Posted March 5, 200916 yr Clifton Gorge Authored by Sherman Cahal on March 4, 2009 at American Byways The central segment of Ohio is a relatively placid, dotted with homesteads and expanse farms that live on to what seems like to infinity. That's why it is a surprise to come upon a gem such as Clifton Gorge snuggled amongst these farmlands in a untypical location, with it's post-glacial canyons, rapids and waterfalls offering a stark contrast to the flat fields and meandering streams that are only just outside its borders. Clifton Gorge is a region that is encompassed within Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve and in John Bryan State Park, named for the citizen who deeded his farm to the state for conservation purposes. Portions of the reserve are designated national natural landmarks, a testament to the beauty of this relatively small park. Within the combined boundaries are numerous small, yet histrionic waterfalls and rapids at the headwaters of the Little Miami River, a copious collection of wildflowers that present their best during the spring and fall months, illustrious rock formations and highwalls, and well groomed and maintained trails lined with wooden boardwalks and well worn stone steps. The park is home to numerous species of turtles, frogs, birds, mammals and invertebrates, as well as several varieties of fish, such as smallmouth bass and rock bass. Clifton Gorge also serves as the northern terminus of the Little Miami State and National Scenic River, first designated as such with the passing of the 1968 Wild and Scenic River Act. 1 2 3 4 Little Miami River 5 6 7 Amphitheatre Falls is a small 25-foot waterfall, frozen in this photograph. During the summer, it can dry to a trickle. 8 'The Blue Hole, Little Miami River': In 1851, this view of the Little Miami River inspired Robert Duncanson, a young Cincinnati, Ohio artist. Duncanson was born in New York in 1821 to an African-American mother and a Scotch-Canadian father, and he spent his childhood in Canada. In 1842, he relocated to Cincinnati, where his paintings caught the attention of Nicholas Longworth, who aided in the success of a rising Duncanson. Duncanson traveled extensively in the United States and Europe selling his works, before dying in Detroit in 1872. 'The Blue Hole, Little Miami River' can be seen in the Cincinnati Art Museum. 9 South Gorge Trail crossing over the Little Miami in the summer... 10 ...and winter. 11 Spot the motorcycle? 12 View more information and check out many more photographs at the Clifton Gorge article! I've also given the site a huge graphical overhaul, please check it out. Enjoy.
March 5, 200916 yr Just an FYI, Clifton Gorge is in Southwest Ohio, not Central. Wonderful photos. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 5, 200916 yr Southwest Ohio is mainly rolling hills and former and current farmland. Clifton Gorge, as well as the Ft. Ancient valley, don't really belong in this area. If you look at a topo map, those two spots along the Little Miami river are basically geological freaks of nature. The explanation I've read is that the glaciers that scoured the rest of this region "missed" those deeper parts of the river vally, so the remaining geology there is basically a little piece of West Virginia or Hocking Hills in the plains.
March 5, 200916 yr I prefer nearby Cedarville Falls/Indian Mound reserve for personal reasons, but between those two as well as Glen Helen in Yellow Springs, there are some very scenic areas very close to each other. Great photos. Thanks for posting them and the thread serves as a reminder for me to come back soon. To think Cave Creek (the former 7 Caves) charges $10 while these gems are all free.
March 5, 200916 yr I've wanted to visit Cave Creek for a while: is it worth the drive to check it out? Thanks for the comments all :) Clifton Gorge reminds me a lot of Red River, sans the arches, and it welcomed me into the state at a time when I thought all of western Ohio was flat :P
March 5, 200916 yr Re: Cave Canyon/7 Caves: I read somewhere that the current format (guided tours conducted on a schedule) is quite lame and unsatisfying compared to the old commercial use of the caves. Basically, when 7 Caves was under commercial ownership, the tours were self-guided, which made it a really private and enjoyable time. Yes, proles could toss their candy bar wrappers into the caves and sneak in a hammer to break off formations, but the place attracted so few visitors by the early 2000s that I didn't see it as much of a problem. (It's Cave Canyon, not Cave Creek. Run by the Highland Nature Sanctuary.) Here's a bit more. Apparently you can't get near the caves now. They are trying to protect bats that nest in the caves. http://www.highlandssanctuary.org/Caves/7.caves.htm
March 5, 200916 yr Oh, now I remember. Highland Nature Sanctuary is attempting to restore the cave to its natural state after years of abuse. There was a fantastic article about this in one of my magazines (I think it may have been in a Kentucky magazine of all places), and it had photographs of the severe damage that was done as a result of the mismanagement over the years. The bats are probably the endangered Indiana Bats, which are very sensitive to human populations. As a result, many caves are either off-limits for good, or open during the summer.
March 6, 200916 yr Southwest Ohio is mainly rolling hills and former and current farmland. Clifton Gorge, as well as the Ft. Ancient valley, don't really belong in this area. If you look at a topo map, those two spots along the Little Miami river are basically geological freaks of nature. The explanation I've read is that the glaciers that scoured the rest of this region "missed" those deeper parts of the river vally, so the remaining geology there is basically a little piece of West Virginia or Hocking Hills in the plains. There are actually a lot of oddball pockets of rolling hills and streams scattered throughout SW Ohio, by places like Oxford, Camden, portions of southeast Miami county (by Charleston Falls) , West Oakwood, spotty areas along the Stillwater river, and by the Ohio River in many places. Odd, yes, but it does exist.
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