Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve

Conkles Hollow is a narrow sandstone gorge in the Hocking Hills region, with walls rising nearly 200 feet and pinching to about 100 feet across. You can walk the partly paved gorge floor or take a much steeper loop high along the rim. The lower walk is the better fit for most visitors; choose the rim only if steep stairs, rough footing and open cliff edges sound comfortable. Dogs are not allowed, and visitors must stay on designated trails.

The Gorge Trail is about a mile round trip and follows a mostly level route through the cool, shaded bottom of the gorge. Much of it is paved, but the pavement ends before the falls; the last stretch is uneven rock and steps. The paved section is a useful partial-access option, but do not count on rolling all the way to the waterfall.

The Rim Trail circles the gorge from above. It is listed at two miles, though some walkers report a longer outing. Expect steep stairs, rocky footing and narrow, exposed sections along the cliff edge. The high views are the payoff, but this is a poor choice for anyone uncomfortable with heights, and it needs more care than the easier lower walk.

The walls are Black Hand sandstone, formed from coarse river sands laid down in deltas about 350 million years ago, when much of Ohio lay under an inland sea. Silt and clay buried the sand and pressed it into hard rock. Later uplift and erosion stripped away softer layers and opened the deep, narrow gorge you see today.

Water spills over the gorge walls at several points, but the flow can dwindle to a trickle in dry summer or fall weather. The rock walls and shaded creek are the more reliable reason to come. On the lower trail, look up to fit the overhangs and narrow gap of sky into the view; the wider outlooks require hiking the rim loop. Spring wildflowers and fall color add another layer to the preserve's contrast between the cool gorge floor and the sunnier cliff tops.

Ohio bought the site in 1925 to protect its scenery, then dedicated it as a state nature preserve in 1977. Stay on marked trails; going off trail in an Ohio nature preserve requires a permit.