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Friday, May 16, 2025

Hell Hollow Wilderness Area- Lake County Ohio

 

I relearned that just because it’s called Wilderness and it’s not in Montana, Maine, or Michigan it should not be discounted.

I have seen Hell Hollow a few times on an Ohio Map, but again I discounted it.  I never gave it a fair shake.  Information for the park can be found here and here

I strapped on my waders and unlike the last time I was here in February Paine Creek was flowing with no ice jambs.

I arrived and people were at the pavilion having a little family picnic celebrating graduation.

I hiked in my waders and wading boots to the high falls that be found here N41° 40.953' W81° 06.915'. This is a double waterfall. This has two waterfalls that have been created through water erosion done differently.






A lot of the shale was covered in brown algae. This stuff grew where the water was not constantly moving over it.  This stuff was slick so slick I fell once while not really paying attention to where my feet were going.

I walked back 1.2 miles in the creek to the main falls that everyone sees and the bottom of the stairs after you walk through the woods, I am guessing 300 yards.



This creek was primarily a exposed limestone bed and extremely smooth.  It has several smooth potholes in the creek bottom from water erosion.

I remembered seeing other waterfalls downstream from the aerial photos I have seen.  I continued my creek hiking downstream.  I saw two more waterfalls after this one and I could hear another.  This waterfall can be found here N41° 41.880' W81° 07.483'



I looked downstream and the riverbed looked to had dropped 15 feet vertically downstream.  I could also hear another waterfall.  This waterfall was higher than the other one at the north most end of my hike.

This southern waterfall can be found here N41° 41.919' W81° 07.461'


This waterfall, like the more northerly one, has a great swimming hole at the bottom of it.

I climbed out of the creek and jumped onto the trail. The trail was established but it was hard to follow them as you get closer to the bottom of stairs to climb out of the gorge.

I ended my hike after climbing out of the gorge.  Hell Hollow Wilderness is an amazing little gem. This area would be great to watch birds.  The other time of year that would be great would be fall. All the hardwood trees with a mix of hemlock trees would be a great mix of fall colors and greens.

Here is an aerial view of the route.


Here is my mapping program overall hike path.


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