Ash Cave Falls is an 83-foot plunge waterfall in Hocking Hills State Park, Hocking County, Ohio, where runoff pours over the lip of Ash Cave, a broad horseshoe-shaped recess. A short, partly paved trail leads to it, and the approach is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
The falls
The water drops free from the rim of the recess to the floor of the cave, a single leap in front of an overhang whose rim spans about 700 feet. The World Waterfall Database gives the height as 83 feet, confirmed by lidar data. Earlier surveys listed 90 feet, while older trail maps label it 100 feet.
Getting there
Ash Cave is at 27291 Ohio 56, South Bloomingville, in the Ash Cave section of Hocking Hills State Park. The trail map marks the Ash Cave approach as wheelchair accessible, with a quarter-mile walk up the gorge to the cave. A naturalist-led route through the area makes a half-mile loop, paved for the first half, with stairs and roots on the return. The park charges no entry fee and is normally open year-round, with parking, restrooms and a shelter at the Ash Cave area.
When to go
The fall is fed by runoff and is at its best after recent rain; flow is not guaranteed. In January and February, an ice dome forms beneath the fall.
On site
Park rules require visitors to stay on marked trails and prohibit swimming and wading. Trails can be icy in winter, and park areas close at dark.
History and name
The cave takes its name from an accumulation of ashes early settlers found under the overhang; where the ashes came from has never been settled.
Nearby
Cedar Falls lies about 1.7 miles away, Old Mans Cave Falls about 2.3 miles and Upper Falls about 2.5 miles.
Distances are straight-line.