(top to bottom) Inside The Rock House, Rim Trail at Conkles Hollow, Rock formation between Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls, Ash Cave.
I recently explored some trails within seven hours of Chicago which rival the beauty of Kentucky's Natural Bridge State Park and Red River Gorge area--Hocking Hills, Ohio. It was on my to-do list ever since I heard about the bundle of races there (Hocking Hills Indian Runs) a few years back. The Indian Runs include distances of
10k to 60k. The photos on the website were intriguing and the September race date was inviting, but when I asked trusted ultrarunning resource Rob Apple, who has run just about everything in the country, whether he recommended the race, he replied it was fine, but not for true trail junkies--too much asphalt at Hocking Hills. From what I can gather, about half of the 20k loop is asphalt, so I scratched the race from my schedule. Still, those photos of the park stuck in my mind, and when my nagging PF messed up my racing season this year, I thought a visit to Hocking Hills for some "light" running and hiking might be just the kind of trip I needed this Fall.
There is much to explore in the Hocking Hills region of south central Ohio. I spent parts of three days poking around and had a good deal leftover for my return trip there someday (hopefully, soon!). Having run pretty hard the day before my trip, my first day in the area was spent simply hiking and exploring Rock House and Conkles Hollow. The hiking trails are quite short at the Rock House, but seeing the formation is a must. It is, indeed, more of a house than a cave, and particularly interesting once you make your way inside. At Conkles Hollow, there are trails which run through and above the gorge. I took the rim trail around and above the gorge, a 2 1/2 mile loop. The initial assent may be a tough climb for those in poor shape, but worth the effort once topping out. There are numerous unobstructed lookouts on one side of the gorge, particularly striking due to the fall color. The trail on the opposite of the gorge is more wooded, but afford interesting views of rock formations below. It is a lovely hike.
On Day 2, I essentially did an out-and-back from Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave area to Cedar Falls, maybe 7 miles total. I had planned on running all the way to Ash Cave, three miles further, but lost the trail emerging from the gorge at Cedar Falls and lost precious daylight (and motivation) in the process of my search. As it turns out, when arriving at the parking lot from the Cedar Falls Gorge, you must take a HARD RIGHT where you will see a marker for the Buckeye Trail (obscured by a the branch of a tree, hence my wandering fruitlessly left). In retrospect, the blue blazes and stone markers of the Buckeye Trail are so abundant, that I am embarrassed at having lost the trail!
The trailhead for this run/hike can be found between the campground and the park buildings along State Road 664 at the top of Upper Falls. There is a stone marker there commemorating Grandma Gatewood, for whom this stretch of trail is name. IT IS A SPECTACULAR TRAIL, dropping into the gorge where you are immediately greeted with tall stone walls and waterfalls. The way to Old Man's Cave is paved, but lovely. Shortly after Old Man's Cave, the trail changes to dirt and follows a winding stream. To one side, is a tall rock face and along the way there are many delightful surprises including huge boulders and interesting rocky outcroppings to negotiate and appreciate. It is a little slice of trail running heaven--visually engaging and technically challenging. If want to get an actual run in, DO NOT BRING A CAMERA. Let me put it this way--if you want to actually the run this section, hike it first with your camera and get all the beautiful shots out of your system. Otherwise, just plan a run and shoot regimen and expect to be out there for a good 3 hours or more just for this simple 7-mile section!
I'm happy that I saved the 6-mile out-and-back from Cedar Falls to Ash Cave for the following morning as it felt "just right" before my drive back to Chicago. There is a large parking lot at Cedar Falls. At the far end, just hop on the wide trail with the wooden sign pointing to Ash Cave. It was interesting to see how different this section was from yesterday's trail. The Ash Cave section is more "traditional" woods running--a mix of wide trail and single track winding and undulating through the countryside. It felt much like Wisconsin's southern Ice Age Trail, and on this lovely, sunny fall day with temperatures close to 70 degrees, I was in a state of bliss. From this bucolic setting, Ash Cave, the largest formation in the Hocking Hills area, appears out of nowhere. It is not really a cave, but an enormous semi-circular rock formation gouged into the side of a cliff. Standing beneath it, embraced by it, is a wondrous experience.
The Hocking Hills area is a delight. Take some time to see it and go play.
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