Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
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  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
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Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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State parks & forests117 places, with cabins, campsites and trails117 places Waterfalls34 falls, with trail notes34 falls Mounds & earthworks64 ancient sites, from Serpent Mound to Newark64 ancient sites Caves & caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters12 caves Lake Erie beaches20 public beaches, Conneaut to Toledo20 beaches Historic sites40 places, from the frontier to the Civil War40 places Road trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail33 drives Oddities19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops19 roadside stops The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile loop, all 26 sections1,444 miles

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Six places to start

One from every corner of the state, each with its full story inside.

01Old Man's CaveHocking Hills · SoutheastA gorge of waterfalls and recess caves where a hermit is said to have lived, with the park's visitor center. 02Great Serpent MoundAdams County · SouthwestA gigantic earthen snake on a hilltop over Ohio Brush Creek, built by a people whose name is still argued over. 03Brandywine FallsCuyahoga Valley · NortheastThe tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached by an easy boardwalk with an accessible upper overlook. 04Marblehead LighthouseMarblehead · Lake ErieThe oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, lit since 1821, on nine acres of limestone shoreline. 05Zoar VillageTuscarawas County · EasternA well-preserved communal village founded by German separatists in 1817, on the Ohio & Erie Canal. 06Longaberger Basket BuildingNewark · CentralA seven-story office building shaped like a picnic basket, with handles that are heated in winter.

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions

Cedar Cliff Falls

Cedarville · Greene County
Wide cascade over a limestone and dolomite cliff on Massies Creek
25 ftheight
Easywalk
Directions →Official source →

A 25 foot cascade over limestone cliffs on Massies Creek, framed by an early 1800s log cabin and an ancient Adena burial mound nearby.

Height
About 25 feet
Trail
About 0.5 mile, mostly flat, to the falls overlook
Managed by
Greene County Parks and Trails
Best time
Spring and after rain
Nearby history
The Adena era Williamson Mound, a registered burial mound
Rules
Cliff jumping is prohibited and can result in a citation

When it flows

Strongest in spring and after heavy rain; can narrow to a thin sheet in dry summer weather. Ice builds along the cliff face in cold winter spells.

The story

Massies Creek has cut a shallow, sheer limestone and dolomite canyon here, in places dropping about 40 feet from rim to creek bed, with cliff walls that average around 25 feet on both sides. The rock exposed at Cedar Cliff Falls dates to the Silurian period, when this part of Ohio lay under a warm shallow sea.

People gathered at what locals long called 'the Cliffs' for roughly a century, and the surrounding 169 acre reserve also protects the Adena era Williamson Mound, a burial mound built in the final centuries before Christ by Native American people of the Adena culture and never scientifically excavated. In 1929 the mound was donated to the Ohio Historical Society, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1970s along with the nearby Pollock Works earthworks. A restored log cabin dating to before 1825 also stands in the reserve, which Greene County Parks and Trails now manages as Indian Mound Reserve.

Height is reported around 25 feet by most sources, though a few round up to about 30 feet.

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.

Getting to the falls

About a half mile on a mostly flat, well maintained main trail from the parking area to an overlook, with an optional rock scramble down to creek level when the water is low.

Status
Open to the public
Hours
Not posted by the source; the Greene County Parks and Trails office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost
Free
Phone
937-562-6440
Managed by
Greene County Parks and Trails
Please note
Park only in designated spaces, not on the grass or along the roadway; Cliff jumping is prohibited.
Address
2750 US Route 42 East, Cedarville, OH 45314
Official page →DirectionsShow 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

Clifton Gorge (Amphitheater Falls and the Blue Hole)
About 4 miles · 25 ft
Open
The Cascades at Glen Helen
About 6 miles · 10 ft
Open
Horseshoe Falls
About 21 miles · 3 ft
Open
Charleston Falls
About 22 miles · 37 ft
Open

Parks nearby

Clifton Gorge – John L. Rich State Nature Preserve
About 4 miles · Silurian dolomite gorge on the Little Miami River
Open
John Bryan State Park
About 4 miles · State park bordering Clifton Gorge
Open
Glen Helen Nature Preserve
About 6 miles · Nature preserve with its own small waterfall
Open
Buck Creek State Park
About 16 miles · State park near Springfield
Open

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

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.