Trails & Pancakes! Clifton Gorge SNP - John Bryan SP / Historic Clifton Mill

History

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve constitutes 268 acres of gorges along two miles of the Little Miami River. The canyon was created by meltwater from glaciers about 15,000 years ago. The gorge created a 19th-century power source for grist mills, cotton mills, paper factories, and breweries. The area became a state nature preserve in 1973.

John Bryan State Park is a 752-acre state park that abuts the Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve. The Park contains a campground, and hiking and biking trails. The part of the gorge overlooked by the Nature Preserve and the Park has been declared a National Natural Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.

By the late 19th century, most of the industrial activity in the area had ceased. Water was no longer an economical source of power, and many mills were abandoned. However, one of the grist mills, built in 1802, is still in operation: the Historic Clifton Mill. During the Spring and Summer, you can tour the inner workings of the mill (by appointment for $5 per person).

Summary

Here is a map of the Park and the Nature Preserve.

For this event, we will hike the Narrows, John L Rich, South Gorge, Pittsburgh-Cincinnati Stagecoach, and North Rim Trails. This will be about 5-6 miles. Overall this hike should not be terribly strenuous. You do need to watch your footing in a few places though, as there can be a few wet spots here and there. I recommend waterproof hiking shoes and perhaps a change of socks.

After the hike, we'll walk over to the Historic Clifton Mill restaurant. They have breakfast and lunch menus. If you eat two of their pancakes (for $9.29), they'll give you a third pancake for free. The pancakes are big. The coffee is also very good, and I'm told the burgers are good too.

Where We'll Meet

We will meet in the Clifton Gorge parking lot at 12:00 p.m. The actual address of this lot is 169 Jackson St, Yellow Springs, OH 45387. You can drive directly to this lot if you wish.

However, for those who either wish to carpool, or simply follow me so they don't have to worry about getting lost, I will meet you in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter on the west side, where we will head out not later than 11:00 a.m. The actual address of this Walmart is 5200 Westpointe Plaza Drive, Columbus, OH 43228.

The caveat is that you must let me know in advance if you want to do this! If I don't hear from anyone, I'll just assume we're all meeting at Clifton Gorge and I'll head there directly myself. Please note that my car is too small and full of bric-a-brac to accommodate passengers in any case.

Notes about Cell Service

I have found that when I'm seemingly even two blocks west of the Clifton Gorge parking lot we're meeting at, my cell service will be fine. But once I get to the actual lot, my service is gone completely. I'm not sure if I've ever had even a bar of service in the lot we'll be meeting at.

While this isn't necessarily the biggest problem in the world, it is the case that if you try to send me a message or post a comment once I'm at the Gorge, there's a reasonable chance I won't see it until after the hike. If there were ever a hike where you wanted to try being on time, it might be this one.

Notes about Restrooms

The parking lot we're meeting at has no restroom facilities. We will pass a couple Port-a-Potties about a half a mile into the hike when we go by the Nature Center, and then we'll pass these Port-a-Potties again near the end of our hike. If the Nature Center is open (which I suspect it won't be), it also has restrooms and a water fountain.

I strongly recommend you bring some water, at least for the end of the hike. Except for the Nature Center, which is likely to be closed, there are no water fountains anywhere on this hike.

You may also wish to consider stopping at the Marathon station just off of I-70 exit 54. Your GPS will almost certainly have you take this exit and head south on State Route 72, taking you by this gas station.

I generally always stop at this Marathon and use the restroom before heading the rest of the way to the Gorge. The gas station's actual address is 2501 S Limestone St, Springfield, OH 45505. I'll also post a comment to this event page once I'm at this gas station.

Still Need an Ale to Go with Your Trail?

The Yellow Springs Brewery is less than 10 minutes away from the parking lot where our cars will be at. The brewery is very highly rated, and their drink menu includes beer, wine, cider, and cocktails. Its actual address is 305 Walnut St, Yellow Springs, OH 45387.

If anyone wants to join me...