Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls is the most powerful waterfall in Ohio’s Hocking Hills, carrying the greatest volume of water of any cascade in the region as Queer Creek pours over a 50-foot ledge of Blackhand sandstone into a cool, hemlock-shaded gorge. Set midway along the famous trail between Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave, Cedar Falls is a beloved centerpiece of Hocking Hills State Park and a stunning sight, especially when swollen with rain or snowmelt.

Despite its name — early settlers mistook the gorge’s towering hemlocks for cedars — the falls plunge amid a forest of eastern hemlock, the water echoing off the sandstone walls of the recessed amphitheater. Reached by a short but steep trail, or as part of the longer Grandma Gatewood Trail linking the Hocking Hills wonders, Cedar Falls rewards visitors with the region’s most forceful and dramatic cascade, a green and thunderous gem of southeastern Ohio.

Cedar Falls is reached by a short but steep trail descending into the gorge to the foot of the falls, and lies midway on the Grandma Gatewood Trail linking Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave, making it a key stop on a classic Hocking Hills hike. Hiking, photography and enjoying the region’s most powerful waterfall are the draws, with a parking area and trailhead serving visitors. The forceful cascade, the shaded gorge and the connecting trails make Cedar Falls a beloved and rewarding destination in Hocking Hills State Park.

Spring brings the fullest, most thunderous flow from rain and snowmelt, while summer offers cool, green shade in the hemlock gorge and fall spectacular color. Winter can freeze the falls into dramatic ice, a photographer’s favorite. As the largest-volume falls in Hocking Hills, Cedar Falls is impressive even in drier spells but most powerful after rain. Arrive early on busy fall weekends; the falls and gorge are rewarding year-round, with spring flow and winter ice the highlights.

Cedar Falls owes its name to a mistake — early settlers wrongly identified the towering eastern hemlocks of the gorge as cedars. In the 19th century the waterpower of the falls reportedly drove a mill. Long a local landmark, the falls and gorge became part of Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park, and the connecting trails — including work by the Civilian Conservation Corps — made the region’s wonders accessible. Cedar Falls has remained a cherished and dramatic centerpiece of the Hocking Hills ever since.

Cedar Falls plunges about 50 feet over a ledge of Blackhand sandstone, deposited some 350 million years ago, where Queer Creek has cut into the gorge. The resistant sandstone forms the lip of the falls and the recessed amphitheater walls, while the creek’s erosion over vast time shaped the cascade and the shaded hollow. As the largest-volume falls in Hocking Hills, Cedar Falls demonstrates the power of water working on the layered, cross-bedded sandstone that gives the whole region its dramatic gorges and cliffs.

The cool, shaded gorge around Cedar Falls shelters salamanders and amphibians in its moist recesses, while the surrounding forest hosts white-tailed deer, wild turkey, foxes and a rich community of birds. The hemlock-hung gorge supports species more typical of northern forests, and Queer Creek supports aquatic life. Hikers to the falls may glimpse wildlife in this green, sheltered hollow, where the cool microclimate of the gorge provides distinctive habitat in southeastern Ohio.

Cedar Falls gorge harbors a cool, moist microclimate where eastern hemlock, ferns, mosses and relict plants thrive in deep shade, remnants of a colder Ice Age climate isolated far south of their usual range. The waterfall, the creek, the recess walls and the shaded forest form a distinctive ecosystem supporting diverse and sometimes rare plants and animals. The cool gorge environment, shared across the Hocking Hills, makes Cedar Falls an ecologically special place within the region’s landscape.

Cedar Falls, the most powerful waterfall in the Hocking Hills, holds a beloved place among the region’s natural wonders, its thunderous cascade and green hemlock gorge a favorite of hikers and photographers for generations. A key stop on the classic trail linking Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave, and a dramatic sight in every season, Cedar Falls embodies the scenic beauty and the forceful natural power that make Hocking Hills the cherished crown jewel of Ohio’s outdoors.

Cedar Falls is in Hocking Hills State Park in southeastern Ohio near Logan, off State Route 374, about an hour southeast of Columbus, with a parking area and trailhead. The area is free to enter, though parking fills on busy weekends. A short but steep trail descends into the gorge to the falls, and the Grandma Gatewood Trail connects to Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave. The trail can be slippery. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for trail conditions and access before visiting.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources protects Cedar Falls, Queer Creek, the gorge and the relict plant communities within Hocking Hills State Park. Visitors help by staying on the designated trails (off-trail travel erodes the fragile sandstone and tramples rare plants), keeping back from the falls and cliff edges, not climbing on the formations, packing out everything, and respecting the heavily visited gorge. Protecting the sandstone features and the cool hemlock gorge sustains this dramatic and fragile corner of the Hocking Hills.

The trail to Cedar Falls is short but steep, with stone steps and rock that is slippery when wet or icy — stay on the designated trail, watch your footing, and keep back from the top and edges of the falls, as climbing on the falls and cliffs has caused injuries and deaths. Supervise children closely, wear sturdy, grippy footwear, and take special care in winter ice. Do not wade or climb at the base of the powerful falls. Respect the rugged gorge and the barriers.

The area is free to enter; stay on designated trails and keep off the rock formations and back from the falls and cliff edges. Climbing and rappelling are prohibited here (allowed only in the park’s designated climbing area). Pets must be leashed. Drones are generally prohibited in Ohio state parks. Collecting plants, rocks or artifacts is prohibited. Pack out all trash. Parking is limited on busy weekends — arrive early. Check the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for current rules and conditions.

Cedar Falls sits midway between Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave in Hocking Hills State Park, linked by the Grandma Gatewood Trail, with Conkle’s Hollow, Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs elsewhere in the park. The town of Logan, the Hocking State Forest, cabins, the lodge and the Hocking River lie nearby, and Columbus is about an hour northwest. Cedar Falls is a powerful and beloved stop on a tour of the rock wonders and waterfalls of the Hocking Hills.

See the most powerful waterfall in Hocking Hills by descending the short, steep trail to the foot of the falls — visit after rain or in spring for the most thunderous flow, or in winter for dramatic ice. Wear sturdy, grippy footwear for the slippery gorge, stay on the trail and back from the falls, and arrive early on busy fall weekends. Hike the Grandma Gatewood Trail to link Cedar Falls with Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave for a classic Hocking Hills day.