Cedar Cliff Falls
Today we
ventured not far from home to Cedar Cliff Falls in Cedarville. This
natural resource is created with a blend of the gorge, meadow, woods, river and marsh...quite a
view.
Clifton Gorge
Then we headed for Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve. Located along the Little Miami Scenic River, Clifton Gorge is famous for its rushing waters that flow through a remarkable narrow gorge.
We headed down the
trail towards the information kiosk—the kiosk, near a gathering place called the Bear’s Den, displays a map of the trails available for hiking. After reviewing our choices, we
decided to take the John L. Rich Trail where the scenery really is
beautiful.
It starts at the rim of the
gorge via a wooden staircase with about 23 steps down.
Sheltered by long-reaching lush green branches, towering trees and cooled by the waters rush down the river, this canyon is home to hundreds of plants and wildflowers, many which are rare in the region. Once called one of the nation's 50 most beautiful places by National Geographic, the Clifton Gorge is a natural wonder steeped in history.
Hartman's Rock Garden
On the way home we stopped in Springfield at Hartman's Rock Garden.
Yes, this is actually someone's
backyard. From 1932-1939, H.G. Hartman built a 35’ x 140’ rock garden in Springfield which contains approximately
20,000 individual stones. Hartman started with a fish pond and then filled his yard with
statues, miniature stone castles, cathedrals, and other historic buildings. There are models of the
White House, tributes to boxer Joe Louis and the Dionne Quintuplets, as well as religious scenes. Since his death in 1944, the property was maintained by Ben Hartman, H.G.'s youngest son. However, Ben passed away in 2007 and in 2008, the property was put up for sale. The place hasn't been kept up too much and it felt like we were trespassing...but we got a couple of pictures.
