This is one of Hocking Hills State Parks least visited areas but many people believe that Cantwell Cliffs area contains some of the Park’s most beautiful formations in the Hocking Hills. The Cliffs overlook a gorge that was created over many years by water from Buck Run slowly eroding away at the Black Hand Sandstone. Cliffs, standing approximately 150 feet in height, surround three sides of the gorge. A waterfall from Buck Run also flows over a portion of the cliffs.

In 1924, the State of Ohio purchased 146 acres of land in the Hocking Hills. This purchase formally established Hocking Hills State Park. The State of Ohio eventually purchased additional land, including Cantwell Cliffs. First owned and operated by the Ohio Department of Forestry, in 1949, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Division of Parks assumed control of Hocking Hills State Park.