Area Guide

South Bloomingville & Ash Cave

The heart of southern Hocking Hills. Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, and the quietest, most rewarding stretch of the state park — with a growing cluster of unique stays on the surrounding ridges.

South Bloomingville sits at the intersection of Ohio State Routes 56 and 664 in western Benton Township, Hocking County — effectively the southern gateway to Hocking Hills State Park. The community is unincorporated (ZIP 43152) with a long history: it was platted in 1836 by early settler John Chilcote on land along Queer Creek, with Christian Eby's gristmill serving as the economic anchor of the early community. The Columbus & Southern Railroad reached the area in the 1870s, feeding a brief timber and oil-and-gas boom, but the tracks were pulled by 1914 and the village settled into its current quiet character.

Today, South Bloomingville is best understood as the staging area for the park's most iconic hikes — Ash Cave (the largest recess cave in Ohio), Cedar Falls, and the southern end of the Grandma Gatewood Trail. It's also the corner of Hocking Hills with the highest concentration of new-build unique stays: treehouses, domes, and A-frames have been going up across the surrounding ridges over the past several years.

What's nearby

Anchor attractions.

  • Ash Cave. The largest recess cave in Ohio — roughly 700 feet long and 100 feet deep. Paved quarter-mile trail, stroller and dog-friendly. Seasonal waterfall in spring.
  • Cedar Falls. A 50-foot cascade fed by Queer Creek, named for the hemlocks (early settlers misidentified as cedars). Moderate hike, many stairs.
  • Grandma Gatewood Trail. The 6-mile route connecting Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave — named for the Ohio native who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail three times in her sixties and seventies.
  • Rose Lake. A small state-stocked trout fishing lake tucked between the Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls areas. Accessible from Cedar Falls parking.
  • Queer Creek. Named in 1834 for its atypical southward flow through the region, the creek runs through the southern half of the state park and creates the falls at Cedar Falls.
Trip planning notes

Why stay here.

The Old Man's Cave area on the north side of the park gets the overwhelming share of visitor traffic. Staying in South Bloomingville puts you on the quieter southern side — closer to Ash Cave and Cedar Falls, and with a short drive to the less-visited Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve.

Ash Cave parking fills up by 10am on weekends during peak fall foliage, so staying nearby lets you reach the trailhead before the crowds. The payoff is significant: at 7am in October with the cave all to yourself, it's a genuinely transcendent place.

Routes 56 and 664 are the main arteries. US-33 is the fastest way in from Columbus (roughly 60 minutes); from Cincinnati, allow about 2.5 hours.

Weekday vs. weekend

The practical difference between a Tuesday and a Saturday at Ash Cave is dramatic. If your schedule allows, book Sunday through Thursday — you'll find better inventory, lower rates, and trails that feel genuinely remote. Peak fall foliage weekends (mid-October through early November) are the single busiest stretch of the year.