A towering sandstone cliff juts out into the fall colors of the gorge

A couple walks through the caverns in the sandstone cliffs of Rock House

Fall leaves float in a pool of water at Old Man's Cave

A visitor makes her way down the stone steps alongside the towering sandstone cliffs and caverns of Rock House

November 9, 1999
Web posted at: 1:23 p.m. EST (1823 GMT)

In this story: ·Nature's dynamic ·Mapping a route ·If you go ... RELATED STORIES, SITES

HOCKING HILLS STATE PARK, Ohio (AP) -- Shortly after the end of the Civil War, a hunter and his two dogs in search of game along Salt Creek came upon an area of dramatically scenic gorges and woodlands in the Appalachians of southeastern Ohio.

The hunter was Richard Rowe, whose family had moved to the Ohio River Valley from the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee around 1796 to establish a trading post. He traveled through Ohio along the Scioto (seye-OH-tah) River and its tributaries on his hunting trips.

On this trip he was so overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the region's ravines, streams, waterfalls, and towering outcroppings of sandstone, he decided to make one of the gorges his home. For the rest of his days he lived the life of a hermit in what would come to be called Old Man's Cave. He is buried beneath the ledge of the cave.

While Rowe decided to move right in, hundreds of thousands of other travelers descend annually for a visit to what is today known as the Hocking Hills State Park.

While Old Man's Cave is the most frequented site at the park, five other landmark locations mark the 2,331 acres (932 hectares) of woodlands and gorges cut from the layers of sandstone throughout the region.

And where the well-heeled of the early 19th century picnicked and listened to itinerant preachers at camp meetings, today visitors can hike, canoe, fish, swim, ride horses, camp, and even rock-climb until they drop.

Twenty-four miles (39 kilometers) of hiking trails traverse the spectacular rims and lush gorges. Horse trails abound, and climbers can find within the park's borders the only state-approved rock climbing and rappelling area in Ohio.

	MAIL FROM THE TRAIL
Fall hikes Where's your favorite place for foliage?

Millions of years of erosion and the undercutting of streams has led to the formation of the park's centerpiece destinations: Conkles Hollow, Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave, Rock House, and Cantwell Cliffs.

Primitive man used the caves as shelters 7,000 years ago, and pottery fragments confirm that the Adena Indians lived there from the time of Jesus through 800. In later years, the Shawnee, Wyandotts, and Delaware found the gorges to be bountiful hunting grounds.

While water and wind formed the cliffs and caves millions of years ago, water still plays a major role in the park. A flash flood on January 7, 1998 destroyed many of the bridges and a few of the trails through Old Man's Cave. The park is still recovering, but officials hope to have all trails back in shape by spring 2000.

Conversely, this summer's drought has left Hocking Hills' streambeds dry and waterfalls silent. Yet, even without running water, the park is one of nature's masterpieces.

Visitors walk along the 2 1/2 mile rim trail at Conkles

Start by picking up a map of the park at the Visitor's Center at Old Man's Cave or the Dining Lodge and Park Office just down State Route 374. The Visitors Center also houses a small snack bar, gift shop and interpretive center.

With windows overlooking the rolling forests, the Dining Lodge offers three family-style meals daily from April through October. The Park Office here is the place to reserve one of the park's 40 cabins or 172 campsites.

Directional signs are erratic in the sprawling park, so the park map is essential.

Conkles Hollow is a good place to begin. A 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) trail begins with a long climb up stairs to the rim and then threads its way around the lip of a 200-foot (61-meter) deep gorge.

This is actually a fairly dangerous hike if you're not careful. From time to time, a hiker strays from the trail to the cliffs' edge or enters the park at night and plunges to his death. The rim trail here is the only one that prohibits pets. The park recommends that families with small children stick to the gorge trail.

But the rewards of the climb are well worth the trip. The gorge below is stunning, particularly in autumn. And the rugged outcroppings of sandstone cut a stark contrast to the lushness of the land below. It is not a hike to make without a camera.

