Whispering Cave

Whispering Cave. The Geology of the Hocking Hills Region. Here is where hikers can witness the power of water in the Hocking Hills. Looking out from within this cave with its very steep waits and loose boulders, the actual formation of a young sandstone gorge is taking place as the water slowly digs and widens in the tight rocky gap below. this slow relentless process can take millions of years to develop into a full sized rocky gorge. , This massive recess formed in the side of the Blackhand sandstone cliff wall is another example of the power of water in the Hocking Hills. Caves like this are not true caves. Instead, they are massive overhangs carved in the cliff walls through the power of water erosion digging out the bedrock. Like its nearby neighbors of Old Man’s Cave or the massive Ash Cave, Whispering Cave and its 105 foot waterfall are great examples of how water can carve out the softer layers of the sandstone. As an added bonus feature, under the right moonlight, the quartz crystals in the exposed bedrock make the cliff walls appear to have twinkling lights. , This cave’s depth and size also contributes to a cooling effect that has allowed several ice age era species of plants to thrive in the deep gorge environment. Looking out from the cave, people can see what looks like a primitive forest with short needled Eastern hemlock and the waxy-looking leaves of the rhododendron bushes covering the slopes and creek bank below. This is the same natural beauty that inspired the local native tribes to use these recessed caves as temporary shelters. Evidence of the earliest people, dates back to the end of the last ice age in Ohio and continues right up through the historical tribes of the Shawnee, Delaware and Wyandot. The wild abundance of natural resources to farm, hunt and gather along with the milder climate made the gorges ideal locations for these early inhabitants to camp.