21 Horse Cave
21 Horse Cave park offers an easy, kid-friendly hiking trail with several creek crossings and interesting natural features including caves and a waterfall. The trail is about a mile each way, mostly flat but with some muddy and natural terrain typical of a horse path. It’s a peaceful, quiet area without wheelchair accessibility, suitable for hiking and walking activities. Visitors should be prepared for some mud and insects when hiking.
Reviews
Love this park
Nice sized cave that is more cave-like than the big caves in the state park. When walking from the parking lot on Big Pine road, it’s an easier walk if you follow the orange blazes, but only until you reach the main creek crossing. When you get to that point, stay on the low ground along side of the creek. Eventually you’ll get to the white blazed trail, and an easier climb to the cave. With the walk either way you go.
The trail to the cave is just over a mile each way. Half is a rim trail and half is through the gorge. It’s a horse path so be prepared for lots of mud and manure. Part of the trail is along the bed of a creek so it might be impassable after heavy rain. We hiked when it had been fairly dry and there was still lots of mud. It seems like there were a lot more flies and mosquitos than other Hocking Hills trails so definitely bring bug spray. The trail is beautiful and the gorge is so quiet. We didn’t see another person the entire time
Horse cave is one of my favorite spots in Hocking hills. I always make a stop here on my way to chapel falls.
Fun hike out to the multiple caves. Lots of creek crossings and mud, but we hiked in early spring. If it has rained your boots will get wet/muddy. Mostly flat trail out to the 21 Horse Cave. About a half mile in the trail spits and you can go up the hills to another cave and the trail then leads back to the 21 Horse Cave. Then you can go onto the Twin Falls. Beautiful trails, well-marked with blue and red flashes. This trail is out and back. Nice thing is that you are closed enough to other trails like Conkles Hollow and Old Mans Cave that you can get multiple hikes in if that is what you are looking for. Our group had a lot of fun on this trail. Enjoy!!
This is an easy hike, and it is not difficult to find the cave. How to get to the cave:
1. Park in the Chapel Cave parking lot and walk into the woods.
2. Follow the orange blaze trail. You will cross the stream three times.
3. Right after the 3rd stream crossing you’ll see a white sign with an arrow indicating to go straight ahead for Chapel Cave.
4. Follow the white blazes until you see a split rail fence.
5. Stay on the white blaze trail until you get to the left end of the split rail fence. The longer you stay on the main trail, the easier it is to get up to the fence.
6. Follow the split rail fence to the cave, and a little bit farther to the waterfall.