Field NotesOhio

Big Lyons Falls

Perrysville · Ashland County

Plunge falls over a recess cave into Clear Fork Gorge

80 ftheight

Moderatehike

Directions →Official source →

An 80 foot waterfall you can walk behind in the sandstone Clear Fork Gorge, reached on a 2 mile loop hike from Mohican State Park's covered bridge.

Height: About 80 feet
Trail: About 2 mile loop from the Covered Bridge
Managed by: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Mohican State Park
Best time: Shortly after heavy rain
Fee: Free
Feature: Trail passes behind the falls into a recess cave

When it flows

Runs year round but is a lower volume falls, most impressive shortly after heavy rain; photographing it is often hampered by low flow and shaded gorge lighting even after wet weather.

The story

Big Lyons Falls drops over sandstone at the head of a recess cave in the deep, hemlock shaded Clear Fork Gorge, a valley cut by glacial meltwater roughly 14,000 years ago that reaches over 300 feet deep and 1,000 feet wide in places; the gorge's old growth hemlock and white pine stands are recognized as a National Natural Landmark. This part of Ohio was Delaware hunting ground before European settlement followed the War of 1812.

The state acquired the surrounding forest and gorge in stages through the 20th century, first as a state forest and then as Clear Fork State Park in 1949, renamed Mohican State Park in 1966; Civilian Conservation Corps era and later state park crews built much of the trail network still used today, including the covered bridge (rebuilt in 1968) that serves as the trailhead for the falls. The falls is named for Paul Lyons, an early pioneer whose grave marker is passed along the trail and whose death here became the subject of local legend.

This falls is geographically in north central Ohio (Ashland County); it is included here because it was on the requested list, but region is coded as central since the allowed region values do not include a north central option.

Stay behind railings and on marked trails. Wet rock at the top and base of a falls is slick in every season, and most Ohio falls do not allow swimming, wading or climbing. Flow depends on rain: many falls are a trickle in late summer and at their best after a wet spell, in spring, or frozen in a hard winter.

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.

Content last reviewed: September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source: Official page
Location confidence: Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, use the address or trailhead
Check current conditions: Official conditions or closures

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The ghost of Paul Lyons

According to local legend, pioneer Paul Lyons was chasing a wandering cow through the gorge during a storm when he lost his footing on the wet rock and fell eighty feet to his death at the falls that now bear his name. Locals say that on dark nights you can still hear the faint ring of a cowbell and glimpse a lantern light moving through the trees near the falls, as if Lyons is still out searching.

Behind the legend

What is certain is that a grave marker bearing the name Paul Lyons stands on the trail to the falls. No record from the time confirms how he died, and the cowbell and lantern read as details added over generations of campfire telling. The fuller version of the story, including the second Lyons, is on the Mohican State Park page.

If you go

Visit in daylight, stay on the marked Hemlock Gorge Trail, and use caution on the wet rock behind the falls, especially after rain when the story is most often retold.

Getting to the falls

About a 2 mile loop from the Covered Bridge, following Clear Fork upstream on the Hemlock Gorge Trail; the path lets hikers walk behind the falls before climbing steeply out of the gorge.

Status

Open

Hours

Gorge Overlook and Lyons Falls Trail open half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset

Cost

Free

Phone

419-994-5125

Managed by

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Mohican State Park

Please note

Stay on the marked trail, use caution on wet rock behind the falls, no swimming in the plunge pool is officially discouraged near the falls area, hikers yield to bridle trail riders

Address

Covered Bridge trailhead, Mohican State Park, 3116 State Route 3, Loudonville, OH 44842

Official page →Directions Show on the map

The pin on the map is approximate; use the address or the park's own directions to find the trailhead.

Trails close for repairs, ice and high water. Check the official page before a long drive.

More falls nearby

Little Lyons Falls

About 1 mile · 25 ft

Parks nearby

Mohican State Park

The falls is inside this park

Mohican-Memorial State Forest

About 2 miles · Adjoining state forest

Malabar Farm State Park

About 4 miles · Nearby state park

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

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