Old Man’s Cave
- Miles
- 52.5 total miles / 18.1 off-road miles (34.5%)
- Section supervisor
- Byron and Jamie Guy
- Contact
- oldmanscave@buckeyetrail.org, 614.306.6603
- Paper map publication date
- October 2018
- Chapter
- Little Cities of the Forest Chapter
- Counties
- Hocking, Vinton
- Abutting Sections
- New Straitsville, Scioto Trail
- Trail alerts and map updates
- See all
- Page last updated
- Mar 14, 2026
What to expect
The Old Man’s Cave Section winds through some of Ohio’s most popular natural areas, including the Hocking Hills region, before continuing south into quieter rural landscapes. It combines rugged sandstone gorges, waterfalls, and forested footpaths with stretches of country road walking.
Section news
No articles at this time.
Points of interest
- Little Rocky Hollow: Permit required.
- Sheick Hollow: Permit required
- Lake Logan State Park with section honoring William “Bill” Miller
- Hocking State Forest: Chapel Dave and Table Rock
- Hocking Hills State Park: Old Man’s Cave with section honoring Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave, Upper Falls, Devil’s Bathtub, Sphinx Head, and Lower Falls
- Pretty Run Preserve (Buckeye Trail Association property)
- Granite monument honoring Emma “Grandma” Gatewood
Open Trail Adopter segments
- The Old Man’s Cave Section is fully adopted, but more Trail Adopters are welcome.
Natural features and geography
- Unglaciated Appalachian Plateau
- Sandstone gorges and cliffs
- Waterfalls and rock shelters
- Mixed hardwood forests
Nearby emergency services
In life-threatening situations, call 911 throughout the Section. For other problems, call:
| County | State Highway Patrol | Sheriff |
|---|---|---|
| Hocking | 740.593.6611 | 740.385.2131 |
| Vinton | 740.286.4141 | 740.596.5242 |
Trail Alerts
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Challenging Conditions
This trail alert affects the Old Mans Cave printed map dated October 2018 and the FarOut and Avenza … Read more
Map Updates
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Campground Closure
This map update is to inform hikers of the closure of Big Sycamore Campground which was located … Read more
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Map Correction
This map update corrects several directional instructions in the Pt. 18 (Bridle Trail at Unger Rd … Read more
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Major Reroute
This update applies to the 2018 BTA Printed Old Mans Cave section map. The Section Supervisor has … Read more
Parking locations
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Point 15: Hocking State Forest, Kreashbaum Road, has a day use parking area with 6 spaces.
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Point 19: Old Man’s Cave Parking Area is a day use parking area with 392 spaces.
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Point 24: Pretty Run Preserve parking lot. Note: this parking is only for high-clearance vehicles due to rough entry road.
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Point 25: Macedonia Church offers day use parking. Alternate parking to main parking, if car has low ground clearance. Park overnight at your own risk.
Section resources
Camping locations
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Point 6: Boesel Campsite’s landowner (a Buckeye Trail Association member and former Old Man’s Cave Section Supervisor) graciously allows backpackers to camp overnight in the field immediately west of Point 4. Carry out all trash. No fires.
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Point 10: Campbell Hollow Campground, Campbell Cove Camping (fee, seasonal) is located at 30775 Lake Logan Road, almost at state Route 664, about 2.0 miles south from the intersection of Lake Logan and Evans roads, which is between Points 9 and 10. See campbellcovecampgrounds.com for details.
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Point 20: Top O’ the Caves Campground (fee) is 0.5 mile west of Point 19 on Chapel Ridge Road. See topothecaves.com or call 800.967.2434 for details.
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Point 24: Pretty Run Campsite C, also known as the “Constellation” campsite, is located off of a spur trail from the Buckeye Trail.
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Point 24: Pretty Run Campsite A, which has a camping shelter and is home to the “Apogee” campsite, is located on highest point of Pretty Run.
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Point 25: Pretty Run Campsite B, known as the “Base” camp, has a grass field large enough for many tents.
Resupply locations
- Details coming soon.
