Sight · Hocking Hills State Park
A narrow fall on Queer Creek, strongest after rain.
Overview
Whispering Falls is a narrow, seasonal waterfall on Queer Creek between Cedar Falls and Old Man’s Cave. It drops about 100 feet down a sandstone gorge wall into a pool. Come after rain for the best chance of seeing more than a trickle; in dry weather, it may stop altogether. I’d make it a bonus on the longer gorge walk, not a destination by itself.
Parkwolf’s verdictA small fall worth adding onMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hocking Hills Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Hocking Hills State Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Cedar Falls“You're coming up on Cedar Falls, where Queer Creek spills across a sculpted sandstone face. Allow about forty minutes for the short loop, with uneven steps down and a rougher climb out.”
Plays as you drive up to Whispering Falls in the Parkwolf Hocking Hills Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Black Hand Sandstone was laid down more than 350 million years ago. Water wore through layers of different hardness to cut Hocking Hills’ gorges, leaving softer bands recessed between harder ledges. At the falls, the broad layered wall makes a striking frame for the thin stream.
From a safe point on the marked trail, keep the full rock wall around the waterfall; the narrow ribbon can disappear in a tight crop. The fall’s flow changes with rainfall, so the composition can look very different from one visit to the next.
Wildlife
15 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
83 sightingsSnapping TurtleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
13 sightingsChipmunkMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
19 sightingsGray RatsnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
47 sightingsWatersnakeMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
11 sightingsRing-necked SnakeMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Hocking Hills. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateCedar Falls Trail0.6 mi · 40 min · 0.5 mi awayA short waterfall loop with uneven, stepped gorge trails.
ModerateWhispering Cave Trail from the Lodge0.6 mi · 45 min · 0.9 mi awayFrom the Lodge, steep steps lead to a broad sandstone recess.
ModerateRose Lake Trail2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA rooty 2.5-mile walk to loop Hocking Hills’ 17-acre lake.
ModerateBroken Rock Trail0.3 mi · 20 min · 1 mi awayA short, steep stair climb to a sandstone cleft waterfall
ChallengingGrandma Gatewood Trail5.3 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.1 mi awayA tough 5.3-mile crossing for waterfalls, caves and sandstone gorge.
ModerateGorge Overlook Trail2.8 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.2 mi awayA point-to-point gorge walk from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls.
ModerateOld Man’s Cave Trail1 mi · 1 hr · 1.2 mi awayA one-mile gorge loop past a waterfall, cave and stone tunnels.
ChallengingWhispering Cave Trail3.3 mi · 3 hr · 1.2 mi awayA rugged one-way circuit to Whispering Cave via Hemlock Bridge.Sight · 0.5 mi awayRose LakeA half-mile woodland walk opens onto a quiet fishing lake.
Sight · 0.5 mi awayCedar FallsA sandstone gorge walk where rain gives the waterfall its show.
Lodging · 0.9 mi awayHocking Hills Lodge & Conference CenterAn 81-room stay with cabins, trail access and indoor-outdoor pools.
Restaurant · 0.9 mi awayRock House RestaurantA sit-down meal at the park lodge with a forest view.
Sight · 1 mi awayWhispering CaveA vast sandstone roof shelters a 105-foot seasonal waterfall.
Sight · 1 mi awayLower FallsA curved ledge and shaded pool reward the descent into the gorge.
Sight · 1 mi awayOld Man's CaveA rock shelter above a gorge of waterfalls and winding creek.
Sight · 1 mi awayAsh Cave Fire TowerA 1934 steel lookout with a weather-dependent climb and wooded viewsParkwolf’s Hocking Hills ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
