Old Man’s Cave is one of Hocking Hills State Park's most popular destinations and greatest mysteries.
Located on Route 664, Old Man’s Cave is a pillar of the Grandma Gatewood Trail, which is part of Ohio Buckeye Trail. The trail connects the three main natural attractions in Hocking Hills: Cedar Falls, Ash Cave and Old Man’s Cave.
According to the Hocking Hills website, the hiking route was given its name by a Logan, Ohio, newspaper, Democrat Sentinel, in 1907. The story goes that two boys were exploring the cave when they stumbled across an odd-looking man with ghostly features. When acknowledged by the boys, the man seemingly turned away and sunk into the ground beneath them.
Upon hearing this, the townspeople of Logan set off to find this figure, but could only find the remains of a coffin, containing the carcass of a man and his dog, hidden in the recesses of the cavity.
Rumor has it that across all of Hocking Hills, he can be seen walking his dog, especially near the darker corners of his cave.
This story is one of many interesting facts the naturalists of Hocking Hills will share as they lead visitors on a mile hike to the entrance of Old Man’s Cave this upcoming Saturday, Sept. 10th.
The Old Man’s Cave area is divided into five main sections. These principal sections include Upper Falls, Upper Gorge, Middle Falls, Lower Gorge and Lower Falls.
Organized by Ohio University's Campus Recreation and Bobcats Well-being, this walk is a great way to get acquainted with fellow Bobcats while exploring southeastern Ohio.
Nathan Herchl, a sophomore studying energy engineering, has been hiking for 11 years through his Eagle Scout troop, recalls what he’s heard about the Old Man’s Cave hike.
“I’ve never been there but I know people who have been there and they really loved it,” he said. “I’m pretty sure there’s a waterfall or something cool like that.”
When asked if he would be attending this Saturday’s hike, Herchl explained he couldn’t, but was interested in University Well-Being and Recreation as a possible job, given his background.
University Well-Being and Recreation doesn’t only sponsor off-campus activities for OU students, they are also in charge of maintaining facilities such as the Bird Ice Arena, Aquatic Center and Ping Recreation Center.
Abby Brown, a junior majoring in dance and psychology, is employed through Campus Rec as a supervisor at Ping.
“I make sure the gym is running, and I make sure everyone who has reservations has everything set up that they need,” she said.
Brown also happens to be an avid hiker, sharing that she’s from D.C. and has explored many trails in southern Virginia.
She has also hiked trails with her friends, but hasn’t made it to Old Man’s Cave yet. When asked if she would be attending this Saturday's hike, she said she was interested.
“If I'm able to, I would love to go,” Brown said.
Jackson Thomas, a sophomore whose major is undecided, said he too has “heard good things'' about the Old Man's Cave Hike. Similar to Herschel, he cannot attend this weekend but will look out for future Campus Recreation events. However, now that he knows the Campus Rec sponsors events, he will consider attending in the future.
“Yeah, I might (consider going),” Thomas said.
This hike isn’t the only event that Campus Rec sponsors, so one can keep an eye out for their events calendar for future possible activities that could match one’s interests.
