I have been on kick this year of going to nature parks and covered bridges. The great thing about…read moreboth of them is that there are some real hidden gems out there. The difficult part is being able to do a review on them since they are difficult to find on the computer. This one of the few I have found. It is easy to get to and has a large gravel parking area. The trails are well maintained with nice views. Some unique tree formations (spikes). There is no difficult hiking here. There are no restrooms. If you are looking for a quiet afternoon with small group or with family, try this park out.

This is a great nature preserve for this area. It has an excellent trail that is about 2.25 miles…read morelong and is not very difficult. The first 0.25 miles are handicap accessible. The remainder of the trail is a hiking trail through grass plains and woods. It crosses the headwaters stream a few times and ends at an overlook that gives a nice view of the headwaters stream. This is a great place to take a relaxing walk. You can take your dog too. There is parking available. There is no great place for a picnic. The place is around 800 acres and the hike goes through only a small portion of it. There are great opportunities to see wildlife. They have done a great job preserving the grounds and the water. We have taken our dog several times, she has gone into some taller grass and we have found a couple ticks on her, so be sure to check yourself and pets after you go.

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve is my first state park I have visited in Ohio, and it did not…read moredisappoint. I'm not a hiker, but I found the trail to be a somewhat easy hike for a senior and the walkways and guardrails were well-maintained. There are lots of benches to sit on to take in nature, darling native plants, and plenty of interesting facts to read about along the trail. We saw photos and explanations of how the Little Miami River was used to power grist and cotton mills, paper factories, and breweries. In the information building, we were greeted by the very friendly ranger, who gave us a botanical identification brochure (it would have been very useful during the hike) and introduced us to the turtles in their enclosure. The preserve was quiet, and we enjoyed ourselves so much. This is just the start of our adventure of the Clifton Gorge, and there are so many more activities to explore. We hope to be back during another season when the water in the gorge is flowing more rapidly.

A truly beautiful Ohio state park. It is 260+ acres and backs up to another park- the John Bryan…read morePark. You can take trails between both parks - so you can hike for miles! The little Miami river runs through it. We hiked a loop. Starting by at the North Rim trail by the nature center and taking it to its end, which actually is in the John Bryan state park. We then looped over to the John Rich trail and hiked back. The total hike approximately 4.3 miles. But of course, there are multiple trails and options for length of hike. What made this hike absolutely beautiful was the deep gorge and valley into the river. The northern rim is on top of the gorge and the John Rich trail follows at the base of the gorge alongthe river. There are stunning views from the top of the gorge looking down, as well as numerous places with bolts for rock climbing. It is heavily wooded and provides for nice shade in the warm weather months. Along the lower trail you can experience river up close. The views are stunning. We saw a large Great Blue Heron on the bank looking eagerly for its next meal. The heavily wooded area provides for a wealth of plant life including beautiful ferns and in the sunny spots, wildflowers. There are picnic areas located along the trails as well as benches and overlooks. There are no entrance fees.

Hadn't been here in years. They now charge for parking. I found free parking across the street…read more The building at the entrance was open and has one bathroom and water fountain but can't count on it being open. I went down the stone stairs ... they were slippery but was glad i still could manage them. They have changed things ... added wooden pathways and more water at the bottom of the stairs. I'd hoped walk to both waterfalls. But wearing new shoes and saw it was muddy. So just headed back up the stairs to the car. They have bird feeders at the buildings. Nice place to hike. Parking is 10 bucks.

Let's start off with the only thing that took me as interesting. They charge $10 for parking. It's…read morea non profit so I guess this is to help in taking care of the the facilities and help pay the staff. I'd never been here but the lovely Mrs went to camp here with her 8th grade class back in the 80's. I'd never been so was kind of curious about it as I was under the impression that it's just a park where kids could learn about nature and all its magic. What I found out is that it is an incredible wandering path. Lots of things to see like waterfalls, rock formations and even a path where you get from one side to the other by stepping from stone to stone. Lots of folks, lots of pets, big and small. The education center had a park employee out there with a bigger falcon, then a smaller falcon and then the gorgeous barn owl. The folks inside the education center were incredibly helpful and knew a ton about the inhabitants of the 'enclosures'. My favorite was the teeny tiny Megatron who's the smallest and cutest owl I've ever seen. Park isn't marked very well. They suggest you download the digital map from the QR code as you walk toward the very nice restroom facility. This is very nice but... the signs(pieces of paper with numbers written on them) with the corresponding numbers from the map are either missing, blurred due to water or faded from the sun. I'm hoping one of the Boy Scouts we saw while here takes it upon themselves to start their petition to create more permanent signs for their 'Eagle' comprehensive service project. There were so many times we were like...where are we. Plenty of trash to pick up so if you're like me, bring a small grocery bag and leave it better than you came. Thank you to the nice couple with the long haired dachshund who climbed the rocky pylon to help me get the cup that had been left there. It makes me happy that there are people still out there willing to help me with such simple but worthwhile side projects.

