Clifton Gorge

A long-​time favorite hiking spot. Have enjoyed trail, gorge, and water views here during every season of the year and it never grows old or disappoints. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes for rocky, slippery, or muddy paths and don’t forget to bring a camera. There are usually friendly hikers to meet along the way, yet it’s easy to feel as if you have the whole, magical place to yourself. Clean trails, many beautiful spots to stop for snack or water breaks. Yes, mosquitos can be bad in summer or after a rain. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a restful place to walk & re-​charge your batteries.

Quick, yummy lunch in Yellow Springs, then a spur of the moment drive over to Clifton Gorge to take in the GORGEous views and walk off a few pounds! The water was RAGING on this early spring Saturday afternoon, and (not surprisingly) we weren’t the only ones who decided to stop by to visit, but the trails were not crowded, and we had a BEAUTIFUL view of the gorge, and a peaceful, scenic walk on the Narrow Trail over to Clifton Mill. John Bryan might steal some of the attention, but this local gem is a wonderful spot, clean, well-​maintained, with awe-​inspiring views through out! Check it out!

The scenery is beautiful with the dramatic walls of the gorge and the river. There are a few different trails to select from, which allow you to get different views of the area — some from up on top of the gorge and some down inside it, along the river. The Narrow Trail follows along the top of the gorge, near the road. This allows a nice view of the river and gorge below. There are a number of overlooks and signs with historical and geological information about various aspects of the area. One end of the trail is within walking distance of the historic Clifton Mill.
The Gorge Trail leads you down into the gorge, walking along the river, and provides a chance to see additional fun sights, like a waterfall and the blue hole. There are only about 3 miles or so of trails in the Gorge, but it is near John Bryan State Park and Glen Helen, so there are plenty of ways to combine various trails to get some good hiking in and see a lot of beautiful nature in the area.

Just your basic trails, not strenuous. The only thing I didn’t like about this Clifton Gorge is that you cannot bring pets. My dog likes hiking with us and I was pretty upset that we couldn’t bring him.
It is very beautiful and scenic, but not so spectacular like some trails.

It’s beautiful, I won’t deny that. But it’s very disappointing that this hike keeps you so rigorously on the trail. I prefer hands-​on hikes, where you can tramp up the river, clamber down boulders, and generally get your hands dirty. If your preferences are like mine, you’ll be disappointed. But it really is beautiful.

This is one of my favorite hikes. It’s a beautiful trail with lots of overlooks. Great whether you are just strolling or going for more of a workout. Some of the sections of steps are steep, but it is a well maintained trail and, if I remember correctly, there are hand-​rails at most of them. There is even a section where you can take either an upper trail or a lower one — you can take one trail in one direction and come back on the other. Very nice if you are like me and you don’t like to back-​track unless you have to. And best of all, the river and the gorge are just beautiful the whole way.
The two times I’ve done this hike, I parked in the lot on Jackson Street just north of Water. There is another lot along 343, but I prefer the one on Jackson Street just because it’s such a pretty place to start the hike.

Park in the lot near the intersection of Jackson St and Water St (in Clifton) and follow the North Rim Trail to the west. The trail is pretty basic, but you still need to exercise caution as sections have sheer drops as well as a lot of roots and rocks that can trip you up.
The wow factor kicks in once you realize that the Little Miami isn’t babbling anymore — it is roaring! You are standing on the rim above a narrow chasm of noisy, rushing water.
Overlooks are scattered all along the trail and each one is worth a stop. One of the overlooks tells the story of Darnell’s Leap. Darnell was a member of Daniel Boone’s outfit who was captured by Indians. Soon after his capture, he escaped, but his escape was soon discovered and he was hunted down. His captors caught up with him near this narrow part of the gorge, and the legend says that he miraculously lept across the chasm to avoid being recaptured.
Much of the trail to the west of The Narrows follows the Little Miami River as it languidly babbles through the park. One especially scenic pool, named The Blue Hole, was the setting of a famous painting by Robert S. Duncanson.
There are birds a-​plenty, including honking Canadian Geese, hawks, and Blue Heron, and wildflowers such as jack-​in-​the-​pulpit, trillium, Virginia Bluebell and wild ginger.