Cedar Falls: the most reliable waterfall in Hocking Hills
Cedar Falls carries more water than anything else in Hocking Hills State Park. It slides about 40 feet down a sandstone ledge, steps down another 10 into the gorge, and keeps running through a normal July, when Ash Cave and Amphitheater Falls have gone quiet, because the creek behind it drains a larger watershed than the park's other falls. Access is free, on the trail between Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave.
Two other well-searched waterfalls share the name: a smaller Cedar Falls in Ohio's Adams County and a taller one in Arkansas's Petit Jean State Park. This page covers the Hocking Hills falls, part of our waterfalls in Ohio guide.
Fact box
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Height | About 40 feet on the main slide, plus a shorter 10-foot drop into the gorge, per Ohio DNR's Hocking Hills State Park trail data |
| Nearest town | South Bloomingville, Ohio |
| Access | On the Grandma Gatewood Trail, about a mile from either the Old Man's Cave or Ash Cave trailhead, with stepped sections and a footbridge at the base |
| Fee | Free, no permit |
| Legal status | Ohio state park, public land |
| Flow reliability | The most consistent flow in Hocking Hills; keeps running through a normal summer when the park's smaller drainages dry up |
Trail and access
Cedar Falls has no dedicated parking area of its own. It sits along the Grandma Gatewood Trail, the connector linking Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave, so most visitors walk in as part of a longer hike from one of those two trailheads. From either direction it's roughly a mile, with stepped sections managing the descent into the gorge and a wooden footbridge crossing the creek at the base. No fee or permit applies anywhere along the route.
The falls
According to park trail guides, the name is a historical misnomer: early settlers mistook the hemlocks growing around the falls for cedars, and the name stuck even after the mix-up was recognized. The water spreads down a broad sandstone ledge in a wide sheet, a different shape from the narrow single drops elsewhere in the park, then steps down a shorter second ledge into the gorge. Come in July or August and this is the stop where something is most likely to actually be flowing; come after spring rain and it's the loudest spot on the trail.
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. Trail and flow conditions change with season; verify current conditions with Hocking Hills State Park before you go. Last checked August 2026.
FAQ
How do you get to Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills?
Via the Grandma Gatewood Trail, about a mile of walking from either the Old Man's Cave or Ash Cave trailhead; there's no separate parking lot at Cedar Falls itself.
Is Cedar Falls the tallest waterfall in Hocking Hills?
No. Ash Cave's drop, at about 90 feet, is taller. Cedar Falls is shorter but the most reliably flowing of the park's falls.
Does Cedar Falls run dry in summer?
Less often than the park's other falls. Its larger watershed keeps it flowing through most of a normal summer, unlike the more seasonal Ash Cave and Amphitheater Falls.
Is there a fee to see Cedar Falls?
No. It's part of Hocking Hills State Park, free with no permit required.
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.