Clifton Gorge

Ohio History

Miami River Rapids

Clifton Gorge park is a place of stark contrasts. It’s set in the rock clefts of the Miami River valley in western Ohio, between Dayton and Cincinnati. The narrow trails that lead along the rocky rim and far below along the rough river bank afford some awesome views. The river, usually calm as a creek, was rushing with recent rainfalls on our visit this winter. Here are the fastest rapids, where the current splits in two around some rocks.

Rock Sculptures

There are some amazing stone formations carved from the steep canyon walls too. As my sister put it, these look like some giant building blocks dropped from the sky! And they’re huge—this whole sculpture is probably four times the height of a person.