Whispering Cave

Whispering Cave is a broad sandstone recess in a wooded gorge, with a seasonal waterfall dropping 105 feet from its roof to the floor. It is described as the region’s second-largest cave and spans about 300 feet across. The scale reads best from below: frame both the dark overhang and the boulder-strewn floor, not only the falling water.

The direct out-and-back from Hocking Hills Lodge is about a mile total, but steep climbs, uneven ground and many stone and timber steps make it strenuous. It is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. The lodge trailhead has limited parking, and its start is behind the building, so look for trail markings. The longer Whispering Cave Trail includes the swinging Hemlock Bridge and is rated difficult; ODNR lists the full trail at 4.5 miles, while other route descriptions use different trailheads and loops. Check the map for the route you mean to walk. The lodge also has a full-service restaurant for a meal before or after. Restrooms and picnic facilities are at developed park parking areas, not beside the cave.

The waterfall is seasonal, and its 105-foot drop can shrink to a trickle in dry weather. Recent rain gives it a better chance of flowing, but the cave itself is still the main attraction when the water is low.

The overhang formed in Black Hand Sandstone, whose layers were deposited more than 350 million years ago. Recess caves like this develop where erosion works through a softer middle layer of the rock; streams then cut the steep gorges and cliffs around them. Look for small honeycomb cavities weathered into the sandstone near the trailhead.

Hocking Hills’ shaded gorges shelter eastern hemlock, Canada yew, and yellow and black birch. Glacial runoff helped create this cooler habitat even though the glaciers themselves did not cover the park. The cave is a good place to notice how the sandstone shelter, gorge and forest fit together.