Day tripping at Charleston Falls

The Miami County Parks in western Ohio are a local treasure. Besides being so well maintained, they offer a wide variety of educational programs and activities for the entire family. My favorite park is the Charleston Falls Preserve.

This gem of a park is located between Tipp City and Huber Heights, Ohio. It covers 216 acres and offers almost 4 miles of hiking and jogging trails. The main reason to visit this particular park, though, is the waterfall. At 37 feet in height, it can be called a “Miniature Niagara” due to the rock strata of the same nature as the real Niagara Falls. These falls are fed from underground springs several miles away, but they are most spectacular after heavy rainfall. During periods of intense cold in the winter, the falls will actually freeze, and it’s worth the chilly walk to see this amazing sight.

The trek to the falls is an easy gravel pathway from the parking lot, less than half a mile. There are two vantage points for seeing the falls. The upper view allows visitors to see the top of the falls as the water tumbles over the cliff. Informational signage is posted as well as warning signs for safety. The lower vantage point is from a staircase which leads visitors down to the observation boardwalk. Visitors can see the falls as they splash down into the pool at the bottom. A bit of spray can sometimes be felt depending on the amount of water and the wind.

Most kids love the cave! Bring a flashlight and watch
out for standing water. 

From the lower observation boardwalk, it’s a short walk to the limestone cave. This is a popular spot with kids as they love to climb inside. The opening isn’t huge, so crawling is required (parents beware!). A flashlight or headlamp is handy since it becomes dark quickly. If the weather has been rainy, cave crawlers can expect standing water on the bottom.

From the cave, continue to follow the trail which rises to the junctions of the Redbud Valley and the Thorny Badlands. Either trail takes visitors to the outer reaches of the park. The trails loop through the woods, sometimes winding alongside the stream, the same one created by the waterfall which eventually empties into the Great Miami River. The lookout tower can be accessed from the Thorny Badlands trail, and it allows travelers to climb a bit higher for a birds’ eye view.

Visitors can also inspect the Cedar Pond, where glimpses of fish, snakes, or frogs may be seen. The pond is one section of the park not covered by trees, so sunny days are even more pleasant there. No fishing or swimming is allowed, just careful observation.

Charleston Falls Preserve also has picnic tables and full service restrooms adjacent to the parking lot. As with all the Miami County Parks, the preserve is open from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Helpful signs at the park entrance alert visitors to the official closing times each day. Other handy signs are also posted throughout the park to remind visitors about safety and to also give directions.

Plan a visit to Charleston Falls or any of the Miami County Parks by visiting the website at http://www.miamicountyparks.com/ .

The stream running away from the falls is quite picturesque.

Wintertime visitors might get lucky enough to see this!

The Thorny Badlands is neither thorny, not bad! It's a lovely tree lined
walk through the woods.

Summertime Adventures at Marengo Cave

You WILL get muddy and wet on the "Waterfall Crawl!"

If you’re in the market for a summertime adventure, beat the heat at southern Indiana’s Marengo Cave, a U.S. National Landmark. Registering a cool 52 degrees year-round, this cave system covers approximately 122 forested acres. With a total length of 5 miles, the cave features dry upper level passages and two parallel underground rivers. The upper level show cave is Indiana’s most visited show cave, and the lower level is the largest of Indiana’s 3,000 known caves.

Adventurous visitors will want to hit at least one of the five cave exploring tours. Warning – you will get wet! Wear old clothes because explorers walk, crawl, crouch, and squirm through the mud. But it’s all worth it to see the waterfall at the end of the “Waterfall Crawl.” This two-hour tour leaves the spelunkers covered from head to toe in mud, as recently experienced by my teenage daughter. Once reaching the waterfall, the tour can be extended even further with the “Beyond the Falls Adventure.” This takes spelunkers to the most remote section of the cave. The “Underground Adventure” gives explorers the chance to wade in an underground river and crawl through narrow passages. All of these tours are offered year-round. Helmets and headlamps are provided.

Down into the depths -- the five cave exploring tours are
definitely for the adventurous!

The two “iCave” experiences are summer-only Saturday tours. Like the year-round tours, visitors walk, crawl, and crouch through the lower passages to the Old Town Spring Cave and the New Discovery Cave. Lucky visitors may see some cave dwelling animals, such as salamanders, crayfish, sculpin, or (gulp) the bat.

Folks who prefer a gentler cave experience can take walking tours, either the Crystal Palace or the Dripstone Trail. Both of these tours are ideal for families with small children, senior citizens, or folks who just don’t want to get wet. The Crystal Palace tour is a 40-minute walk past stalactites and stalagmites, huge flowstone deposits, and formation filled rooms. Visitors learn about the history of the cave and how it felt to explore the cave by candlelight, as the first visitors did.

The Dripstone Trail covers one mile of cave. This 60-minute tour allows visitors to see totem pole stalagmites, delicate soda straw formations, and the unique penny ceiling. Visitors experience total darkness when the lights are turned off. Unique parts of the cave, such as the Looking Glass Lake, Sherwood Forest, and Cave Hill Cemetery, delight visitors of all ages.  Note that the walking tours are not wheelchair or stroller accessible

In addition to the cave, try canoeing on the Blue River, Indiana’s first state scenic river. Trips for all experience levels are available from April through October.

Camping and cabins are available on-site for folks who want to spend several days. Air conditioned cabins feature electricity, bunk beds, fire pits, grills, and picnic tables. Restrooms and showers are a short walk. Electric and primitive campsites also have fire pits, grills, and picnic tables. Free wi-fi is available at the gift shop, and a playground is nearby for the little ones. All camping and cabins are open year-round.

A world of adventure awaits the entire family at Indiana’s Marengo Cave. Plan your trip today by visiting their website at http://www.marengocave.com.