Waterfalls in Ohio

Overview of waterfalls in Ohio

Brandywine Falls is a bridal-veil falls over a hard cap of Berea Sandstone, the NPS says. Another NPS page and Wikipedia put its height at 65 feet. A short boardwalk reaches it from a free trailhead lot that is generally full from 10am to 4pm in nice weather.

Old Man's Cave is a sandstone gorge near Logan with two main falls, Upper Falls and Lower Falls, plus a swirling basin called Devil's Bathtub. We found no official height for either falls. ODNR lists the Old Man's Cave trail at 1 mile, rated moderate.

Ash Cave is a recess cave whose seasonal falls pour over a rim about 90 feet high, per Wikipedia. The 90-foot figure measures the cave, not the falls. ODNR lists its paved Gorge Trail, about a quarter mile, as easy and wheelchair accessible.

Brandywine Falls is in northeast Ohio, between Cleveland and Akron, while the Hocking Hills are near Logan, so plan them as separate days.

Waterfalls near Cleveland and Akron

Brandywine Falls is the northeast Ohio falls on this site, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron. The NPS puts the park about 22 miles from Cleveland and about 18 miles from Akron. Those distances are to the park, not to the falls.

The falls drop about 60 feet, per the NPS. A short boardwalk leads from the free trailhead lot, or you can take the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Loop. The NPS says the lot is generally full from 10am to 4pm in nice weather, so come early or late. As of Oct 2026 the falls are open.

Waterfalls near Columbus: the Hocking Hills

The Hocking Hills are the closest falls on this site to Columbus. Experience Columbus, the city's visitors bureau, lists Hocking Hills at 59 miles (1 hour) from Columbus.

Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave are in Hocking Hills State Park, run by ODNR with free entry. ODNR lists the Old Man's Cave trail at 1 mile, rated moderate, and the paved Ash Cave Gorge Trail at a quarter mile. Cedar Falls lies between them on the 6-mile Grandma Gatewood Trail. On October 29, 2026, ODNR showed no closure at either, so both are listed as open.

ODNR holds an annual Winter Hike on the Grandma Gatewood Trail; the 2026 hike was on January 17.

Which fee or pass applies where

All three Ohio falls on this site are free to enter, with no permit or timed ticket.

The NPS fees page says 'An entrance pass is not required to access Cuyahoga Valley National Park.' We checked it on October 25, 2026.

For the Hocking Hills, the Ohio Governor's office said in September 2025 that Ohio offers free entry to all 76 state parks. Spectrum News reported no state park entrance fees in June 2026. ODNR's Hocking Hills page, read on October 25, 2026, lists no entrance or parking fee. We found no permit or timed ticket for any of the three walks.

Rules: national park vs Ohio state park

Brandywine Falls follows National Park Service rules, while Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave follow the Ohio Administrative Code.

Brandywine Falls (NPS rules): the NPS asks visitors to stay at least 50 feet from the top and bottom of the falls. Do not climb the falls, the fences or the rocks. Dogs are allowed on trails on a leash no longer than 6 feet, but not in park buildings. The park is open dawn to dusk.

Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave (Ohio Administrative Code): in Hocking Hills, the rules come from state law. OAC 1501:46-3-30 makes it illegal to be off the posted trails in the park without the chief's written permission. OAC 1501:46-7-03 bars swimming, bathing, diving and wading outside officially designated swimming areas.

Ohio also requires animals to be 'on a leash in hand and under control at all times' (OAC 1501:46-3-06). The leash may not exceed 6 feet from hand to animal. ODNR says no pets are permitted in the Conkles Hollow nature preserve. Hocking Hills trails open half an hour before sunrise and close half an hour after sunset.

ODNR adds that many Hocking Hills trails have been re-routed for one-way hiking, so follow the directional signs. Rappelling is allowed only at designated areas after registering (OAC 1501:46-7-09). A search excerpt of an ODNR forestry map places the designated area in Hocking State Forest, outside the state park.

Read our waterfall safety guide before any gorge hike.

Waterfalls in Ohio: hikes and trail lengths

Ohio falls trails on this site range from Ash Cave's quarter-mile paved path to the 6-mile Grandma Gatewood Trail through Hocking Hills.

Brandywine Falls: a short boardwalk leads from the lot to an upper, accessible viewing area, and the lower deck takes about 80 steps, the NPS says. The Brandywine Gorge Loop runs 1.5 miles with 160 feet of elevation change and takes 1 to 2 hours on an unpaved, rocky path.

Old Man's Cave: ODNR lists the trail at 1 mile, rated moderate. The gorge itself runs about half a mile, according to hockinghills.com. We found no official hiking time or stair count.

Ash Cave: ODNR lists the paved Ash Cave Gorge Trail at 1/4 mile, easy and wheelchair accessible; its accessible-trails list says 0.3 mile. The Ash Cave Rim Trail is 1/4 mile and rated moderate.

Linking the Hocking Hills falls: ODNR says the Buckeye Trail and American Discovery Trail join the Grandma Gatewood Trail for 6 miles through the park, rated difficult. ODNR lists the route of its January 17, 2026 Winter Hike on it, from Upper Falls past Cedar Falls to Ash Cave. ODNR lists the Cedar Falls trail at 1 mile, rated moderate.

Easiest waterfall walks in Ohio

Ash Cave has the easiest walk of the three. ODNR lists its paved Gorge Trail, about a quarter mile, as easy and wheelchair accessible all the way to the cave.

At Brandywine Falls, the NPS says a short boardwalk leads to an upper, accessible viewing area. The lower deck takes about 80 steps. We could not confirm an accessible route at Old Man's Cave.

Ohio waterfall closures and conditions (October 2026)

As of October 2026, all three Ohio falls on this site are listed as open.

Brandywine Falls, open as of Oct 2026: the NPS conditions page, read on October 28, 2026, lists a 'Stanford Road Pavement Removal' closure. The Stanford Road closure began in October 2026, has no end date and covers the former road between the Stanford Trailhead and the Brandywine Gorge Loop. It also covers the northern half of the Stanford Trailhead lot and a section of the Valley Trail.

The NPS says 'Stanford Trail remains open to hikers to access the Brandywine Falls area,' and the alert does not say the Gorge Loop itself is closed. A standing alert reads: 'Do not climb Brandywine Falls or the fences and rocks in the area.' The boardwalk may close in icy conditions.

Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave, open as of Oct 2026: on October 29, 2026, ODNR's Hocking Hills page and statewide alert feed showed no closure for either.

At Old Man's Cave, the last documented closure came after flash flooding on July 1, 2025. The park closed the gorge trail and Conkles Hollow then, Scioto Post and Spectrum News reported. Call the park office at (740) 385-6842 before a long drive.

Explore Hocking Hills' free weekend shuttle ran Saturdays and Sundays from May 23 to October 25, 2026, so the 2026 season is over. Check the tourism site for 2027 dates.

Ohio waterfalls FAQ