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
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

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

New to the guide?

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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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

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions

Indian Run Falls

Dublin · Franklin County
A pair of tiered cascades over shale and limestone in a narrow ravine, narrow at the top and widening at the base
22 ftheight
Easywalk
Directions →Official source →

A pair of small cascades in a limestone ravine in the middle of Dublin, once home to the Wyandot people, now reached by boardwalk and footbridge.

Height
About 22 feet across two drops
Trail
A short walk on boardwalks and a footbridge from the parking lot
Managed by
City of Dublin, Ohio
Best time
Spring and after rain
Size
3.51 acre park
Fee
Free

When it flows

Best after rain and snowmelt; noticeably smaller in dry summer weather.

The story

Indian Run has cut a narrow ravine through shale and limestone bedrock on its way to the Scioto River, about half a mile downstream, exposing old fault lines in the rock and dropping over two tiered ledges that together add up to roughly 22 feet.

Wyandot people lived along this stretch of the Scioto valley before Ohio was settled by Europeans. The ravine bottom later held small mills and homesteads, remnants of which are still visible along the trail. Access into the gorge was difficult for years, since part of the ravine remained in private hands, but the City of Dublin has since built nature trails, observation platforms, a bridge over the falls, and shelter houses to turn the site into the public Indian Run Falls Park.

Part of the ravine bordering the park remains privately owned; stay on the public trail and boardwalk.

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

A short walk on city built paths and boardwalks from the Shawan Falls Drive parking area, crossing a long footbridge over the ravine to view both drops.

Status
Open to the public
Hours
Dawn to dusk, standard city park hours
Cost
Free
Phone
614-410-4510
Managed by
City of Dublin, Ohio, Parks and Recreation
Please note
Stay on marked paths and boardwalks; No swimming.
Address
700 Shawan Falls Drive, Dublin, OH 43017
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

Hayden Falls
About 2 miles · 25 to 35 ft
Open

Parks nearby

Alum Creek State Park
About 12 miles · State park lake to the northeast
Open
Delaware State Park
About 20 miles · Nearest park in the app
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.