Big and Little Lyons Falls are a pair of low flow waterfalls located in Mohican State Park. The park is centered on the 300 foot deep, 1000 foot wide Clear Fork Gorge. The Big and Little Falls are both located on small streams that flow into the gorge.
The Big Falls is an 80 foot drop over a recess cave. I think the only time you will see a lot of water here is shortly after a heavy rain. The sandstone cliffs are impressive, and you can easily walk behind the falls. I have found this to be a difficult waterfall to photograph due to the low flow and the lighting of the gorge.
The Little Falls is a 25 foot drop into a narrow gorge, made all the narrower by part of the gorge apparently collapsing into itself. The way the rocks have fallen, it is impossible to see the entire falls from above. Even if you got into the gorge you would not be able to see the entire falls without navigating around a lot of fallen rock.
Both falls are located an 2 mile loop hike. The hike starts at the Covered Bridge. It follows the Clear Fork upstream. The first left will take you to Big Lyons Falls. The trail continues behind the falls and then climbs steeply out of the gorge. A 1/4 mile past that it passes over the top of Little Lyons Falls. The trail continues to the Pleasant Hill Dam. You can hike back to the bridge on either side of the river.
Nearby Falls
Other small streams flow into the gorge, so I imagine there are other, even more seasonal falls hidden in the park. Otherwise this pair of falls is fairly isolated. Honey Run Falls near Millwood is 20 miles to the south. Cedar Falls and the other Falls of Hocking Hills are another 70 miles beyond that. 80 miles to the north you can find Brandywine Falls, West Falls, Mill Creek Falls and other Cleveland Area Falls. Hayden Falls is 80 miles to the southwest.
Photo Gallery
March 2010 |
March 2010 |
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Little Lyons Falls |
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Saturday, 30-Jul-2011 22:06:30 MDT.