Mary Campbell Cave

Mary Campbell Cave — more accurately a shallow rock shelter than a true cave — sits in the gorge walls along the Cuyahoga River. The formation is a natural overhang of layered shale, large enough to provide shelter but far from dramatic as geological formations go. Its interest is almost entirely historical: it is associated with Mary Campbell, one of the first white Europeans documented to have been brought to this part of Ohio during the period of Delaware Indian settlement in the 1760s.

The site is accessible via trails in Gorge Metro Park and is marked with a historical sign. It draws visitors who are interested in the layered Native American and colonial history of the region rather than the geology itself. The surrounding gorge trail offers better scenery than the cave, but combining the historical site with a longer walk through the gorge makes for a satisfying half-day outing.

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A story
Mary Campbell was a twelve-year-old Pennsylvania girl captured by Delaware Indians in 1759 and brought to live near this rock shelter. She remained with the tribe for several years, becoming one of the first white children documented to have lived along this stretch of the Cuyahoga. She was eventually returned to her family during treaty negotiations in 1764.

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