hiking

Old Man’s Cave is now open!

Mary
Ohio State Parks logo in stone

Old Man’s Cave, part of the Hocking Hills State Park, has reopened! Many thanks to the Park staff for working so hard to get all of the trails open.

Please wear ice spikes/cleats and carry a hiking stick as these trails can still be very dangerous. Speaking from experience, the tunnels, steps and bridges are particularly challenging when there’s ice.

Do you want to see any of Hocking County’s amazing ice formations, check out our AMAZING last minute specials at https://www.marsh-hollow.com.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

More Hocking Hills State Park trails open

Mary

From Ohio State Parks:

🥾 TRAIL UPDATE 🥾 Thanks to our hard working staff and mother nature, many trails in the Hocking Hills region have reopened! Those include the trails at Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve as well as Cedar Falls, Rock House, and Ash Cave in Hocking Hills State Park.
The only trails/areas remaining closed at this time are:
• Cantwell Cliffs (all areas closed)
• Old Man’s Cave (trails to the cave and along the gorge from Upper Falls to Cedar Falls remain closed)
• Whispering Cave (part of Old Man’s Cave)
• The Rim Trail from Cedar Falls to Rose Lake
• The fisherman’s parking lot will also remain closed
If you intend to hike in the region, we urge CAUTION as some trails may still be slippery and Yaxtrax or ice spikes are STRONGLY recommended. Stay safe!
The scenery will be stunning, but please be careful out there!
Mary at Marsh Hollow

Hocking Hills State Park closed due to ice

Mary

From the Hocking Hills State Park:

🚨SAFETY ALERT 🚨 Hocking Hills State Park is closed until further notice due to unsafe trail conditions. Visitors are asked to not enter the park for any reason.

We are keeping a close eye on conditions and will get the park back open and let you know just as soon as it’s safe!

Note from Mary at Marsh Hollow: Rangers are issuing tickets to hikers who disregard the closure.

Don’t let a crowded parking lot scare you

Mary
Conkles Hollow gorge trail

A couple of weekends ago, October 31, 2021, to be precise, we decided to hike the Conkles Hollow gorge trail with visiting friends. We started out around 11 am from our home, which is about 4.5 miles from Conkles Hollow. The weather was fine at that time and the parking lot was crowded when we arrived. There was a person on duty directing parking, which we found very helpful. From the beginning of our hike to the end, there were very few people on the gorge trail – a very pleasant surprise. Perhaps they were all up on the rim trail. All we know is that the parking lot promised a crowded trail, but the reality was blissful peace. It felt like we had the place to ourselves.

By the end of our hike it began to lightly rain, but by then it was time for our planned lunch at Grandma Faye’s, a Hocking Hills landmark. We ate outside on the covered porch. Everything we ordered was delicious. After that, we attempted to start the trail to the base of Big Spring falls at the rappelling area, but trail conditions were muddy and the rain decided to be serious at that point. So we drove home, had some hot chocolate and watched some football.

As I end this little post, it’s snowing outside, 35 F, at 12:30 pm, on Sunday, November 14, 2021.

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Hiking Conkles Hollow Rim Trail & Rappelling Area

Mary

Conkles Hollow Rim Trail

Dave and I always start each new year with a hike along the Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve’s rim trail. From the parking lot, it’s about a 3 mile hike, but the rim trail is only about 2 miles around. The climb up is steep, but once you’re up top, it’s pretty flat. However, the trail is quite close to the cliff edge, so you need to hike with care. I asked my daughter when she was going to take her children. She answered, “when they’re adults.”

We hiked on January 2 in the afternoon. The parking lot had plenty of cars but was not filled up. We were delighted that the rim trail was not crowded. We probably saw a total of 10 people. To achieve social distancing, in 2020, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources made this trail one way around. You must climb up the east rim side, then exit from the west rim side. We prefer to hike it the other way around, but this small change is not a big deal.

