Ash Cave: trail, fee and when the falls run
Ash Cave is a 90-foot waterfall dropping over the rim of a horseshoe-shaped recess cave roughly 700 feet across, the largest such cave in Ohio, inside Hocking Hills State Park. A paved, wheelchair-accessible quarter-mile trail reaches the cave floor from the lower parking lot, and there's no fee. The catch is timing: the falls run hardest after rain or snowmelt and can slow to a drip by midsummer.
Ash Cave sits in the Hocking Hills section of our waterfalls in Ohio guide, on the same trail system as Cedar Falls and Old Man's Cave.
No sourced coordinates are on file for this spot yet — see methodology.
Fact box
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Height | About 90 feet, per Hocking Hills State Park's trail information and Ohio Department of Natural Resources listings |
| Cave dimensions | Roughly 700 feet across and 100 feet deep, the largest recess cave in Ohio |
| Nearest town | South Bloomingville, Ohio |
| Access | Paved trail, 0.25 miles one way from the lower lot; stairs continue to an upper rim overlook for those who want a second view |
| Fee | Free, no permit |
| Legal status | Ohio state park, public land, part of the Hocking Hills State Park trail system |
| Flow reliability | Seasonal: a strong cascade after rain or snowmelt from fall through spring, often just a trickle in a dry summer; freezes into an ice column in cold winters |
Trail and access
The lower trail to Ash Cave starts at a dedicated parking lot off State Route 56 and runs a flat, paved quarter mile to the cave floor, an easy walk suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Most visitors continue past the pool on a set of stairs to a second overlook at the upper rim, which adds a short but steeper climb. There's no fee and no permit required at any point. Hikers who want all three of the park's marquee stops in one trip can follow the Grandma Gatewood Trail, which links Ash Cave to Cedar Falls and Old Man's Cave over about six miles one way.
The falls and cave
Ash Cave gets its name from the large piles of wood ash that 19th-century settlers found on the cave floor. Archaeological evidence points to earlier use by the Shawnee, Delaware and Wyandot, and the cave's acoustics suggest it may have served as a natural gathering space. The waterfall itself is a thin ribbon rather than a torrent, dropping from the rim into a shallow pool, and the creek feeding it drains a small area, so whether you see a cascade or a drip comes down to the last week of weather. If flowing water matters more to the trip than the cave, Cedar Falls, a mile up the same trail system, is the safer bet in summer.
How this guide was researched
This page was compiled from Ohio Department of Natural Resources data for Hocking Hills State Park, the USGS Geographic Names Information System, and published trail reports. We haven't visited this site ourselves. Fees, trail conditions and flow vary with season and weather; verify current conditions with Hocking Hills State Park before you go. Last checked August 2026.
FAQ
How tall is Ash Cave?
About 90 feet from the rim of the recess cave to the pool below, based on Ohio Department of Natural Resources and park trail data.
Is Ash Cave free to visit?
Yes. The trail and cave are part of Hocking Hills State Park, and there's no entrance fee or permit required.
Does Ash Cave waterfall run all year?
No. It's seasonal, running strongest after rain or snowmelt from fall through spring and often reduced to a trickle in a dry summer.
Is the Ash Cave trail wheelchair accessible?
The quarter-mile paved trail from the lower parking lot to the cave floor is wheelchair accessible. The stairs to the upper rim overlook are not.
We haven't visited these places ourselves, and every page says so rather than implying otherwise. Details are compiled from public land-manager, USGS and NOAA sources and cross-checked where possible; conditions, access rules and fees change without notice, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. Page last checked August 2026. Read our full methodology.