Cedar Falls

About Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls sits at the head of Queer Creek Gorge, according to a Wikimedia Commons description by geologist James St. John. ODNR's Hocking Hills page praises the park's 'thrilling waterfalls' but gives no height for this one.

Explore Hocking Hills, the county tourism bureau, says the water plunges 50 feet. That is a secondary, unofficial figure, so we leave the height blank in our facts box. The bureau also claims it carries the greatest volume of any falls in Hocking County.

This page covers the Ohio falls in Hocking County. Do not confuse it with the Cedar Falls in Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.

How the name came about

Explore Hocking Hills says early settlers mistook the gorge's hemlock trees for cedars, which gave the falls its name. We did not find this story on an ODNR page.

Geology

ODNR says the park's rock is Black Hand Sandstone, deposited over 350 million years ago. Its park page notes cross-bedding, honeycomb weathering and slump blocks. It adds that glacial runoff brought eastern hemlocks, Canada yew and birches to the gorges.

Park history

ODNR's park page says two Civilian Conservation Corps companies, 505 and 526, set up camps in the area in 1933. A search excerpt of an ODNR page credits the CCC with the Cedar Falls trails and steps. We could not open that page to confirm the details.

ODNR says the state bought 146 acres in 1924 and created the park in 1949.

About our map pin

Our map pin is the USGS GNIS point for Cedar Falls (feature ID 1075542), in Hocking County. By our math, it lies about 1.4 miles from our Old Man's Cave pin and about 2.0 miles from our Ash Cave pin, in straight lines.

Getting there and parking

The Cedar Falls parking lot is on State Route 374, per the ODNR park map. Street numbers for it conflict across ODNR excerpts and private sites, so we do not list one. Set your map app to the falls pin instead.

ODNR's park page says each trailhead lot has a picnic area with tables, grills and latrines. It also lists a reservable shelter house at Cedar Falls.

Fees

Ohio's Governor's office said on Sep 17, 2025 that all 76 state parks have free entry. We saw no entry or parking fee on ODNR's Hocking Hills park page or its park map, read Nov 13, 2026. We also found no permit or ticket for the trail. Confirm any charges with the park office.

Hours

ODNR says trails and picnic areas are open from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. The park map asks visitors to exit trails before the park closes at dark.

Contact

The park office is at (740) 385-6842, 8am to 4:30pm on weekdays, per ODNR. The Visitor Center is not at this lot. ODNR places it at the Old Man's Cave lot off State Route 664, open daily 10am to 4pm, with seasonal changes.

Map and nearby falls

The walk

ODNR gives two lengths for the walk to the falls. Its park page lists 'Cedar Falls - 1 mile - Moderate.' Its park trail map (Rev 06/2024) lists the Cedar Falls Trail at 0.4 mile, moderate, with a yellow blaze.

The map may measure a shorter segment than the park page does. We found no official walking time or elevation gain for either figure.

The Democracy Steps

ODNR says Akio Hizume designed a staircase in 1997 that descends gently from the parking lot to Cedar Falls. The park trail map also marks steps on the Cedar Falls Trail.

Many park trails have been rerouted for one-way hiking, ODNR says, so follow the directional signs. You must stay on the marked trails at all times.

Longer routes

The Gorge Overlook Trail runs 2.8 miles and is rated moderate on the ODNR trail map. The map shows it linking Cedar Falls with Rose Lake and Old Man's Cave.

The Grandma Gatewood Trail links Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave. The trail map lists it at 5.3 miles, rated difficult, with a blue blaze.

ODNR's park page says the Buckeye Trail and American Discovery Trail join it for 6 miles through the park, rated difficult. ODNR publishes no official distances for the segments between the three sites.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome on a leash. The ODNR park map says dogs must be on a 6 ft leash.

When to visit

ODNR gives no best season for Cedar Falls. TheHockingHills.org, a private site, says flow is strongest after rain in spring, fall and winter.

Winter

ODNR warns that park trails are typically covered in ice in winter and recommends ice cleats. Its park page also mentions ice formations as a winter draw.

ODNR lists the 61st Annual Winter Hike at Hocking Hills State Park, in an event page published Nov 11, 2026. Hockinghills.com, a commercial site, describes the route as Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls to Ash Cave. It gives a January 2027 date, which we did not see from ODNR.

Status checks

On Nov 13, 2026, ODNR's Hocking Hills page showed no alert or closure for Cedar Falls, so we list it as open. Call the park office before a winter trip.

Nearby, Conkle's Hollow is a separate state nature preserve with its own gorge-head falls. See our Ohio waterfalls guide to compare them.

Safety and swimming

Photos

Cedar Falls FAQ

Nearby waterfalls

• 
  Old Man's Cave1 mi straight-line, by our mathOpen
• 
  Ash Cave2 mi straight-line, by our mathOpen

  CAVE RIM 90FT
• 
  Conkle's Hollow4 mi straight-line, by our mathOpen
• 
  Cantwell Cliffs9 mi straight-line, by our mathOpen

All waterfalls in Ohio