Whispering Cave
Hocking County, Ohio
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Hocking County, Ohio
- Access status
- Marked state park trail from the lodge lot
- The walk
- 0.7 miles from the trailhead to the cave
- Ground & access
- Dirt trail with boardwalks and two sets of stairs, one cut into rock. Ohio DNR rates the full trail difficult.
Whispering Cave is a recess cave nearly 300 feet wide with a 105-foot seasonal waterfall pouring from its rim, in Hocking Hills State Park. TrekOhio describes the Hemlock Bridge Trail from a kiosk at the lodge parking lot, through hemlock forest with boardwalks and stairs, to a well-signed split where the Whispering Cave Trail continues to the cave. The old dining lodge has been replaced by a new lodge on the same site.
Plan your visit
Hocking Hills State Park lodge parking lot, Hemlock Bridge Trail from the kiosk to the signed Whispering Cave Trail and on to the cave
TrekOhio gives 0.7 miles from the Hemlock Bridge trailhead to the cave. Ohio DNR lists the full Whispering Cave Trail, including the Hemlock Bridge, as 4.5 miles.
Dirt trail with boardwalks and two sets of stairs, one cut into rock. Ohio DNR rates the full trail difficult.
Where to start
Hocking Hills State Park lodge parking lot off OH-664, reached through the park cabins entrance about a mile from the Old Man's Cave visitor center.
Timing & water
Trails are open from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. The waterfall is seasonal.
Before you go
No fee or reservation is mentioned.
Visitor informationMore waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Broken Rock FallsState park gorge trail with a side canyon spur on old stone stepsHocking County, OH0.7 miNE
- Lower FallsOne-way state park gorge trail with stairsHocking County, OH0.8 miNE
- Whispering FallsPartial guide: state park trail to Whispering Cave; name match probableHocking County, OH1.0 miE
- Devil's BathtubState park gorge trail; one-way loop with stairsHocking County, OH1.1 miNE
- Upper FallsShort state park walk; accessible deck and steps to the baseHocking County, OH1.1 miNE
Cedar FallsState park; stepped trail from the parking area to the base of the fallsHocking County, OH1.5 miE
Ash CaveState park; paved, accessible quarter-mile trailHocking County, OH1.7 miS
Rim Trail Falls (off-trail)Hocking County, OH2.9 miNW- Lower FallsPartial guide: probable match to the falls at the head of Conkles Hollow; no petsHocking County, OH2.9 miNW