Spring is a great time to see Ohio waterfalls. Many Ohio waterfalls dry up in the summer heat. But in spring, with melting snow, saturated ground, and rain showers, these waterfalls can be quite spectacular. Below is a list of some of the Ohio waterfalls we’ve visited categorized by geographic region.
Central Ohio
- Hayden Falls (Franklin County) – an easily accessible waterfall in the city limits of Columbus
- Honey Run Falls (Knox County) – a waterfall across from a park with hiking trails
- Rock Mill (Fairfield County) – a waterfall, a covered bridge and a restored grist mill.
- Blackhand Gorge (Licking County) – a couple of small seasonal waterfalls on the Marie Hickey Trail and one on the Chestnut Trail
Southeast Ohio
Southeast Ohio is waterfalls central with a large number of waterfalls particularly in the Hocking Hills region.
- Hocking Hills State Park (Hocking County) contains numerous waterfalls at different sites in the park.
- Old Man’s Cave – a long sandstone gorge containing cascading streams that form several large waterfalls. The main falls include the photogenic Upper Falls, a couple of Middle Falls, and the spectacular Lower Falls. Beyond the Lower Falls in a side canyon, you’ll find Broken Rock Falls.
- Cedar Falls – located down the road from Old Man’s Cave
- Grandma Gatewood (Blue) Trail – if you hike from Old Man’s Cave to Cedar Falls (3 miles one way) in the spring, you’ll encounter several seasonal waterfalls including ‘Whispering Falls’, particularly after heavy rains.
- Ash Cave – one of the highest falls in the state, the falls plummets 90 feet landing at the base of a sandstone recess cave.
- Cantwell Cliffs contains several seasonal waterfalls
- Rockhouse has a seasonal waterfall to one side of the sandstone cave after heavy rains
- Rock Stalls (Hocking County) – several waterfalls on the rim of a box canyon
- Rockbridge (Hocking County) – a small seasonal falls to one side of the natural stone arch.
- Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve (Jackson County) – a nice cascade waterfall on the Pine Ridge Trail
- Boord State Nature Preserve (Washington County) – a small seasonal waterfall
- Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve: Robinson Falls (Hocking County)- a small waterfall in Hocking County (permit required to visit)
Southwest Ohio
- Charleston Falls (Miami County) – a 37 foot waterfall in the midst of a park with wonderful hiking trails
- Greenville Falls (Miami County) – a 20 foot cascade falls in a park with trails and historic artifacts
- Englewood Metropark (Montgomery County) – you can go on a series of trails forming a loop that visit three small waterfalls.
- West Milton Cascades (Miami County) – a cascading falls in a small park in the town of West Milton
- Ludlow Falls (Miami County) – falls under a highway bridge in village of Ludlow
- Clifton Gorge (Greene County) – a series of waterfalls cascading through a stone canyon. Plenty of hiking opportunities at the gorge and adjacent John Bryan State Park
- Glen Helen Preserve (Greene County) – several small waterfalls and miles of hiking trails.
- Miller Nature Sanctuary (Highland County) – several small seasonal waterfalls
- Fallsville Wildlife Area (Highland County) – Fallsville Falls
- Caesar Creek State Park (Warren County) – contains Horseshoe Falls & Crawdad Falls
- Indian Mound Reserve (Greene County) – contains Cedar Cliff Falls – actually a spillway from a former mill plus some small falls in a gorge valley
- John and Marion Becker Cedar Falls Preserve – scenic hiking trail ending with 15 foot waterfall in Adams County
Northeast Ohio
- Mohican State Park (Ashland County) – Big Lyons and Little Lyons Falls on scenic hiking trails
- Brandywine Falls (Summit County) – spectacular waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Blue Hen Falls (Summit County) – waterfall on Spring Creek in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Gorge Metropark – (Summit County) – contains a large spillway from a former powerplant in downtown Akron
- Nelson Kennedy Ledges (Portage County) – hiking trail passes through amazing maze of rock clefts and slump blocks ending a scenic cascade falls
- Paine Falls Park (Lake County) – view a cascading waterfall from park observation deck
- Beach City Wildlife Area – Dundee Falls (Tuscarawas County) – a 12-15 ft high waterfall in a state wildlife area
- Mill Creek Park (Mahoning County) – 23 ft high waterfall adjacent to an operating grist mill
Other Waterfalls
Here’s a list of a few Ohio waterfalls we haven’t visited (yet!).
- Sheepskin Hollow (Columbiana County)
- Bedford Reservation (Cuyahoga County)
- Indian Run Falls – a small waterfall in Dublin, OH
- Chagrin Falls – a waterfall in the village of the same name (Cuyahoga County)
- Chair Factory Falls – a small waterfall in (Lake County) on the Greenway Corridor
Along with waterfalls, the spring is also “mud season”; trails are likely to be muddy, so dress appropriately. Also be careful around rivers and creeks containing fast running water. They present the dual danger of drowning and (especially in the early spring) hypothermia.
So that’s our list of Ohio waterfalls. It is by no means exhaustive. What’s your favorite Ohio waterfall? Did we leave out any interesting ones? Tell us about them!
TrekOhio visits Ohio Waterfalls
Greenville Falls State Scenic River Area
Charleston Falls Preserve
Honey Run Highlands Park
Clifton Gorge in Spring
© Deborah Platt, Robert Platt and TrekOhio.com 2012 to 2021
I sent you a reminder a couple of years ago with no response…I can’t believe you don’t know about Cedar Falls SNP in Adams County off of Cole Rd…Prettiest in Ohio…great spring wildflowers…check it out…just outside the little hamlet of Cedar Mills..good luck…F
The Cedar Falls located near Cedar Mills in Adams County is not a state nature preserve (SNP). It is actually owned by The Nature Conservancy and is part of the much larger Edge of Appalachia Preserve System. Cedar Falls has never been open to the public except for guided hikes led by staff or those with an off-trail access permit. However, in the spring of 2020, a new public hiking trail will be opened to the falls that will originate at Cedar Mills and follow the valley northward. It is a pretty location but also quite sensitive to off-trail impacts – hence the restriction thus far. For more info, contact the Edge of Appalachia Preserve.
There is a waterfall in East Monroe, Ohio. It is just to the east of the railroad crossing on Monroe Rd (off SR28). The railroad tracks cross right above the falls
Jim, thanks for sharing information on the waterfall near Monroe Road.
Cedarville, OH in Greene county has a waterfall at the Indian Mound Reserve Park. It’s beautiful. http://cedarvilleohio.net/CedarvilleTourism.htm
If you visit Blue hen falls, continue about another 1/2 mile downstream, the trail makes several river crossings, you will arrive at another hidden waterfall, bridal veil falls. (A popular name for several falls in the area)
ever been to blue hen falls in the Cuyahoga national park
No, I’ll have to add it to the list above. We haven’t spent much time at Cuyahoga Valley NP, but would like to do so.