Conkle's Hollow Rim in October: Above the Canopy at Peak Color

Every other trail in Hocking Hills puts you under the trees. The Conkle's Hollow rim puts you on top of them — a 2.5-mile loop along the lip of one of Ohio's deepest gorges, 200 feet above the floor, looking across a bowl of sugar maples that turns crimson while you watch. In October it's the best view in the region. It's also the trail where leaf cover and a cliff edge share the same six feet of ground.

What's different about the rim

Conkle's Hollow is a state nature preserve, not part of the state park proper, and it has two trails. The gorge trail is flat, paved for much of its length, and ends at a small waterfall at the head of the hollow — about a mile round trip, stroller-friendly, and the right choice for grandparents. The rim trail is the 2.5-mile loop that climbs to the top of the cliffs and circles the gorge. That's the October trail. From the rim you look down into the hollow and across to the opposite wall, and the color fills the entire field of view. No pets on either trail; it's a preserve.

When the rim peaks

The rim is high and exposed, so its trees turn ahead of the gorge floor below — and ahead of the park's famous gorges to the south. In a typical year the rim is at or near peak by the second to third week of October, with the gorge floor a week behind. That creates the two-tone effect the rim is known for: fire on the rim, green-to-gold below, hemlocks staying dark green throughout. By the fourth week, the rim is past peak and the floor has caught up. The fall foliage hikes guide maps the sequence across the region.

The light

Morning light rakes across the rim from the east and lights the far wall; late afternoon light comes in low and warm and backlights the maples on the near side. Midday is flat. For photographs, the first two hours after sunrise or the last two before sunset are the ones, and in late October sunset is around 6:40 p.m., which means a 4 p.m. start for the full loop with photo stops. Photographing fall foliage covers exposure and the tripod question.

The one rule

The crowd

Conkle's Hollow is the second-busiest area after Old Man's Cave on peak weekends, and its lot fills by late morning on October 17 and 24. It doesn't overflow the way Old Man's Cave does — there's no shuttle and no visitor center funneling people in — but arriving at 11 a.m. on a peak Saturday means circling. Weekday mornings the rim is nearly empty. The gorge trail is always busier than the rim because it's easier; on the rim you'll pass people at the overlooks and have long stretches alone in between. The October crowd map ranks it against the rest.

Walking it

• Direction: the loop can be walked either way. Counterclockwise puts the steepest climb at the start, when your legs are fresh, and the best overlooks in the second half.
• Footing: mostly natural surface with roots and rock, some stairs at the climb. Wet leaves on the rock sections are slick; boots, not trail runners, in October.
• Time: 90 minutes without stops; two hours with the overlooks. Add the gorge trail (30 minutes) if you want the waterfall view from below.
• Restrooms: at the trailhead. Nothing on the rim.

The full route, elevation, and overlook-by-overlook breakdown is in the rim trail guide.