Buckeye Trail around the rappelling area

Table Rock

Table Rock

On January 8, we decided to hike another favorite of ours. I wrote about it in 2017 (Along the Buckeye Trail – Table Rock), but this time we didn’t hike as far. It was a Friday afternoon, and again the trail was almost all ours. We saw a total of three other hikers, plus two who were starting as we left. Similar to Conkles Hollow, the trail requires a climb up, but once up, it’s pretty flat. this is also a horse trail, but the horse trail splits off and returns once past the tricky parts. Note that this is also a part of the Buckeye Trail, so just follow the blue blazes. Oh, and parts of it can be quite wet year round. I am hopeful we will continue hiking weekly during the winter because  it’s so nice to have private time in the forest.

Some other photos of these hikes:

Mary at Marsh Hollow

Hiking trails in the Hocking Hills State Park to open

Mary
Inside Rock House

The Hocking Hills State Park & Forest hiking trails are currently closed. However, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently issued a press release announcing that Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs will re-open on June 15. This week, ODNR announced that  their goal is to open Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave and connecting trails by July 2. Trails are being reconfigured for one-way hiking to help achieve social distancing in our very popular park.

Our advice for avoiding crowds while you are hiking:

  1. Visit during the week
  2. Go to the Park early or late in the day. Day trippers arrive around 11 but leave in the afternoon, around 4. This is not a hard and fast rule, but it works for us.
  3. Visit the Hocking Hills during the off season, generally November through February.

As you can imagine, we are very excited about the Park re-opening!

Happy trails to you,

Mary at Marsh Hollow

P.S. You can volunteer to help reconfigure the hiking trails. E-mail Karen Raymore, Hocking Hills Tourism Association at kraymore@explorehockinghills.com for information.

The Hocking Hills State Park is closed (but we are still opening May 4)

Mary
Hiker in small cave

As you plan your vacation during COVID-19 times, please note that the Hocking Hills State Park and Forest are closed indefinitely. Best guess is that they will re-open in mid-May. However, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has not confirmed any details. No matter how many times you ask them.

But, not to worry! The Hocking Hills Tourism Association has developed a great web page to help you find nearby natural areas to explore. In addition, the page includes a comprehensive list of restaurants that offer take-out dining, as well as some activities that are not closed. Yes, you can still go horseback riding. Check it out at: https://www.explorehockinghills.com/covid-19-info/.

Long ago, we blazed a loop trail, with a couple of spur trails, through our woods. It’s a great workout through our hilly terrain. Along the way you will see a little fairy house, beautiful bridge over our creek, and several large rabbits, who stand mysteriously still.

Be well, stay safe, and wash your hands,

Mary at Marsh Hollow

 

Playing tourist

Mary
old mans cave bridge

Last week, we hosted family at Marsh Hollow. We decided to play tourist and pretend we were visiting too. I think our itinerary turned out to be a pretty good plan for a day trip to the Hocking Hills, or for just one of your vacation days if you’re staying in the Hills. We left the house at 10 am and returned home just after 4 pm to give you an idea about how long our tour lasted. Note: click on photos for larger views but only if you have a good Internet connection.

Jack Pine Studio furnacesJack Pine Studio

Our first stop was Jack Pine Studio on Route 180, about 10 minutes from Marsh Hollow.  Jack Pine is an artist who creates blown glass masterpieces. We were amazed as soon as we stepped into the showroom, where many of Pine’s beautiful art pieces are on display and for sale, along with work of other glass artists and craftsmen. The Studio’s other glass artists also create affordable blown glass pieces, with a heavy emphasis on pumpkins. A very cool (or hot!) feature of this studio, is that they are making glass pieces every day and visitors can watch art being created. Practicalities: they have a single indoor restroom, very clean.

Rock House

Inside Rock House

Inside Rock House with flash camera

Our next stop was Rock House, the only true cave in the Hocking Hills. There was dispute in our group about whether or not it is truly a cave since there’s so much light in it. Here’s the definition of cave from Wikipedia, which I think supports the “cave” designation:

A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word cave can also refer to much smaller openings such as sea caves, rock shelters, and grottos, though strictly speaking a cave is exogene, meaning it is deeper than its opening is wide, and a rock shelter is endogene.

