Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills State Park

Cedar Falls is the largest waterfall by volume in Hocking Hills State Park. While there are taller and wider falls in the park, Cedar Falls contains more water than its rivals. The water falls approximately 50 feet into a ravine. The volume of water over the falls is by far the greatest of all the falls in the Hocking Hills. Its popularity has been featured on Calendars, Magazines and Newspapers.

      

The gorge's walls consist of Black Hand Sandstone. Sandstone is a very porous substance and much more susceptible to erosion than many other types of rocks. The stream slowly eroded away portions of the sandstone, resulting in the ravine. Hemlock trees thrive in the gorge. Early white settlers mistook the hemlock trees for cedar trees and incorrectly named the falls. At the top of the falls, the remains of a gristmill still stand. Early settlers built the structure in the 1830s, using the stream to power the mill.

Some of the things visitors will see along a half mile section of the trail at Cedar Falls include a gorge and moss covered sandstone cliff. Remains from a gristmill from the 1800’s can still be seen by Hikers. Access to other Trails from Cedar Falls are the Buckeye Trail, Ash Cave and Old Man’s cave. This part of the Buckeye Trail is also known as the Grandma Gatewood Trail and features a 6-mile section for Hiking. This Trail is part of two national trials: The North Country Scenic Trail and the American Discovery Trail..

Location
Access to Cedar Falls is just off State Route 374 between State Route 664 and State Route 56. Restrooms and Picnic area is available.

Cedar Falls Hours
Day-use areas of Hocking Hills State Park open half an hour before sunrise and close half an hour after sunset. The park is available for recreational use year-round including the Cedar Falls area.