I just got back from visiting some waterfalls in Ohio, and I’m trying to decide which one to write about. Many of them were surprisingly beautiful, but I’ve decided to write about West Falls first, since I think I might forget the directions if I don’t write them down now.

West Falls is on the Black River in Elyria, a distant suburb of Cleveland. There are actually two waterfalls (West Falls and East Falls) on the Black River within a short distance of each other, and West Falls is the more scenic of the two falls. The falls drops 20’+, and are very beautiful. A pedestrian bridge has been constructed for better viewing, along with another observation deck, which would be best utilized in winter when the tree leaves will not block the view. You can also walk down under the bridge and walk along the rocks to get a ground view of the falls. The pictures are deceiving…West Falls was larger than I expected.

Directions:

1. Get onto OH-57 heading south. This can be accessed from the Ohio Turnpike or from other roads in the area.
2. After a short distance, turn left onto OH-113 heading east.
3. In just a few blocks, you will come up to West River Street. Turn right here.
4. The entrance to Cascade Park will come up in almost right after you turn onto West River Street. Turn left to enter into Cascade Park.
5. Once you’ve entered into Cascade Park, you’ll now loop around for about a mile or so. You’ll pass by a few pavilions, along with some children’s park. Park near the Nature Center, where you’ll find another pavilion and a children’s playground. (If you start going uphill again, you’ll end up exiting the park without visiting the waterfalls).
6. Past the playground, you may notice what look like some stairs. Head toward this general area. You have two options on how to get to the falls. #1: Look for a PAVED trail that has a sign indicating a bridge and waterfalls. This is the shortest path to the falls, but is less scenic. #2: Follow the rather apparent dirt trail, which will have arrows indicating a path to the falls. This is longer, but does have more to see.

Accessibility: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 35′
Length of Hike: 1.2 miles round-trip

West Falls in August 2009

Where in the World is West Falls?