Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Cedar Falls in southeast Ohio's Hocking Hills region is one of the most gorgeous waterfalls anywhere, regardless of size. Misnamed by early white settlers who thought the surrounding eastern hemlock trees were cedars, the waterfall and the surrounding cliffs and forests still captivate the imaginations of visitors. The abrupt cliffs, sculpted by eons of water scouring and the freezing-thawing action of ice in winter, exhibit endless variations in shapes and colors. The "anvil" that temporarily splits the Cedar Falls into two streams before re-converging at the final lip is a particularly intriguing feature. In cold winters, the waterfall below the lip forms a hollow column of thick, translucent ice around itself.
Unfortunately, this awesome scene is a good place to avoid when uncaring groups of people swarm down from the parking lot like bloodthirsty invaders. I have seen visitors swimming in the pool below the falls, yelling and screaming, and have also witnessed poorly supervised youth groups throwing rocks in winter to see how many dangling icicles they could break off. Overall, the state park staff does an excellent job of protecting this place from overexuberant visitors. It's amazingly pristine, really. Still, my usual plan is to slip into this natural cathedral during the off seasons, and early and late in the day at that. At those times you are also much more likely to find others who feel the same as you do. The rock cliffs, the clean clear cold water, the dark, cool forests of hemlock and maple all but dare you to sit still and let it sink in.
Photo location: Cedar Falls unit of Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio.
