Cantwell Cliffs in October: First Color, Fewest People

Cantwell Cliffs is the trail Hocking Hills regulars keep to themselves. It's the least visited of the park's major areas, it sits at the far northern end where nobody drives by accident, and thanks to its elevation and exposure its color arrives a week or more before the deep gorges to the south. In October that combination is unbeatable: peak leaves and an empty lot on the same morning.

Why it turns first

The park's famous gorges — Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls — sit in deep, hemlock-shaded ravines that hold warmth and moisture, so their deciduous trees turn late. Cantwell Cliffs is the opposite: a high, exposed rim with a broad forest vista, more sun, more wind, colder nights. The sugar maples and hickories on the rim usually show real color in the first two weeks of October, when the southern gorge floors are still green. If you've booked the second weekend of October (October 9–11 in 2026) and you're worried you're early, this is where the color is.

The loop

Figure about two miles, 60 to 90 minutes, and roughly 220 feet of elevation change — but the numbers undersell it. The trail drops from the rim into the gorge through Fat Woman's Squeeze, a narrow stone corridor between massive slumped boulders that requires turning sideways and a bit of agility, then works along the base of the 150-foot cliff past the recess cave before climbing back to the rim. It's the most physically demanding of the park's major loops: steep descents, rock scrambling, narrow passages, and stairs. Not wheelchair accessible, and dogs are technically allowed on leash but the scramble sections are hard on them. The trail guide has the full route description.

The rim section is the October payoff: sweeping views over the forest that rival the Conkle's Hollow rim without the Conkle's Hollow crowd. In the gorge, the color comes from above — you look up at it through the cliff opening — and the recess cave stays cool and shaded.

Timing it

Any time of day works here because the lot rarely fills, but morning light hits the rim and afternoon light reaches the gorge floor. On a peak Saturday, doing Cantwell at 11 a.m. — the exact hour the Old Man's Cave lots overflow — is the single best crowd-avoidance move in the park.

October-specific cautions

• Leaves on the stairs and in the Squeeze. Wet leaves on sandstone are slick, and the Squeeze funnels them. Lugged boots and hands on the rock. Leaves on sandstone covers the hazard in detail.
• The rim edge. The rim trail runs close to a real drop and leaf cover hides the edge. Stay on the trail and keep kids and dogs on the inside.
• Dusk. Trails close at dusk, and sunset drops from 7:12 p.m. on October 1 to 6:29 on Halloween. A 5 p.m. start in late October is too late for the full loop.
• Hunting season. Cantwell is inside the state park, so no hunting on the trail — but the surrounding state forest is open to archery season. Orange isn't required in the park; it's a good idea on the drive-in roads.

Getting there

The trailhead is off SR 374 near Rockbridge, about 17 miles from Old Man's Cave — figure 25 to 30 minutes on the winding road. There's a small lot with pit toilets and no visitor center. Cell service is unreliable; download the map. From Logan, it's quicker to come via US 33 to Rockbridge and then south on 374 than to drive through the park from the south end, especially on a Saturday.