I love this park!!! It is so beautiful and so spacious. I come here for walks or runs with my…read morehusband or friends. The children's play area is very unique and fun. They have paved paths and some trails as well. The waterfall is gorgeous! It's one of those parks that you wouldn't expect in the middle of a city, but I'm so glad I visited the first time and will continue to come back

The park is located on the site of the old Marble Cliff Quarry. Aside from our favorite dog park…read morenow, the overall park includes 182-acres of hiking/walking trails, observations areas, mountain bike trail, observation areas, a waterfall, lakes, and a sport climbing area. It has been years since I have been out here and to say I was impressed was an understatement. I can't wait to come back here. You can learn more at https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/quarry-trails/

A small park tucked between a quiet neighborhood and a river, with a short boardwalk to a beautiful…read morewaterfall. The flow of the falls will fluctuate a good bit, depending on the season or rainfall. When the water levels are low, there's not going to be much to see. But after a rain or snow melt, this waterfall becomes pretty impressive! The boardwalk can become slick in shaded areas. Keep in mind that you're directly behind people's homes & yards, so be respectful of the shared space.

This park has a very limited parking area. It is located on the side of the road and has maybe…read moreeight parking spots. Then you climb four steps, cross a small platform area and next it is 48 stairs straight down. The walk from there is a nice boardwalk to a relativity small waterfall.

Was my first time here ... stopped by later in the day .. around 4 on a rainy spring day. Came…read morehoping to see the waterfall but was debating if going walking around alone was safe or a good idea. It kept spitting rain and no one around .. didn't know if it felt peaceful or eerie. I saw cute yellow birds while watching from the car .. the dandelions were moving and turns out it was lots of yellow birds (i think American finches .. more than 10) . the rain stopped and i had decided to not try it and was just about to drive away when a lady drove up and started to walk by herself. I asked her if it was safe to walk alone and she said she did it all the time and kindly invited me to walk with her. We walked the paved bike trail by the river .. we chatted a bit and enjoyed nature .. the mature trees, birds singing .. in midst of the road noise.Turns out this paved trail is a part of Great Miami trail. I'm glad the nice lady came by and i got to explore here. Will definitely come back. Uhhh no didn't ever see the waterfall turns out it was on the other side of the road from the bike trail and the parking lot ... and it was closed due to corona virus.

Easy to get to, nice paved trail that borders the Miami River. Peaceful walk, we loved it.read more

This is a very beginner friendly, short walk through a lovely trail in Dublin. Almost all shaded…read moreand on a clear trail, partially on a wooden broad walk, this is a very easy and beautiful walk to a small waterfall. This is a lovely and quiet walk, with a few look-out balconies and a nice bridge. You can park at bridge park or the parking lot provided and enter the trail from there. We love this nature walk!

Another beautiful place in Dublin to spot gorgeous waterfalls. Indian Run Falls is an unassuming…read morepark -- it's tucked in a spot right off a major street. But once you start heading onto the path, you discover that there is more to this place than you see from the parking lot. If you want to get right next to some small waterfalls, like touch them with your fingers, this is the place to visit. The waterfalls are smaller, but I liked that we could get up close to the water and experience it in a tactile way. Being right up in the water's business allowed for some really great photos, too -- the waterfall area is a great place to take photos. The hike through Indiana Run Falls is very easy, but there are some areas that require walking up and down steps, so it might not be the easiest hike for someone in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller. Otherwise, this is a great place to visit, and it's a good hike for kids because it's very short and sweet.

Recommended by Kid K's teacher, this is a beautiful nature preserve. K wanted a playground, of…read morecourse, and there is a natural play area that is, well, just logs and rocks. Not much of a much. Maybe it is being rebuilt? But there is a small building with bathrooms and what looks like it will be a nature center, and tons of trails up and down the hills. Surrounded by development, but fairly quiet, at least on an early spring weekday afternoon. Saved because of its creeks and hills and gullies, surely. Lots of shale outcrops, some decent elevation changes, well-developed paths mixed with more basic ones, decent parking. Far from our usual routes, but worth a detour.

Great park with walking paths, picnic tables and natural kids play areas! Named after the round…read moreshale rocks found in the park!

Love when falls are frozen. Path was cleared off. Worth coming for a quick look. Today was bit…read morewarmer so not too miserable cold. You can view from top but the real view requires stairs.

Stopped by to see the falls today, early March, after three days of off-and-on rain and the falls…read moredidn't disappoint Always good to see the transition from winter to spring this time of year. Subtle buds are starting to come out and the moss plus fungi are coming to life It's always good to get a break from the stresses of life by logging a couple of miles in nature! #SpringVibes #NatureLover #HikingAdventure #CharlestonFalls

What an unexpected find! Wide trails. Clean. Well kept. A great place for a trail run, jog or just…read morea leisurely walk. Dogs must be on leashes (duh). No bicycle but connects to a horse trail in the back. Part of the Honey Creek Watershed this park has a mile long nature trail that follows Honey Creek through a prairie, wetlands and a woodland area. The Great Miami River Recreational Trail is adjacent to this park (requires fording Honey Creek). This includes 4.6 miles of Bridle trail.