taking pictures almost as much as I do, I have more time to take my pictures.
Eventually, we decided it was time to go. We still have to climb out of this gorge and hike uphill back to the car.
Of course, I had to take one last photo down here.
We headed back to the car after a wonderful day of hiking.
We did run into someone in the parking lot who hikes all over this area and was heading out for some sunset photos here. We talked for at least 30 minutes about hiking here and hiking back home. We exchanged names on Facebook. So we could see where each of us goes hiking. I joked that Kirk H. is the Ohio version of me. Once again I have to say I seem to meet so many interesting and friendly people while hiking.
September 24, 2023
New ways to donate money for good causes.
Our first stop this morning is a hike to Old Mans Cave. This map shows the hiking options past Old Mans Cave.
Spoiler alert, we also hiked the Whispering Cave Loop.
So many options here, we took the gorge trail to Old Mans Cave.
Downhill we go...
...as usual, Christy is leading the way.
After yesterday's amazing hikes, I thought today might be a bit of a letdown.
I was wrong.
The Hocking Hills scenery continues to impress me.
Hocking Hills State Park reminds me of Illinois' Starved Rock State Park.
But there is so much more to see here compared to Starved Rock.
The state of Ohio does a good job of making the bridges blend into the scenery.
The photo opportunities never end along this trail.
Something different around every turn.
Now I know why we couldn't find a parking spot here yesterday afternoon.
There is something about hiking in beautiful places that energizes me.
I can forget about everything else and just enjoy being here. There is nothing else except hiking on this trail to see what is going to impress me next.
We still haven't made it to the highlight on this trail.
Several rock staircases are on this trail.
Once again, we have great weather for our hikes today.
I do this often. My first thought about this hole in the rock is...my dogs would love this.
Mother Nature continues to amaze me. These trees find a way to survive on rock.
Christy gives us perspective on the height of these rock formations.
The beauty of this place is one aspect of hiking here. The sounds of the birds, the waterfalls, and the wind blowing through the trees complete the sensory overload.
Christy says size matters.
It is a unique bridge over the water.
The view under the bridge for you Red Hot Chili Peppers fans.
Another bridge on this trail. This one we walked under the bridge.
All of these rock formations have eroded in different ways. I guess that makes them like snowflakes...each one is unique.
The one constant is Christy is almost always ahead of me on our hikes.
We finally made it to the main attraction.
A beautiful old stone bridge takes you to Old Mans Cave.
A brick and stone wall keeps people on the trail.
I'm still across from the cave looking into it.
This view shows the cave on the left and the dry waterway.
I crossed the bridge and found Christy.
The tunnel into the cave.
Looking out of the cave.
Another view from the cave.
A view into the cave.
Because of the one-way trail through the cave, we ended up on the Rim Trail.
We found our way back down into the gorge...
... and hiked along the Grandma Gatewood Trail to the OMC to Whispering Cave Loop.
This is what we saw along the way.
Incredible evidence of the will to live by this tree.
A nice view of the Old Mans Cave
The well-cared-for trails in this park.
Rock stairways and walls where needed.
Interesting places off the main trail to enjoy.
Plenty to see at ground level and up the rock walls of the gorge.
The last section of the trail to Whispering Cave.
A nice walk through the forest.
Another amazing tree growing on a 6-foot rock.
A rock that must have fallen into the creek a long time ago because it has several tall trees growing on it.
I saw this orange algae on several hikes in this area.
A new suspension bridge that was fun to bounce on as we crossed on our way to Whispering Cave.
A big rock...
...a colorful honeycombed rock...
...a very small Christy looking up at a very big rock.
Almost at Whispering Cave...
We finally made it to Whispering Cave
The waterfall is hard to see in the middle of this photo but we could hear it.
Zoomed in on the waterfall.
This is a long cave.
View from the far side of the cave.
Looking into the cave.
Looking back into the cave on our way out.
We hiked back to the Visitors Center along the Rim Trail.
This was our second hike of the day.
We hiked in on the Gorge trail and out on the Rim trail.
These hikes in the gorge always have something to see on both sides.
Tall rock formations and taller trees.
Ash Cave is huge and very popular,
There is a wedding happening in the cave today.
I thought this was a fantastic idea. All I could think of was how cool the wedding photos were going to look.
Even without the wedding party, this cave is impressive.
The stairs are the way out to the Rim Trail.
This cave looks like an amphitheater. It would be a great place for acoustic shows.
I took these photos on my way up to the Rim Trail.
Yes, it is another photo looking out from the back of the cave.
The photographer takes wedding pictures after the ceremony...
...as I climb higher and higher.
Taking the Rim Trail back to the parking lot.
Still love the rock partially framing the forest.
One last shot of Ash Cave.
The hike back on the Rim Trail had several impressive views...
...like this one and...
...the most impressive one of me hiking ahead of Christy.
Another nice bridge is mostly hidden during the warmer months.
Our Third hike of the day was at Cedar Falls.
There was only a slow drip of water from the upper part of the falls here.
It still is a nice place to visit and relax on the rocks...
...so I did.
Then we hiked the one-way-only trail back to the car.
Past another rock with multiple trees growing on it.
Along this interesting trail with a story to tell...
...that led us from the bottom of the gorge to the Rim Trail. This climb out looked much harder than it actually was...
... read this to learn why.
Our 4th hike of the day
We are back in the state forest in a different area than yesterday just to wander around to see what we can see.
We did not see anyone climbing and rappelling but we did hear people talking to each other up high somewhere.
This Blue Blaze means you are hiking on the Buckeye Trail.
After two full days of hiking, this lady is still smiling.
We really did just wander aimlessly through the woods...
...because it is the most relaxing way to spend time.
Even though it was late September, Mother Nature showed us some colors on the way back to the car.
September 25, 2023
I found this sign funny enough to make me laugh.
Goodbye, Hocking Hills until we meet again.
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