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.
Popular:
  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

Explore by type

What are you in the mood for?

See every place →

Plan a trip

Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

Parks, forests & wildlife areas

Find a park

117 parks in 7 regions
The limestone amphitheatre at Charleston Falls

Charleston Falls

Tipp City · Miami County
Horseshoe shaped cascade over layered dolomite, often called a miniature Niagara
37 ftheight
Easywalk

Charleston Falls · Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0

A 37 foot horseshoe cascade over dolomite ledges in a 216 acre preserve near Tipp City, often called Ohio's miniature Niagara Falls.

Height
About 37 feet
Trail
3.74 miles of preserve trails; the falls overlook is a short walk from parking
Managed by
Miami County Park District
Best time
Spring and after heavy rain; can slow to a trickle by late summer
Size
About 216 acres of prairie, forest, and wetland
Fee
Free

When it flows

Best in spring and after heavy rain, when the horseshoe curtain is fullest; can thin to a trickle in a dry late summer. Forms ice curtains and icicles in cold winter weather.

The story

Charleston Falls drops over layers of Silurian age dolomite bedrock, laid down more than 400 million years ago when a shallow sea covered western Ohio. Over thousands of years a small feeder stream and groundwater seepage have worn a horseshoe shaped notch into the rock, and a crawl in limestone cave at the base of the nearby cliff has formed along the same soluble layers.

The preserve takes its name from the small Charleston community that once stood in the area, and the land was farmland before the Miami County Park District acquired it and opened it as one of its earliest nature preserves. Boy Scout Troop 103 later built an observation tower on a hilltop above the falls, and the site is now the most visited park in the Miami County system.

Exact coordinates are taken from a park directory rather than an official GPS pin, so treat them as approximate.

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 wide gravel, boardwalk, and wooden stairs from the main parking lot to observation decks above and below the falls, part of a larger 3.74 mile trail network through the preserve.

Status
Open to the public
Hours
8 a.m. to sunset daily
Cost
Free
Phone
(937) 335-6273
Managed by
Miami County Park District
Please note
Stay on the trails provided; No fishing in the wildlife pond; No swimming or wading in the falls pool.
Address
2535 Ross Road, Tipp City, OH 45371
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

Englewood MetroPark Falls (Martindale, Patty, and Oak Falls)
About 8 miles · Low falls
Open
The Cascades at Glen Helen
About 16 miles · 10 ft
Open
Clifton Gorge (Amphitheater Falls and the Blue Hole)
About 19 miles · 25 ft
Open
Cedar Cliff Falls
About 22 miles · 25 ft
Open

Parks nearby

Taylorsville MetroPark
About 3 miles · Five Rivers MetroPark along the Great Miami River
Open
Eastwood MetroPark
About 9 miles · Dayton area Five Rivers MetroPark
Open
Lockington Reserve
About 21 miles · Miami County Park District site near the Lockington dams
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.