When my mom suggested we go somewhere for a short trip this summer, the things most on her mind were 1.) a swimming pool and 2.) waterfalls. The waterfall requirement was the main reason that Cedar Falls was the first stop on our Hocking Hills nature adventure, despite me having already researched the local attractions and having decided that Conkle’s Hollow and Ash Cave would be our best bets for truly accessible hiking.
Pro tip: if your knees can’t tolerate stairs, hiking Cedar Falls may not be in your best interest.
Wide angle from the creek at Cedar Falls 
King of the Falls 
This Swallowtail landed on the stream bank and let several hikers photograph it close up 
Grammy and Connor waited up on the trail for me to take pictures 
View from the creek approaching Cedar Falls 
All the tourists were photographing this turtle and the fish 
Informational plaque at Cedar Falls 
Family Selfie at Cedar Falls 
Connor and Grammy at Cedar Falls 
Now they tell us… 
Conkles Hollow looks much less strenuous 
I didn’t use the selfie station as designed 
The caves along the gorge are reminiscent of the ones farther north at Whipps Ledges back in Medina County 
Sandstone cliffs of Conkles Hollow
My mom’s sturdy walking stick served her well on our Cedar Falls expedition, as visitors need to descend 50 feet to reach creek level, then ascend 50 feet for the return trip. If the entire descent and ascent had been as smooth and even as the Democracy Steps, it would have been slow going but not worrisome. Near the beginning of the ascent from the falls, however, there was a short but challenging bit of the ascent that snaked through a crevice in the cliffs that gave Mom some trouble, even using her walking stick. We managed to get through it slowly and safely, but the trip down and back up was definitely not advisable for her knees.
The falls weren’t any more than a trickle when we got there. That was more than a little disappointing, given the effort to get down to creek level and back, but it was still an impressive sight.
After that, we drove to Old Man’s Cave, checked the map, and found it to be entirely too daunting. Instead, we hit up the Hocking Hills State Park Visitor Center to pick up a printed map. The staff member at the desk recommended the two sites I’d already researched: Conkle’s Hollow and Ash Cave.
The Lower Gorge Trail of Conkle’s Hollow was accessible and mostly flat, as promised, with the trail switching between paved sidewalk and boardwalk, with a couple of bridges. It felt like walking through the Metropark by my house… until I looked up and saw that we were flanked by huge sandstone cliffs on either side.
The trails at Conkle’s Hollow are an out-and-back affair, so when we reached the transition to the less-accessible Upper Trail, we turned around and headed back to the trail head. Even though there hadn’t been any climbing involved this time, we were all just about ready to head back to the cabin and take a load off.
Ash Cave will definitely be first on our list next time.