Tucked into the southern rim of Hocking Hills, this vast recess cave opens like a sandstone sanctuary, shaped not by hands but by water and time. The trail leading in is quiet, hemmed by hemlocks and the soft murmur of a creek, until the forest parts and the cave rises: 700 feet wide, 100 feet deep, and crowned by a seasonal waterfall that spills like a veil from the rim above.

Hocking Hills State Park has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 30 years—from a beloved regional retreat to one of the most visited and celebrated natural destinations in the entire Midwest

“What is he looking at,” asked a casual observer? During a recent photography outing to the Hocking Hills area in southern Ohio, I was approached by another photographer at one location who introduced himself and his partner. I recall they mentioned they organized photo adventures for groups. They were curious about me because as they noticed me working, they thought I must clearly be seeing or looking for different subject matter than they were.