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.