Hikers at Rock House steps

At the steps up to Rock House

Rock House trail is all downhill to get to the cave area, then hikers must climb up some old rock steps to get to the cave entrance. It is dark inside. Have your phone flashlight ready for the dark spots. After exploring the cave you will continue on the trail up and out of the gorge. It’s not as steep or long as the downhill.  Practicalities: We’ve taken small children and dogs to Rock House in the past, but it is definitely less stressful with an all adult group. Also, you will be glad you used the restroom at Jack Pine when you walk past the one at Rock House.

Conkles Hollow

Our next stop was supposed to be the gorge trail at Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve on Big Pine Rd., about 11 minutes from Jack Pine Studio. As we turned onto Big Pine from Route 374, we saw that the road was closed. A worker told us a bridge had just been torn out and advised us of a long detour. We decided to skip this short gorge trail and head out to our next stop, which was lunch at….

Grandma Fayes

Grandma Fayes Grocery and Deli is a Hocking Hills institution and only 5 minutes from Conkles Hollow. Their motto is “if you forgot it, we probably have it.” Our lunch was delicious! Among the five of us we enjoyed: haddock sandwich, deep fried mac ‘n cheese bites, deep fried mushrooms, french fries, pizza sub, tuna sandwich, and turkey swiss cheese sandwich. Our only criticism was that the buns/bread were just so-so. Practicalities: this was a heavier lunch than most of us needed. I think we all could have napped. Pack a lunch, but stop here for the mac ‘n cheese bites to share. Also save your restroom needs for the next stop.

Hocking Hills Visitor Center

Hocking Hills Visitor Center

New Hocking Hills Visitor Center

It took us about 5 minutes to drive to the brand new Hocking Hills Visitor Center at Old Man’s Cave.  There are very informative exhibits about the region’s history, development and natural resources, plus great trail information. There’s a small cave for the little ones to explore, detailed information about the trail system, seating and convenient access to the Old Man’s Cave trail system. A small gift shop with Hocking Hills themed merchandise is also on site. Practicalities: The water bottle filling stations are just what every hiker needs. The restrooms are large and clean.

Old Man’s Cave

Hiker in small cave

Small cave at Old Mans Cave

Several entrances to the Old Man’s Cave trail system are steps away from the Visitor Center. We hiked down into the gorge, where I got completely disoriented because it wasn’t my usual way into this site. However, others got me righted and we headed to the Devil’s Bathtub, which did not have much water in it. We then hiked along a nearly people-less trail, across the awesome bridge pictured at the top of this post with my dancer cousin posing on it, to Old Man’s Cave. We thought about hiking to the lower falls’ basin, but the thought of hiking UP the steps, then down, then back UP again, wore us out. So we ended up exiting the gorge near the Naturalist’s Cabin, then back to the car. There is so much more to do at Old Man’s Cave, but we had one more stop on our tour and needed to get home by 4 pm.

Ash Cave

The falls at Ash Cave in skummer

Summer falls at Ash Cave

Ash Cave was our final destination, about 10 minutes by car from Old Man’s Cave or a six mile hike along the gorge trail, plus six miles back to your car. We wanted to leave on a positive note. The Ash Cave trail is very short and completely flat (wheelchair accessible). It’s a paved trail until you reach the actual rock shelter. There was very little water in the falls, but the spectacularly high rock shelter impresses even without water. Practicalities: This is a great destination if you’re touring with little kids.

It took about 20 minutes to return to Marsh Hollow. Some took the opportunity for a nice soak in the hot tub. Others started to gather ingredients for dinner. At least one checked into work online. One sat in a rocker on the front porch and just enjoyed this little slice of heaven we call home.

Last practicalities: To avoid crowds, visit the Hocking Hills during the week. Our tour occured after the start of school so that helped too. If you must visit during busier times, go early or late to the various sites. Take a long break in the middle of the day. And visit during off season, generally November through mid-March. Our lodging rates go down, along with the crowds.

Happy hiking!

