Broken Rock Falls is located at the end of a short spur trail in the Old Man’s Cave area of Hocking Hills State Park. The hike to this impressive Ohio waterfall is short-but-difficult… and completely worth it!
Broken Rock Falls was not even on our radar as we planned our Hocking Hills hiking excursions. We didn’t notice this waterfall on our maps, and I don’t remember reading about it in any web articles. We didn’t even realize that this waterfall existed until we saw a sign for it while hiking at Old Man’s Cave.
READ MORE: Highlights of Hiking at Old Man’s Cave
Upon seeing the “Broken Rock Falls This Way” sign, we quickly checked our map a little more closely. And, lo and behold, there it was – a small detour of only .1 miles to see a waterfall. We did the math (only .2 miles round trip!!) and decided our kids could handle hiking that short extra distance. Then, our family happily hiked off in the direction the sign pointed.
A Short But Steep Detour
I quickly began to wonder if we had made a mistake by taking this detour. While this trail is very short, it is also very steep. When you aren’t scrambling up or down slopes, you are walking on uneven stairs. This short trail features 91 stairs. (That’s 182 stairs round-trip!!)
Needless to say, my thighs were burning by the time we reached the waterfall. The sore and tired muscles were quickly forgotten as we marveled at the waterfall though.
Broken Rock Falls
The waterfall is pretty impressive! The waterfall looks as if it has cut right through the rock wall it tumbles over.
SEE AND HEAR THE WATERFALL: Broken Rock Falls – Minivan Adventures Instagram
After pouring into a small plunge pool, the water continues downhill by cascading over and between a collection of large broken rocks.
Plus, there are a set of stairs leading into the small plunge pool of the waterfall. My children thought this was super cool. By going down just a few stairs, you can peek under the rock wall to see a small recess carved by the plunge pool into the Black Hand Sandstone wall.
Crowd-Free Beauty
Another added bonus is that very few people make the trek out to see Broken Rock Falls. Maybe they are unaware of the waterfall’s existence (as we were). Or, maybe they already know how difficult the trail is. Either way, you can typically enjoy the peace and beauty of its surroundings crowd-free. (This is a real treat as the Old Man’s Cave area is the busiest area of Hocking Hills.)
READ MORE: Guide to Hiking at Hocking Hills State Park
Is It Worth the Detour?
Is Broken Rock Falls worth the hiking detour? Is it worth scrambling on those steep slopes? Is it worth climbing all those stairs? My answer is YES. Definitely yes!
So you know I think it is worth the hiking detour. Now, the only question is…
Do YOU think Broken Rock Falls is worth the detour?
Other Waterfall Adventures You Might Enjoy:
- North Carolina’s Waterfall Byway
- Roadside Waterfalls and More in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
- A Waterfall Hike at Starved Rock State Park
- More Hikes at Hocking Hills State Park
What a gorgeous spot! It looks well worth that scramble!
Was this on the way toward the upper or lower falls from Old Mans Cave?
Lower Falls. This short spur trail can be found between Lower Falls and Old Man’s Cave.
I’m always amazed at the beauty in Hocking Hills. This also proves that some of the more difficult hikes offer some pretty spectacular results! Thanks for sharing!
Yes. Some of the more difficult hikes pay off with some spectacular rewards…like this beautiful waterfall.
do you know if we can take Old Man’s Cave hike, do the spur at Broken Rock, then do the Whispering Cave loop from there?