Hiking The West Woods: Ansel's Cave, Bootlegging Legends, and Hidden History in Geauga County

One of the most interesting hikes in Geauga County, Ohio, can be found at The West Woods, a 956-acre preserve in Russell and Newbury townships. Part of the Geauga Park District, this beautiful park features towering sandstone ledges, deep wooded ravines, and a fascinating history filled with stories of early settlers, counterfeiters, and Prohibition-era bootleggers. Its most intriguing landmark is Ansel's Cave, a secluded rock shelter that has inspired local legends for more than a century. For hikers who enjoy discovering the history behind the landscapes they explore, The West Woods offers much more than a peaceful walk through the forest.

Trail Info

Length 5 miles

Elevation gain 455 feet

Route Loop

Permit required No

Dogs allowed On leash

Trailhead elevation 1,090'

Water from the Nature Center

Hiking The West Woods

The hike begins at the large parking area near The West Woods Nature Center, located along State Route 87 in Russell Township. The Nature Center is a worthwhile stop before or after your hike, featuring exhibits highlighting the park's geology, wildlife, and natural history. From the parking area, a network of well-maintained trails leads into a beautiful hardwood forest dominated by towering beech, maple, and oak trees. Although much of the surrounding landscape feels remarkably untouched, the woods have a surprisingly rich human history that stretches back to the earliest days of European settlement in Geauga County.

• 

• 

The park's unusual name dates to the early 1800s, when much of this area was still a heavily forested wilderness. In 1818, Gideon Russell and his family settled in what would eventually become Russell Township, reportedly living as the township's only residents for about two years. People in neighboring Newbury Township began referring to the largely unsettled forest as the "West Woods," a name that endured for generations.

In 1885, local author A.G. Riddle published The Young Sugar Makers of The West Woods, a story inspired by the region's pioneer-era landscape. The modern park eventually adopted its name from the book, preserving a connection to the area's earliest settlers.

As the trail continues deeper into the forest, the terrain becomes increasingly rugged, with wooded slopes, small streams, and impressive sandstone formations emerging from the hillsides. These ledges belong to the Sharon conglomerate, a rock formation created from ancient sediments deposited around 300 million years ago. Over millions of years, flowing water, erosion, and repeated freezing and thawing gradually carved the sandstone into the cliffs, narrow recesses, and overhangs visible today.

Similar formations can be found at Nelson-Kennedy Ledges, Liberty Park, and the Ledges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Among the most fascinating formations in The West Woods is Ansel's Cave, a massive sandstone rock shelter that has been the subject of local stories for generations. Despite its name, Ansel's Cave isn't a traditional underground cavern. Instead, it's a series of recessed sandstone ledges and overhangs created by erosion.

• 

• 

The formation takes its name from Ansel Savage, an early resident who reportedly lived near the cave during the nineteenth century. Although local folklore sometimes portrays Savage as a reclusive hermit, historical accounts indicate that he was actually involved in local government, serving as a Newbury Township trustee in 1828 and a Russell Township trustee in 1833.

Ansel's Cave also contains an unusual collection of historical inscriptions left behind by people who visited the formation during the nineteenth century. Approximately 25 inscriptions have been documented on the sandstone, including signatures dating to the 1870s. The oldest reported inscription dates to 1873, providing a tangible connection to visitors who explored these same woods more than 150 years ago. Long before the area became a protected park, the cave was apparently a well-known local landmark that attracted curious residents and travelers.

Perhaps the most entertaining stories surrounding Ansel's Cave involve its supposed use as a hideout for criminals. During Prohibition, from 1920 to 1933, local legend suggests that bootleggers used the secluded rock shelter to conceal illegal liquor or conduct moonshining operations. With its dense surrounding forest, deep ravines, and massive sandstone overhangs, the location certainly would have offered plenty of opportunities to remain hidden from authorities. However, there is little documented evidence confirming that an illegal distillery actually operated here, so the story is best understood as a longstanding piece of local folklore rather than established fact.

Interestingly, the cave's association with criminal activity predates Prohibition by several decades. In 1893, A.G. Riddle published another work titled Ansel's Cave, a historical romance that featured a fictional counterfeiting operation hidden among the sandstone formations. The story helped reinforce the cave's mysterious reputation and demonstrated that the formation had captured the local imagination long before stories of bootleggers began circulating. Other legends suggest that Ansel's Cave sheltered freedom seekers traveling the Underground Railroad or was used by soldiers during the Civil War, although neither claim has been conclusively documented.

It's important to know that Ansel's Cave itself is located within a restricted area of the preserve. While the public Ansel's Cave Trail allows visitors to experience the surrounding woodland landscape, entering the actual rock shelter is not permitted without authorization. Geauga Park District occasionally offers naturalist-led programs that provide access to the formation, allowing visitors to learn about its geology, historical inscriptions, and unusual legends while protecting the fragile environment.

• 

• 

Beyond the cave, The West Woods contains other reminders of Geauga County's early settlement. During the mid-1800s, David Robinson and his family established a homestead on property that would eventually become part of the preserve. Remnants of the Robinson family cemetery still exist within the park, offering a fascinating reminder that portions of today's forest were once occupied by farms and family homesteads. Over the following century, much of the land passed through private ownership before conservation efforts began transforming it into the public preserve visitors enjoy today.

The preservation of The West Woods began taking shape in 1992, when Lewis and Ruth Affelder offered Geauga Park District approximately 85 acres of land. Additional purchases followed, including more than 500 acres offered by ASM International in 1994. Local conservationist William D. Ginn helped secure financing and organize a fundraising campaign to protect the property, and another 100 acres were added in 1996. The West Woods Nature Center eventually opened in 2002, providing visitors with a place to learn about the natural and cultural history of this remarkable landscape.

• 

• 

For those interested in extending their hike, the park's trail network also provides access to Affelder Falls, a picturesque waterfall reached by connecting the Pioneer Bridle Trail, Affelder Link, and Falls Trail. The waterfall is particularly scenic after heavy rainfall and during winter, when freezing temperatures can transform the surrounding rock into a display of icicles. The park's streams are also environmentally significant. Three tributaries of Silver Creek have been used by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to reintroduce native brook trout, a threatened species in Ohio.

Whether you're drawn to the sandstone formations, peaceful woodland scenery, or unusual stories surrounding Ansel's Cave, The West Woods is easily one of the most interesting hiking destinations in Geauga County. The 1.5-mile Ansel's Cave Trail is especially worthwhile for history lovers, combining beautiful forest scenery with a landscape that has inspired stories for more than a century. In fact, the trail was voted the number-one favorite in Geauga Park District's 2024 Top 10 Trails contest. With its combination of ancient geology, pioneer history, and mysterious local folklore, The West Woods offers a hiking experience that becomes even more fascinating once you know the stories behind it.