Mar 16

Mar 16 Hocking Hills Region: The Photography Guide

Easily one of the most photographed locations in the entire state of Ohio, The Hocking Hills region is widely known for its waterfalls and caves. The State Park encompasses 2,000 acres and is surrounded by another 9,000 acres of the State Forest.

Hocking Hills, like most of Southeast Ohio, is fairly remote. Surrounded by farmland or open fields, little to no cell service, and rural living is what adds to the beauty of the region. And while there are many sites to see in this region, I’m choosing to highlight the following spots as they’re the most popular.

These are all on-the-trail locations, meaning none of these were taken illegally off the trail, which is a big problem in Hocking Hills. Please follow the Leave No Trace principles and remain on the trail.

Old Man’s Cave Area

Old Man’s Cave area is the main area in Hocking Hills and consists of Upper Falls, Devil’s Bathtub, A-Frame Bridge, Old Man’s Cave, Lower Falls, and Whispering Cave (with a few hidden gems on the trails). The trail can be a loop or an out and back, depending on where you start and finish. You want to start on the trailhead that’s furthest from the Visitor Center in the parking lot. Here you’ll start in to the gorge and make your way to Upper Falls and then continue on the trail. When you get to Old Man’s Cave, you can either go through the cave and head back to the lot or continue on the trail for Lower Falls and Whispering Cave. Whispering Cave technically has its own parking lot, but I’d recommend going this way to see more spots. All in all, Upper Falls to Whispering Cave is about a 5-mile moderate hike.

Best time: Definitely come here in the morning, as it can be very hard to enjoy the park or get pictures when it gets busy. I’ve gone at sunrise to this area and had the whole trail to myself basically for a couple of hours, allowing me to get some really good shots. Whispering Cave is far less busy any time of the day I’ve noticed, however, since it’s so remote compared to the rest of the spots along this trail.

Tips: This area in the park is highly photographed, so try to get creative with your shots. Otherwise, it’ll just be another photograph of the park. As for both of the caves, try to go on an overcast day, less harsh sunlight hitting the cave.

Cedar falls

Another stunning waterfall in the park! The entire area around Cedar Falls is gorgeous; the boardwalk steps next to the falls, the little bridge going over a small cascading fall, and other hidden gems.

Best time: The morning or late afternoon for sure. This is the prettiest waterfall in the region (in my opinion) and can get pretty busy. Depending on the shot you want, you could still come here other times of the day, but you may have to wait a while before people get out of your way.

Tips: Long exposure shots look beautiful at this waterfall.

Ash cave

The largest recess cave east of the Mississippi, located at the bottom of the Hocking Hills region. There’s a short trail that leads to the cave and through it. This is also one of the only handicapped-accessible trails in the park.

Best time: Same with Cedar Falls, the morning is when Ash tends to be the least busy. I’ve only ever gone in the morning and there’s almost never anyone else there that early in the morning, allowing you to get a shot of the cave with no people in it. Although adding a person or two in your shot would be a neat idea to show the size of the cave in your photo.

Tips: While the cave itself is a beautiful sight to see, going after a good rainfall when there’s a waterfall would really make the shot even better.

rock house

The only true cave in the park, Rock House is definitely a cool sight to see. The trail itself gives stunning views of the cliffs and the outside of it is really cool too. There’s usually a pigeon or two in the cave just a heads up.

Best time: Early morning for sure. It’s almost impossible to get a decent shot of the inside of Rock House when there’s people in there. The outside of the cave makes for great shots and it’s easier to wait on people to get out of your way, but the main attraction is the inside of the cave.

Tips: There’s minimal light coming into the cave, so definitely bring a tripod and prepare to do a long exposure. Your best bet is to come early morning as stated to avoid getting long exposures of people in here.

>> Related: Hocking Hills Region: The Hiking Guide <<

conkle’s hollow State Nature Preserve

Honestly, Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve doesn’t even look like it belongs in Ohio. It has towering cliffs, stunning foliage, hidden waterfalls, and more. There’s two trails that present excellent photo ops, the rim, and the gorge trail. The rim trail will take you above the cliffs for excellent views, and is far less busy than the gorge trail. Keep in mind it’s a rim trail and it gets very close to the edge of the very tall cliffs. The gorge trail isn’t too bad, depending on the time of day, but if you want a picture of the waterfall at the end of it you may need to wait for people to get out of your way.

Best time: Really anytime but the middle of the day. I’d go in the morning or late afternoon just in case to avoid crowds as there is a small waterfall (needs a really good rainfall) at the end of the trail.

Tips: Come here during peak fall and take the rim trail, you’ll have stunning views of the colors above the cliffs.

View from the top of Upper Falls looking down

When to Visit Hocking Hills

Coming here in the Spring means the waterfalls are in full force from the melting snow, and there’s usually fewer people visiting the area. Summer brings in the lush greens, but the falls might not be flowing much, plus the heat and massive amount of people.

Fall means stunning colors and cooler weather, but it can still be kinda busy until after peak fall. Winter means the waterfalls are frozen and it’s not nearly as busy, and it’s an absolute winter wonderland here, but it can be dangerous this time of year because of the cliffs and ice on the trails. Although, this part of Ohio doesn’t always get too much snow; just depends on the year.

Regardless of the season, come after a good rainfall or when the snow has been melting, the waterfalls look better when they’re flowing a lot. Weekdays are 100% your best bet for lesser crowds, except summer it will be busy still, but less so in the early morning.

Hiking & Photography Gear Needed

Hiking in Hocking Hills isn’t too bad, some trails can be very narrow or close to cliffs, so you definitely want to be careful here. Some trails are easier than others, but you’ll still want the following basic gear to help you out.

Hiking boots & appropriate clothing
Offline map (digital or print)
Plenty of water and snacks
Hiking poles (if needed)
Hiking bag or fanny pack
Safety gear (if you deem necessary)
Spikes for hiking boots (if coming in the winter)

When it comes to the photographer gear you’ll need, you don’t have to own anything super fancy, even a cell phone would be fine. But if you’re a photographer like me, you probably want to bring the following.

Camera: I use my Canon 6D Mark II, previously a Canon T6.
Camera Lenses: You don’t necessarily need a super long lens, but it couldn’t hurt to have one if you have the room in your bag. My go-to lens is 35 mm, but I also use a 28-80 mm sometimes.
Other Accessories: A tripod is a must if you want to do long exposures. You might also want a shutter release cable or filters.

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