Being out in nature and traveling to interesting sites, not only to learn about the history of the area, but also to find interesting photographic opportunities, is something I love doing. Sometimes, you don’t have to travel far from home and such was the case with this site. Old Man’s cave is a geological wonder that has formed over thousands of years.

On this trip, I took my family and they were real good sports given some of the terrain we had to hike into and out of top get to these sites. Ideally, you would want to visit in the wetter seasons of the year to catch the falls, but alas, our spring and summer have been exceptionally dry and thus, no falls. This did not deter the thrill and wonder of the rock formations. In the early 1900’s, workers did use tools like pneumatic chisels to form steps and made rockfalls to make the trek easier for folks looking to explore.

We started early, before the sun got higher in the sky and as we hiked in the sun began to come up and illuminate the cliffs which really made for some interesting patterns of light as it filtered through the trees. Being in such a challenging photographic scenario, I had to bump up the ISO to keep a decent shutter speed. The cave itself used to be the home of Richard Rowe, a recluse who lived in one of the large recess caves in the early 1800s with his dogs. He is believed to have been buried under a ledge in the cave, although no proof of this exists. This particular cave is the most popular spot in the entire are of Hocking Hills Ohio where it is located. If you are thinking of visiting, bring comfortable shoes, a walking stick and your imagination with a photographic eye to explore Old Man’s cave.