We recently visited for the first time over the Memorial Day weekend and were pleasantly surprised…read more We only hiked the Cascade Trail so that is what my review will be on. The park website and things online are very confusing. One site says, permit not required and another say one isn't. The sign at the park also says permit required, but there is no where to purchase one in person or online. We took the chance and parked without one. I did see a worker driving around and he didn't seem to be checking cars. The map seems okay for general navigating and there is signage around. The trails are marked okay I think. There could be some improvement, but the Cascade Trail is a big loop so it isn't a huge deal. The trail was well maintained. A little overgrown in places, but nothing terrible. It's also really flat except for the end of the trail where you need to walk up a big hill to get back to where we parked. My kids did fine with the trial the whole time though. The bridge is super neat and my kids had fun crossing it. The falls were pretty and a nice treat, but you really have to wander around to find a good view of it. Luckily none of us minded that. The creek is really nice to play and walk in. That was by far my kids favorite part. We also found lots of fossils to explore and look at! It was a little muddy after all the rain we had received, but nothing terrible.

My favorite 'hiking' spot in Butler County…read more My favorite part about this preserve are the trails. There are multiple trails that connect to each other, so if you get bored with hiking your usual trail, it's easy to mix it up a little bit. They are all well kept and maintained. Sometimes there is some litter, but we pick it up. There are two old building foundations on one of the trails and a piece of farm equipment grown into a tree, pretty neat! The park is big, lots of space.

Hadn't been here in years. They now charge for parking. I found free parking across the street…read more The building at the entrance was open and has one bathroom and water fountain but can't count on it being open. I went down the stone stairs ... they were slippery but was glad i still could manage them. They have changed things ... added wooden pathways and more water at the bottom of the stairs. I'd hoped walk to both waterfalls. But wearing new shoes and saw it was muddy. So just headed back up the stairs to the car. They have bird feeders at the buildings. Nice place to hike. Parking is 10 bucks.

Let's start off with the only thing that took me as interesting. They charge $10 for parking. It's…read morea non profit so I guess this is to help in taking care of the the facilities and help pay the staff. I'd never been here but the lovely Mrs went to camp here with her 8th grade class back in the 80's. I'd never been so was kind of curious about it as I was under the impression that it's just a park where kids could learn about nature and all its magic. What I found out is that it is an incredible wandering path. Lots of things to see like waterfalls, rock formations and even a path where you get from one side to the other by stepping from stone to stone. Lots of folks, lots of pets, big and small. The education center had a park employee out there with a bigger falcon, then a smaller falcon and then the gorgeous barn owl. The folks inside the education center were incredibly helpful and knew a ton about the inhabitants of the 'enclosures'. My favorite was the teeny tiny Megatron who's the smallest and cutest owl I've ever seen. Park isn't marked very well. They suggest you download the digital map from the QR code as you walk toward the very nice restroom facility. This is very nice but... the signs(pieces of paper with numbers written on them) with the corresponding numbers from the map are either missing, blurred due to water or faded from the sun. I'm hoping one of the Boy Scouts we saw while here takes it upon themselves to start their petition to create more permanent signs for their 'Eagle' comprehensive service project. There were so many times we were like...where are we. Plenty of trash to pick up so if you're like me, bring a small grocery bag and leave it better than you came. Thank you to the nice couple with the long haired dachshund who climbed the rocky pylon to help me get the cup that had been left there. It makes me happy that there are people still out there willing to help me with such simple but worthwhile side projects.

My favorite CWPD park by far. There are so many trails and so many options to give you the…read moreadventure that you want. The added gravel path is nice for those that can't manage the tougher, longer trails. The nature is just absolutely wonderful here. I see deer, birds, butterflies, moths, and bees among other animals. The trails are always well-maintained and CWPD is quick to fix anything that isn't. I love that it's connected to Forest Field too for additional trails and amenities. They do have an indoor bathroom at Smith house. They also have added a really nice picnic shelter with durable picnic tables.

Weather was lovely and enjoyed my walk in the woods. No bugs yet and so nice to be outside after a…read morelong winter. Everything is still has the winter dead ... dormient look. look forward to everything becoming green and pretty again. Saw a few birds but not many. The hills were a challenge for us but we enjoyed it. Be aware can't count on bathrooms being open ... they were all locked.

First visit and it was so good. High 40s into the 50s, 2.5 hours of solitude, God and his…read morecreation. And in late April on Wednesday morning, no one was around. I saw two people out on the trials the whole time. Bring a folding chair and you can find some great spots to sit and let your surrounds consume you. If you go to the welcome center there are restrooms and a place to fill up on water. The trail signs are positioned well and make it clear what trail is what. I recommend you take a picture of the park trial map, so you can reference it when necessary. There are some camp sites, and even some 'backcountry' camp sites that you have to hike too. Many different shelters to reserve with parking lots in other areas of the park (you don't have to hike to them). There is a sledding hill too. I only saw probably 10 or 15% of the park. But it is sure worth checking out. I believe it's 5 River metroparks biggest park. Enjoy exploring yelpers!!

Fall is my favorite time of year and great time to visit the park. Love the area they feed the…read morebirds so easy viewing for fun or photography. The birds aren't the only visitors .. .squirrels and chipmunks today. love chipmunks so cute. visitors center open for bathrooms and water.

