Hiking to Crazy Man's Hollow Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Hiking to Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a short but memorable off-trail adventure that feels far removed from the busy Towpath just minutes away. After leaving the trail near a small footbridge over Chaffee Run, the hike follows the stream upstream into a narrowing ravine, where fallen trees, rock shelves, and twisting bends keep things interesting without ever feeling difficult. The ravine is lined with mature hemlocks that add color and character, especially in winter, and the quiet grows deeper the farther you go. In less than a mile, the fifty-foot waterfall comes into view, tucked into the steep walls of the hollow and often frozen solid in colder months. It’s a hike that rewards curiosity and a willingness to get your feet a little wet, offering solitude and a surprisingly big payoff for such a short distance.

Trailhead elevation 623'

Water seasonal from Chaffee Run

Don't miss hiking to the falls when they freeze

Hiking to Crazy Man's Hollow Falls

A few days after hiking to Twin Sister Falls and Contour Falls—two waterfalls south of Station Road Bridge—I head back out to revisit Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls. It’s been years since my last visit, and after weeks of below-freezing temperatures, I’m expecting the falls to be in prime winter form. I reach the Station Road Bridge Trailhead about an hour before sunset and get moving.

After crossing Station Road Bridge over the Cuyahoga River at Pinery Narrows—the narrowest stretch of the gorge—I turn right onto the Towpath Trail and head south.

About 0.4 miles from the trailhead, I reach a small, snow-covered footbridge spanning Chaffee Run, the stream that feeds Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls.

Just ten feet beyond it, I turn left and begin working my way into the ravine, hiking upstream along the frozen run.

Like the ravines leading to Contour Falls and Twin Sister Falls, this one is littered with fallen trees, but none present much of a challenge. And while the stream is frozen, it cracks every few hundred feet beneath my feet—something I’m not entirely thrilled about.

As I continue upstream, the ravine twists and narrows, pulling me deeper into the valley. Mature hemlocks add a splash of green to an otherwise stark hardwood forest. It’s another beautiful winter day in the valley, and this ravine may be the most scenic—and easiest to navigate—along this stretch of the Towpath. Certainly, it's nothing like the two falls to the north.

At 0.8 miles in, I reach the fifty-foot Crazy Man’s Hollow Falls (AKA Chaffee Run Falls) and find it frozen solid. I’m surprised to see another hiker out here, especially this late in the day and at such a lesser-known spot. After he heads out, I stick around for a bit, take a few photos, and enjoy the silence.

After about twenty minutes at the falls, I head back the way I came, happy that I could carve out an hour during an otherwise hectic day.

After I get back to the trailhead, I toss on a dry pair of shoes, crank the heater up to full blast, and high tail it out of there. With another snowstorm rolling in, sticking around with these wheels isn't worth it. Overall, the hike was great and felt much like visits to Twin Sister Falls and Contour Falls, both of which lie just a short distance to the north. In terms of Winter "wow factor," Twin Sister Falls probably gets the nod, with Crazy Man's Hollow Falls a very close second. In winter, they're both pretty special.