Posted in Hiking, Park review, Southwestern Ohio

Charleston Falls Preserve

Charleston Falls Preserve is 216 acre park in Miami County that’s perfect for outdoor trips for the whole family. We visited on a cool, but sunny weekend in early May. Many people were taking advantage of the fine weather to admire the scenery or get some exercise while walking their dog.

This is Charleston Falls.


Kids playing at the pond’s edge
Cute sign in the pond

The park features 3.74 miles of well-laid out trails, with bridges, wide wooden stairs, observation decks, boardwalks, and strategically placed benches in some of the most scenic locales.

View from one of the benches
There was a bridge for people who didn’t want to cross using the stepping-stones.

The park features varied terrain including forested hills, cliffs, prairie, and a pond. The highlight of the park is a 37 foot waterfall. Trails, stairs, and observation decks allow a view of the falls from both above and below.

There’s a nice boardwalk and observation deck at the foot of the falls.
The trail leads to the top of the cliffs.
Virginia Bluebells sprouting from the cliff

Nearby is a small “crawl-able” limestone cave. The cave was a big hit with children that day, who liked to crawl into it, but then had to be cajoled by their parents to move on to the next attraction.

Crawl-able cave

Other features include an observation tower on a hilltop, built by the Boy Scouts, a pond / wetland area, and a valley filled with Redbud trees. The trees were just beginning to blossom the day we visited.

Hill-top observation tower built by Boy Scouts Troup 103
View from observation tower
This observation deck in a meadow was a nice spot for birding.
Boardwalk trail with benches
Gravel trail

Park facilities include a parking area, picnic tables, drinking water, restrooms, and a picnic area. The Miami County Park District offers a variety of programs at the park for adults and children throughout the year.

Kiosk at the trailhead
Additional information
  • TrekOhio: Miami County Parks & Preserves — This is the county where Carleston Falls is located; check out this page for links to the official website and for information on nearby parks and preserves.




Location

Address: 2535 Ross Road Tipp City, Ohio 45371


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© Deborah Platt, Robert Platt and TrekOhio.com 2012 to 2021


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