Ash Cave, Ohio's largest recess cave, is one of Hocking Hills most beautiful settings. Best of all, a quarter mile paved pathway allows easy access (wheelchair accessible) for just about everyone. Pictured here in this enchanting Ash Cave view is a 90 foot waterfall as it drops from the rim of the cave roof. The only downside here is the tributary of Queer Creek is seasonal and occasionally slows to a trickle.
The cave, known for its marvelous acoustics, once made for a great meeting hall, complete with a pulpit rock. The scenic features of all six areas of the Hocking Hills State Park are carved from Blackhand Sandstone. These layers of bedrock were laid down more than 350 million years ago. The layers of sandstone vary in composition and hardness, creating a variety of natural features. The arches and recess caves at Ash Cave, Old Man's Cave, Rock House and Cantwell Cliffs have been carved from the softer middle layers. Weathering, frost wedging and erosion have turned small cracks into all these beautiful features found in the Hocking Hills today.