Hiking To Waterfalls and Caves at Piatt Park In Ohio

The Monroe County Park Board purchased what would later be known as Piatt Park in 1979 from John & Shelbia Perry.

In 1984 a campground was developed in the area with water and electrical hook ups, restrooms and a large picnic shelter. The campground is still there today with ten campsites and cost $25 a night or $150 a week. A shower house and brand new playground have been added since then.

The 119 acre recreation area includes a one and a half mile loop nature trail that starts at the campground. The hiking trail leads you through old growth forests to a deep, natural gorge in the area complete with a giant cave and multiple waterfalls.

The trail is rated as moderate and you will gain about 250 feet of elevation as you travel among the ferns and hemlocks on the trail. There are quite of number of stairs you will have to climb up and down to reach the three small waterfalls in the gorge.

Wildlife is abundant in this area including squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, snakes and turkey. There are a ton of birds and even a black bear or two have been seen here. We saw plenty of birds and a couple chipmunks during our hike, but that was all.

Pets are allowed on trail as long as they are leashed.

We started the trail by the large shelter house and came out at the other side of the campground. We chose the shelter side, because it seemed we would be walking uphill less and we were able to walk down more stairs than up for sure.

After a short hike we came to a junction and had to decide to walk the East Rim or take the trail down to the cave and waterfalls in the gorge. We decided to check out the waterfalls and cave first, because that was the main reason we came here.

Some steep wooden stairs will take you down into the gorge. If it has rained recently be careful, because they will be slippery. The trail will first bring you to the large cave at the bottom of the gorge. This recessed cave is a pretty decent size and gives you plenty of opportunities to scramble over rocks to explore it.

Make it to the back and if it’s been raining recently I heard there is a small waterfall back there. Unfortunately it had been dry lately and there was no waterfall during our visit, but don’t worry, more waterfalls can be found further ahead on the trail.

When exploring the cave and scrambling over rocks be careful where you place your feet. It’s humid in there and that makes some of those rocks extra slippery.

After traversing up and down a few more wooden stairs and bridges you will come to a picnic table and multiple small waterfalls. There are a total of three and a thorough exploration of the area will give you access to them. There are multiple spots to choose from to get some great pics.

Now if you just came for the cave and waterfalls turn around here and head back the way you came. You’ll have to walk up a number of steps, but your hike will be greatly shortened. If you’re looking for a little more adventure go back to the picnic table and continue on the trail.

After crossing the brook a couple times and climbing over a few rocks the trail will lead up out of the ravine.

This was by far the hardest part of the hike. The trail here has a couple of steep switchbacks and continues straight up the side of the hill. Be prepared to grab onto any tree or roots you can find to help you on your journey to the top.

About halfway up they do provide some chains to assist you. In fact if they didn’t have these chains I’m not sure I would of made it up. DO NOT attempt this section if it is raining or recently rained. We were slipping and sliding the whole way up and it hadn’t rained for a week.

Once you reach the top feel free to take a break on the bench (I know I did).  The top offers you two options, left or right…DO NOT go left! It says it’s a trail, but it’s all lies. We walked that thing for a while before it pretty much just lead to a dead end.

We should of known better.

It didn’t look well maintained and we even had to climb over multiple trees that had fallen across the trail. We just thought it wasn’t used as much since people just wanted to see the caves and waterfalls.

We were wrong!
So when you reach the top go right.

At this point in ten minutes or so you’ll climb a hill and reach the campground.

Now I’m pretty sure we didn’t do the whole loop. In fact I’m not even sure there is a loop, lol. The trail is not well marked and a little confusing to follow at some points. They do provide maps at several junctions, but don’t tell you exactly where you are on the map.

A dot saying “You are here” would of been helpful.

Despite getting lost and that hard climb out of the ravine, this was a great hike!

The cave is awesome and the waterfalls, though small, were very pretty. I would love to go back and check them out when the water is flowing better.

The hike through the woods is lovely as well and even though Piatt Park is a bit out of the way it’s totally worth the drive.