Cedar Falls EarthCache Hocking Hills State
Park
Waypoint -
Parking Area 39
25.090N 082 31.573W
Cedar
Falls is among the most magnificent waterfalls in the Hocking
Hills. It is the largest waterfall in the Hocking Hills by
water volume. A
stream tumbles over the face displaying the awesome
force of waterpower that has etched this gorge through the
Blackhand Sandstone for millions of years. Visible signs of erosion
are seen throughout the park displaying beautiful rock
formations.
How are Waterfalls
Made?
-
The short answer to how waterfalls get made is
"slowly"
-
There are three main ways that a waterfall can get
made. One is when a stream or river bed flows along it washes away
the soft earth or rock from around harder rock. This is called
erosion. If the softer rock is downstream from the harder rock it
will erode the soft rock away and a waterfall will form.
-
Another common way that waterfalls form is when a
glacier - a very slow moving huge river of ice - grinds it’s way
down a valley making the valley much bigger than it was. When
smaller valleys that had been running into the glacier valley are
left behind they empty any water that was flowing out of them into
the air and a waterfall is formed.
-
Sometimes in an earthquake a piece of land can be
lifted up about the land around it. If there was a river flowing
over that land an instant waterfall can form.
Source:
www.suzy.co.nz/SuzysWorld/Factpage.asp?FactSheet=207
Forming Cedar
Falls Water? Ice? or Earthquake?
WATER? YES! Of the
three main ways waterfalls are made, Cedar Falls was made by stream
erosion cutting through the Blackhand sandstone of this region. The
sandstone in the Park is layered like a sandwich. There is a harder
top and bottom layer with the middle layer much softer. The water
erodes the softer layers first.
ICE? YES and
NO Glaciers in Ohio spaired the Southeastern
part of the state, but as the glaciers rededed, the melt water
created torrents of water that helped carve the gorges and create
waterfalls in the park.
Earthquake?
NO The east coast had many earthquakes
during the formation of the Appalachian Mountain plains. The State
of Ohio has small earthquakes from time to time. This was not the
case in the formation of Cedar Falls.
A History of How Black Hand Sandstone was
Formed.
A warm shallow sea
covered Ohio more than 350 million years ago and deposited this
bedrock. Shifts in the Earth's crust uplifted the area and the sea
drained away. Varying layers were laid down ranging in
composition and hardness. The top and bottom layers are much harder
than the soft, loosely cemented middle zone. The gorge and
waterfall at Cedar Falls are carved by erosion in the softer middle
zone by water erosion of the upper tributary.
No matter what time of year you visit,
Cedar Falls is spectacular. When the snows of winter melt in
springtime, Cedar Falls begins flowing at full capacity. In winter
you can see large ice formations. In summer months, the falls slow down a
bit. The breathtaking scenery near the Falls is well worth the
trip.
Parking area has facilities – restrooms, picnic
tables, and shelter house. Cedar Falls is not wheelchair
accessible. Be very
cautious - Steep cliff area. Stay on
paths.
Day-use areas of Hocking Hills State
Park open half an hour before sunrise and close half an hour after
sunset. The park is available for recreational use
year-round.
Getting
There
Waypoint is to the Parking area. Begin
here and hike the trail to the falls. There will be a steep
elevation change. Trail is well marked. Stairs will lead you
to the packed rock and dirt path that follows the Creek to the
Falls. Along your way you will pass two footbridges crossing
the Creek.
Map Found on "Friends of Hocking Hills"
Webpage
Top O' The
Falls
You may also want to
view the top to better classify the Falls. You will have to drive
to the top of the falls. You cannot hike to the top. There is
a Parking area above the Falls with a bridge and footpath to view
the top. A Gristmill was here many years
ago.
CAUTION -
STEEP CLIFF AREA!
What Type of Waterfall is Cedar Falls?
Waterfall Classifications
|
Every waterfall is totally unique in it's own way, there are 10
general forms that a waterfall can assume. Most waterfalls exhibit
more than one form.
Use this guide to classify Cedar Falls. Classify the falls
in one or more classification and describe aspects of the falls
that lead you to this conclusion.
|
Block |
A waterfall in a Block form occurs over a wide breadth of the
stream. The waterfall must be wider than it is
tall. A waterfall with this form does not have to be a
solid sheet of water across it's entire width. |
|
Cascade |
A waterfall of a Cascade form descends over, gradually
sloping rocks, a series of small steps in quick succession, or a
rugged sloping surface of some kind. Cascades can be
both gradual and steep. |
|
Curtain |
Curtain waterfalls occur along a wide breadth of stream where
the falls must be taller than it is wide. A waterfall of
this form often becomes narrower in low discharge
periods. |
|
Fan |
Waterfalls of a Fan form occur when the breadth of the water
in the waterfall increases during it's decent, causing the
base of the falls to appear much wider than the top of the
falls. |
|
Horsetail |
Horsetail waterfalls are characterized by the constant or
semi-constant contact the water maintains with the bedrock as
it falls. Horsetail waterfalls can be almost vertical, as
well as very gradual. |
|
Plunge |
The classic and overly clichéd waterfall form, where the
water drops vertically, losing most, or all contact with the
rock face. This waterfall form has also been referred to as a
"Cataract" and a "Vertical" form waterfall. |
|
Punchbowl |
Punchbowl waterfalls, coined from the famous Punch Bowl Falls in
Oregon, occur where the stream is constricted to a narrow
breadth and is forcefully shot outward and downward into a
large pool. |
|
Segmented |
Segmented waterfalls occur where the stream is broken into
two or more channels before descending over the cliff, causing
multiple falls to occur side by side. |
|
Slide |
Similar to a cascade, a Slide type waterfall descends a
smooth, gradual rock surface. Slide waterfalls maintain
constant contact with the bedrock, and are often seen in areas
where granite rocks are common. |
|
Tiered |
Tiered waterfalls are characterized by multiple distinct
drops in relatively close succession to one another.
Whether or not a waterfall with two visible drops counts as a
tiered waterfall is up to the beholder. We typically require
tiers to be visible together and within a given distance of each
other. | |
http://www.world-waterfalls.com/help.php#class
Your Educational Task
- Classify the waterfall using the chart above. Describe why you
chose the classification(s).
- Visit the marker at the base of the falls and explain why the
Falls were misnamed "Cedar" Falls.
- What creek tumbles over the Falls?
- Take a picture of yourself and post.
Park Rules
- Stay on designated paths. Many plants and animals in the park
are protected and endangered.
- Staying on the paths assures your own safety. Dangerous cliffs
are all over the park.
- Dogs on leashes.
- Park Closes at Dusk
- Special thanks to
Chris Grupenhof, Assistant Park
Manager
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