Love when falls are frozen. Path was cleared off. Worth coming for a quick look. Today was bit…read morewarmer so not too miserable cold. You can view from top but the real view requires stairs.

Stopped by to see the falls today, early March, after three days of off-and-on rain and the falls…read moredidn't disappoint Always good to see the transition from winter to spring this time of year. Subtle buds are starting to come out and the moss plus fungi are coming to life It's always good to get a break from the stresses of life by logging a couple of miles in nature! #SpringVibes #NatureLover #HikingAdventure #CharlestonFalls

Nice hiking trails. They have improved signs and trail markers. I really like that they added a map…read moresign at the trail head. So many times I've been so anxious to get on the trail .. I had neglected to glance at the map. Lol rookie mistake. Today was perfect.. not too hot ..bugs not bad yet and the area by the lake not muddy.

The Metropark staff do a great job keeping God's creation clean and well maintained! We love…read morevisiting and hiking here!

We wanted to hike on this hot summer day. The trails were shaded so it was very enjoyable. We…read morestarted at the nature center and took the stairs down to the John L. Rich trail and looped back around crossing over onto the north rim trail. Heavily trafficked trails from what I saw.

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.

Yay winter is nearly hone so when you get a chance to get out and walk in nature ...go for it…read more Spring flowers are so delicate and Ohio weather is so up and down ... the inevitable cold snaps kill them. So have to grab the moments before it hits. This day was a wind storm right before the bitter cold was back. I walked around and even walked the trails with a friend. So good to be outside. The flowers were lovely but the wind was fierce. This park does such a great job keeping everything lovely which I so appreciate and its a fav of mine for years. So many special memories here. Please be courteous and dont pick the flowers. This isn't your yard and if everyone picked just one there would be none for the next to enjoy. I saw parents promoting their children to pick flowers and filming it. . This is so selfish and rude. Am I wrong?

This is one of the most beautiful arboretums I have had the pleasure of visiting. Its layout,…read morecleanliness and architecture is awesome!! They have ponds full of fish, turtles and other wildlife. Picnic area is fantastic. We spent over 3 hours there, so much to see. The edible garden is a must see.. we will be coming back to visit.

What a great little gem of a park! My mom and I met here for a mid-day hike and had a great time…read more The park is well-maintained. There are several parking lots and a few different trail heads. There are also bathrooms. The trails are well marked, but they really do not seem to match the map. That's my only complaint. But it's a small enough park that now that I've been there, I would know where to go next time. The gorge, the bridges, and the waterfall are all beautiful. There are several lookouts around the waterfall. It's all very picturesque and would be a great place for engagement or family photos. The river was also very clean and I was tempted to wade in to cool off.

Beautiful area to walk in throughout the woods and along the river. Some areas are trickier than…read moreothers to navigate and could use some more steps for easier access, but overall would recommend if you're alright with hiking! Bring your phone for QR codes located in certain areas for a map and more information.

WOW, OH WOW! I've been trying to hit a different park or hiking trail each weekend during these…read morewinter months, and most of the time, it includes a 40 minute drive from Loveland, Ohio. I stumbled upon this park about 15 minutes from my house, right behind Kings Island. I actually have had a few local friends suggest this park to me, and when I looked up the park on AllTrails, all of the trails were about 2 miles. I didn't really think it would be worth the time... And oh, how I was wrong! This park is directly next to a Kings Mills elementary school. There is a huge mansion, and a driveway to the left of this large house. There is a small parking lot in front of this beautiful old barn with a mural painted on it. At first, I thought I must be in the wrong place, as it did not look like a hiking trail. There is a blacktop version of a trail close to the old barn with signs for an archery shooting range, but if you go behind the barn towards the elementary school, there is a patch of woods and a hiking trail to the right (it's kind of hidden). You want this trail! I did pull up the AllTrails app, but I got curious, trying to explore all of the trails that lead off of the main trail. I did 3 miles, and I didn't even hit the trail that was marked through the AllTrails app. I'm always looking for a place to mountain bike, and you can tell that there have been some people biking through these trails. They have put logs over a creek beds, and placed rocks in muddy places. It is a fantastic, hiking trail, especially if you were in the mood to explore-- but I can't wait to bring my mountain bike next time! There are several trails that head towards the river. So if you were looking for an opportunity to explore the Little Miami riverbed, choose the trails that head down towards the river. Honestly, the most fun of this hiking trail was getting off of the trail to explore. Since the water level was very low, I was able to walk out to the edge of the Little Miami River and hang out in the riverbeds. I definitely had the park to myself... So definitely be aware of your surroundings. I did feel completely safe; however, you can tell they are definitely some kid to hang out towards the water. There is lots of graffiti down by the river and a place people have had fires. Regardless, it is a super cool property to explore. Interestingly enough, the guy who used to own this property started Kings Mills, Ohio. He supplied gunpowder to the famous Peters cartridge factory that has just been redone into a brewery. This mansion and park sits at the top of the small town of Kings Mills, and the property weaves down to the river, not too far from the Peters factory. If you are local and have not been to this park yet, check it out! I'm learning that you don't have to drive 45 minutes outside of the city to find some really neat places to explore! What a gem!