Visiting Three Waterfalls in Miami County

Saturday we visited three waterfalls in Miami County. Below we show what the waterfalls look like and describe their locations.

Ludlow Falls

First up was Ludlow Falls in the village of Ludlow Falls. We parked in a dirt parking lot across from the post office. The 15 ft (4.5m) high falls on Ludlow Creek is located under a highway bridge. A short path leads from the lot to the falls.

Ludlow Falls Post Office – adjacent to falls

FYI, the village, creek, and falls are named after Israel Ludlow, a surveyor who helped found Cincinnati and Dayton after the Revolutionary War.

West Milton Cascades

Next on to nearby West Milton Cascades in the neighboring town of West Milton. The waterfall is located in town near the intersection of OH-571 (Tipp Pike) and OH-48 (Main St.). The small parking lot for the falls is across OH-571 from the Masonic Lodge in a small town park. There are several observation areas and two series of stairs down to the base of the cascade. The falls is on a small stream that feeds into the Stillwater River.

Parking for falls is across OH-571 from this Masonic Lodge

Parking lot — Entrance to parking area for waterfall

Charleston Falls

Afterwards, we drove half an hour to Charleston Falls Preserve where we had a backpack lunch and went hiking. We’ve previously reviewed the preserve, which is run by Miami County. The preserve is a wonderful place to hike with varied terrain and photogenic scenery. The highlight of the preserve is 37 ft (11.3m) Charleston Falls.

Additional information

TrekOhio: Charleston Falls Preserve – park review
TrekOhio: Greenville Falls – park containing another waterfall in Miami County
TrekOhio: Waterfalls!!! – annotated list of Ohio waterfalls we’ve visited
TrekOhio: Miami County Parks & Preserves

Location

Ludlow Falls

Address: 110 Covington Ave., Ludlow Falls, Ohio 45339 (under bridge, across from Post Office)
GPS Coordinates: 39.998679, -84.338023
Google Maps: View on map or get directions

West Milton Cascade

Address: 160 E. Tipp Pike, West Milton, Ohio 45383 (near intersection of OH-571 (Tipp Pike) and OH-48 (Main St.))
GPS Coordinates: 39.964518, -84.327328
Google Maps: View on map or get directions

Charleston Falls

Address: 2535 Ross Road, Tipp City, Ohio 45371
GPS Coordinates: 39.916068, -84.148562
Google Maps: View on map or get directions

More on Waterfalls

8 thoughts on “Visiting Three Waterfalls in Miami County”

Can you take a dip in any of these falls areas ?… I have been searching for swimming holes in Ohio and Kentucky ??

Deb Platt says:

July 5, 2017 at 1:01 pm

The catch with any “swimming hole” is that the owner (park district, etc.) typically discourages or explicitly forbids swimming in these areas. With that said, I note that there is a Facebook page associated with Ludlow Falls in which one person posts about swimming there, and another person posts a link to some related YouTube videos. However, a third person posts:

And I have seen many bodies drug out of that big swimming pool …not a pretty sight. Pretty to look at and visit…not a place to swim.

I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that the park does not authorize swimming at Ludlow Falls. As to the other falls described in this article, there isn’t enough water at the base of these falls to make them work as swimming holes.

Reply
1. Sam says:
  
  January 15, 2018 at 11:08 pm
  
  There have been a few drownings at Ludlow Falls over the years. You can fish there, but no wading/swimming. The Fire Department is right there and they will call the Sheriff.
  
  Bottom line, it can be dangerous when there’s a lot of water coming over the falls. Plus, some idiots will jump from the bridge. That’s a long way (More than a 10 meter high dive) and I’m not sure it’s all that deep there.
  
  Reply

Thank you for posting the pictures of what is across/near the parking area for these falls. It will really help when I’m trying to find them on!

Bob Platt says:

April 2, 2016 at 4:20 pm

No problem! Our unofficial motto is: “TrekOhio: We get lost, so you don’t have to”.

Reply

Wonderful directions! I had a little trouble with the 2nd address but it was close enough and the coordinates were correct to find it. Thanks for the great insite; it made for a wonderful day!!

Deb Platt says:

June 24, 2015 at 5:59 pm

Kendra, I’m glad the article was helpful and that you had a good time. 🙂

Reply

We just visited the waterfall in West Milton and Charleston falls a few weeks ago when they were still partially frozen. Just gorgeous. The one in West Milton isn’t easy to find. The city really should mark that parking lot in some way so you know it’s for the park and not the business (home?) there on the corner.

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Linda says:

July 1, 2017 at 5:04 pm

Can you take a dip in any of these falls areas ?… I have been searching for swimming holes in Ohio and Kentucky ??

1. Deb Platt says:
  
  July 5, 2017 at 1:01 pm
  
  The catch with any “swimming hole” is that the owner (park district, etc.) typically discourages or explicitly forbids swimming in these areas. With that said, I note that there is a Facebook page associated with Ludlow Falls in which one person posts about swimming there, and another person posts a link to some related YouTube videos. However, a third person posts:
  
  And I have seen many bodies drug out of that big swimming pool …not a pretty sight. Pretty to look at and visit…not a place to swim.
  
  I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that the park does not authorize swimming at Ludlow Falls. As to the other falls described in this article, there isn’t enough water at the base of these falls to make them work as swimming holes.
  
  1. Sam says:
    
    January 15, 2018 at 11:08 pm
    
    There have been a few drownings at Ludlow Falls over the years. You can fish there, but no wading/swimming. The Fire Department is right there and they will call the Sheriff.
    
    Bottom line, it can be dangerous when there’s a lot of water coming over the falls. Plus, some idiots will jump from the bridge. That’s a long way (More than a 10 meter high dive) and I’m not sure it’s all that deep there.
    
Sharon says:

April 2, 2016 at 1:14 pm

Thank you for posting the pictures of what is across/near the parking area for these falls. It will really help when I’m trying to find them on!

1. Bob Platt says:
  
  April 2, 2016 at 4:20 pm
  
  No problem! Our unofficial motto is: “TrekOhio: We get lost, so you don’t have to”.
  
Kendra b says:

June 24, 2015 at 4:06 pm

Wonderful directions! I had a little trouble with the 2nd address but it was close enough and the coordinates were correct to find it. Thanks for the great insite; it made for a wonderful day!!

1. Deb Platt says:
  
  June 24, 2015 at 5:59 pm
  
  Kendra, I’m glad the article was helpful and that you had a good time. 🙂
  
Jen V says:

March 25, 2015 at 9:22 am

We just visited the waterfall in West Milton and Charleston falls a few weeks ago when they were still partially frozen. Just gorgeous. The one in West Milton isn’t easy to find. The city really should mark that parking lot in some way so you know it’s for the park and not the business (home?) there on the corner.