Old Man's Cave is the most frequented site, despite the 1998 storm damage and the lack of water this season. Its three waterfalls are dry, but the site offers seven different hiking trails -- from easy to difficult -- that traverse the lush woods and ravines from top to bottom.

The shortest hike, a mere several hundred feet from the Visitors' Center, drops the traveler easily into the lush hemlocks, oaks, birches, and Canada yews of the forest that Rowe fell in love with nearly a century and a half ago.

The longest trek, a hardy 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers), takes the hiker all the way south to breathtaking Cedar Falls.

Named Cedar Falls when the early adventurers mistook its towering hemlocks for cedars, many consider the majestic waterfall here to be the most beautiful in Ohio. In the winter months, the falls becomes a shimmering cascade of icicles.

Take note of the stone steps that lead back up the hillside from the falls. Designed by Japanese artist Akio Hizune, they are meant to resemble the architecturally melodic stone paths that lead to Japanese tea houses.

Ash Cave is Ohio's largest recess cave. Erosion to a 700-foot (213-meter) horseshoe-shaped rock face along the stream created a 100-foot deep (30-meter) recess. Ash Cave was a favorite picnic spot in the early 1800s, and ash piles discovered there indicate that Indians used the site years earlier on hunting expeditions.

At the northern end of the park, an easy walk down several switchbacks leads to the base of Rock House. Water has carved huge caverns into the sides of the towering sandstone cliffs, at some points creating whole rock chambers in the hillside. In the quiet of an early morning walk before the din of other travelers fills the air, the cooing of mourning doves can be heard eerily wafting from within the caves.

There's a great deal of name-carving in these stones, but note that for every "Sam and Sally '98" dug from the stone, you'll find an "Abraham 1848". Seems that people have wanted to be remembered at Rock House for a very long time.

Cantwell Cliffs marks the northern end of the park. It features 150-foot (46-meter) ravine walls, deep woods, and a narrow passage between the rocks and the cliff face along the gorge trail affectionately known as "Fat Woman's Squeeze."

A word of advice: Wear comfortable shoes or hiking boots and make your overnight reservations early. Rooms within the park's facilities and the innumerable private cabins that dot the nearby countryside can book up to a year in advance for the most popular leaf-peeping month of October.

Getting there: One of Ohio's 72 state parks, Hocking Hills is located about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of Columbus near the little town of Logan on Route 664. The park and a portion of its campground is open all year round. While summer activities and Fall leaf peeping always draw crowds, the Old Man's Cave winter hike held the third weekend in January draws thousands of hearty hikers annually.

Lodging: The park itself offers a wide array of accommodations, from both rustic and well-stock cabins to 172 campsites, some remote, and many others with camper hookups. While the cabins are off-limits to pets, they are allowed in many of the campsites.

The furnished cabins, which sleep six, come complete with microwaves, TVs, gas furnaces, air conditioning and linens. They rent from $112.25 for one night to $538.80 for a full week. Discounts are available for Golden Buckeye card holders.

Campsites rent from $12 to $17 per night.

Hocking County itself is dotted with bed-and-breakfasts, cabins, and a few hotels to accommodate the many travelers who come to the park. The privately owned cabins are popular with everyone from families to honeymooners.

For campers seeking provisions there are a couple of small markets dotting the park area, the most popular of which seems to be Grandma Faye's on State Route 374 where you can buy everything from safety pins to cabernet.

Reservations: Call the Park Office at (740) 385-6841 to make reservations before you hit the road. Fall is an extremely popular time of year with October weekends booking up many months in advance. Cabins can also be rented by calling (800) 282-7275.

Information: Call the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center at (740) 385-9706 for information about lodging and regional attractions. Other information can be found on the Web at www.hockinghills.com or www.dnr.state.oh.us/odnr/parks

Copyright 1999   The Associated Press. All rights reserved.