Mary at Marsh Hollow

A very short wildflower walk

Mary
image of spring beauty

image of trout lily

Trout lily

Although it would have been interesting to photograph any wildflowers brave enough to pop up through the snow, I haven’t been too inspired to go on any wildflower walks in the chilly April we’ve been having. However, things have warmed up nicely and our fields are filling up with dandelions, spring beauties, violets and bluets. Up in the woods, the May apples are sprouting everywhere although they won’t bloom until May.

On today’s brief walk along the creek, I saw countless spring beauties and cut-leaved toothworts. The trout lilies are up too. I like their nickname: adder’s tongue.

Rue anemone are not quite as numerous, at least yet. Their creamy white “petals” are actually sepals. They can have 6-10 of these “petals.”

image of rue anemone

Rue anemone

The photo at the top of this page is a spring beauty. They are everywhere, with colors ranging from white to almost purple. Deer must not like to eat them as opposed to our domesticated lily leaves which must be a favorite deer snack.

John, our operations manager, went morel hunting yesterday. He’s got a patch he’s watching closely. Hocking County will get a lot of rain today and tomorrow, with further warming, so they ought to start sprouting like crazy later this week. Happy hunting, John!

Mary at Marsh Hollow

New footbridge at Marsh Hollow

Mary

Owner Dave Marsh is the guest blogger for this post

This past summer Operations Manager John and I needed a new construction project, and Marsh Hollow needed a new footbridge over the creek. After considering a truss and a suspension bridge, I stumbled on a modified truss (“rainbow bridge”) designed by Frank Petersohn of Vancouver BC. Although Frank has passed away, his son Michael now sells the very reasonably priced bridge plans, but fully cut and drilled kits are no longer available. For more information about constructing this type of bridge, please visit The Rainbow Bridge.

We found the design very appealing both mathematically and aesthetically. The arches are chords of a circle. We challenge granddaughter Makenzie to calculate the radius of the circle for this particular design!

Cutting and fabricating the arches, which are cut from stock 2X4’s, required angle cuts such as 18.4° and measurements such as 123 23/32”. To say the least these are challenges on a chop saw.  It wasn’t until we were nearly done that I got a digital angle measurement tool (should have had it from the beginning). Fortunately, I had Mary check and challenge my measurements (she was always correct). She also held many of the longer pieces being cut.

Note: click any photo to enlarge.

A new chop saw blade is a good idea. My chop saw actually caught fire and burned up during the project. Too bad it wasn’t the table saw because I really need a new one of those.

While a lot of the work and pre-assembly took place in the workshop, foundations had to be dug and poured and the arches moved into place over the creek. Getting the foundations parallel and aligned across the creek without a laser was also challenging, Fortunately, John is experienced with concrete work and took the lead in setting the foundations.  When all was done the two foundations were in near perfect alignment. I was convinced they were not aligned but in the shape of a parallelogram, but I was wrong.

Perfectly aligned foundations made the installation of the arches much easier.  We used a family “staycation” to set the arches. Thanks to our crew led by John including Brian, Grey, and Travis documented by Uncle Mike the actual placement went very smoothly. Note: the arches must be parallel and perfectly vertical to provide maximum stability.  I think we achieved that.  We also owe thanks to the ladies for entertaining the kids during this activity, cooking up a delicious lunch and serving cold beer.

The next steps included placing the crossbeams and staining the arches in place. The decking was assembled in sections in the workshop and transported to the site by John (they are heavy!).

During this time Jill, Mary’s cousin, was visiting.  She has a designers eye and gave us excellent advice about the design of the railings.  What you see in the pictures is a result of her input.   I think the railings give the bridge a very distinctive appearance.

Finally, because the slope of the ramps approaches 20°, we mixed Interlux Intergrip No Skid Compound paint additive with the stain to provide better traction during wet weather.  We also finished the hand rails with spar varnish make for a smoother hand hold.

We hope you will enjoy crossing the creek on our new bridge on your next Marsh Hollow vacation. It makes a great photo op and gives you access to our trail through the woods.

Dave at Marsh Hollow