Caesar's Creek State Park

We quickly made Caesar's Creek State Park a favorite stop when seeking a waterfall adventure. This post is a combination of trips because we went and hiked this trail back to back. When we first started our hiking journey in 2020 we never realize where it would lead us or what new places we would get to explore.

When we explored Caesar's Creek back in November of 2020 we never ended up finding this trail. We did find a furry white caterpillar and a playground! For kids, that's about just the best oops find you can have. Luckily, almost a year later we have grown in our love and knowledge of hiking as well as joined Cincinnati Hikes and through them made new friends who enjoy hiking just as much as we do. One of our friends, just in passing, said she goes to this trail "Horseshoe Falls" often. Um, let's go! We picked a day, she told us where to park and we hiked the trail. We finally made it to the waterfall! Since then we have hiked this trail 3 more times. Each time has been completely different experience. Not only the company that went with us, but the state of the waterfall changed.

The first trip with our new guides took us creeking into this gorgeous flowing waterfall. We soaked our toes and made pizza for everyone with rocks. The boys played for endless amounts of time finding new things to pretend and explore. A little waterfall became someone's chair. Rocks the shapes of circles became pancakes. We even saw a snake! (Don't worry we gave it a river sized space between us as it lay sunning in the sunshine next to his rockwall home.) We spent a good amount of time just creeking before moving on to the swinging bridge.

We finally made it to the end of Horseshoe Falls Trail. The swinging bridge "ends" the trail, but really there are quite a few trails that connect and therefore it was our stopping point. We turned around and headed back, which we have learned is called a "out and back." Turns out we have learned a lot of lingo in the past year as well. An out and back just simply means you go in the trail and then turn around at the end and go back the way that you came. Out and back.

Tips for future little hikers.

1. If you plan on doing the creeking part (bring creeking shoes!) and water because there is some shade but you will find yourself lost in time as they just play and have fun.

2. Remember that you have to walk all the way back so stop before they get tired. Save some of the energy for the walk back out. *Yes, we learned this the hard way the first time.*

The second time we visiting this trail it was barely a trickle of water on the waterfall. You can see the boys standing on dry rocks. The first trip the water was up and over the tops of their shoes, weather is crazy! See below for the first trip to the falls. See above for the second trip.

We enjoy dragging Papa and Mama out hiking with us, it gives us someone new to share the experience with and show off all the things we thought were interesting the first time we visited the trail. The boys now have a system when we made it to a swinging bridge or sometimes any type of bridge. Whoever is leading gets onto the bridge and then turns around and says, "Stop! I need to check that it is safe."

The leader than walks over the bridge and once they make it they turn around and say, "Clear!" Then the next person, one at a time, can then cross the bridge. It is a fun pretend game that is not bad practice especially when it comes to paying attention to their surroundings, but seeing them say "stop, mom stop I check that it safe," is just about as cute as you can get. Stay little forever boys.

This trail has a special feature. Handprints! Which of course was easily turned into a massive i SPY game. Pictured below are my favorites, but we found over 20 different handprints along the trail. The handprints or "pawprints" because they are "clues" were everywhere- on trees, branches, rocks, bridges, signs.

 

It wouldn't be a trip with B if we didn't get messy. He is my puddle jumper, mud roller explorer. He loves just all of it and has no concerns about being wet or dirty until I tell him we are all done. (Not always an easy task.) So of course.... we lost a shoe.

Don't worry, it went right back onto his muddy sock.

Hey, we were about to go creeking. I forgot to mention earlier that we also played "washing machine" in the creek to get the mud off of his shoe. I love our #guentheradventures