Cantwell Cliffs — Attraction in Logan

Cantwell Cliffs is one of the top 5 parks to visit while in the Hocking Hills. It has some of the best sheer cliffs and outstanding scenery in the system other than Old Man's Cave and Conkles Hollow or the long trail between OMC-Cedar Falls-Ash Cave. The trails are a bit rough and it is in need of some trail upgrades by the state but overall it is well worth the stop. From the parking lot, everything is downhill, and uphill on the return. It also tends to be less visited than some of the other parks like Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave. Cantwell has a couple of nice shelter house areas for lunch or sitting a bit. The park also has a few very large and beautiful waterfalls that tend to be seasonal. In the winter Cantwell often has some amazing ice formations (note these trails can get very tricky in the winter). If you go, proceed down the hill from the parking lot and when the trail splits at the top of the cliffs go right if you want a longer and more scenic hike. If you go left you actually kind of spoil the hike as it is best to save this area (to the left of the split) for last and the end of your hike. If you do all of the trails here, you can easily spend 2 hours or more. Other than Old Man's Cave and Conkle's Hollow (a state nature preserve) it has probably the 3rd longest trail system of any of the Hocking Hills main parks. At the time of this review as noted the trails are needing some work and the restrooms are simple pit toilets (not the better upgraded facilities) that most of the other...

The views, the hike, the geology, the wildlife, the unique way it all came to exist, the experience... All reason to go explore the Hocking Hills regions, and that same reason is why you should add Cantwell Cliffs to your stop during your visit!!

Take in the geological uniqueness from the blackhand sandstone formations, and the slump blocks that litter the floors. Christmas ferns, and reindeer lichen, are two of the few of the many plants you'll see thrive in abundance in the lower floors. Looking up, you'll get to experience some of the massive Hemlocks, that are very unique to our region, due to the particular geological history.

Winters here, offer a whole new, more dangerous, more rugged, wilderness experience, for those who seek a bit more sketchier adventures. The scene becomes a more arctic, mountainous, feel. With waterfalls looking more like glaciers when fully frozen, and very little to no traffic. Some visits will give you that isolated, and alone feeling some of us crave. A satisfaction that some more experienced outdoors people get. A feeling as if you left the state, and drove into the mountains themselves.

I highly do and always will recommend a hike to any location in the hocking hills region.

So please enjoy...

We have been at Cantwell Cliffs in previous occasions and were impressed with this trail as a whole. On this trip, many of the posted signs showing where you were, were missing. On one of the last points where you leave the canyon floor and climb out to where there are two exit routes, the sign and post was completely missing, not providing any guidance, which would require you to retrace your complete decent from the beginning, and many people were doing that. It was late in the afternoon, and my concern was with those who might not be as familiar with the trails might not have enough time to figure it out. At the top of that particular exit, the aluminum stand post which has a plate on it was still there, but there wasn't any map on it, so there wasn't any direction for people who hadn't been there before. In addition, many of the valley trails could use a paint mark on trees to ensure you are still on the valid trail. A beautiful trail, but the least maintained of them all, and we have walked each and every one of them, every time...