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CAESAR CREEK GORGE
STATE NATURE PRESERVE - 483 ACRES

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Main Feature:

Limestone gorge with Ordovician fossils; spring wildflowers.

The preserve's prime feature is the gorge that was formed by great volumes of glacial meltwater cutting down through the bedrock to expose Ordovician limestone and shale rich in fossils. The steep walls rise to 180 feet above the river. More than two miles of Caesar Creek flow through the gorge to the Little Miami State and National Scenic River.

The stream and its banks support a wide variety of plant and animal life. Many of the aquatic insects and small fish found here, such as darters, indicate excellent water quality.

The preserve also contains diverse habitat ranging from successional fields to heavily wooded hillsides with beech, maple, hickory and oak. A luxuriant herbaceous flora covers the floodplain, and a variety of prairie species is found on the shallow soil of the cliffs and in old fields.
The trail system, know as Caesar's Trace, was designed to allow visitors to explore and experience the preserve's various features.

Adjacent to the preserve are 135 acres of Scenic River land, a river access site and the Corwin M. Nixon covered bridge.

This forested land, managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation, helps maintain bank stability, serves as an example of good floodplain land use and provides recreational access to the Little Miami State & National Scenic River.

Location:

Located in Warren County 3 miles north of Oregonia. From I-71 take State Rte 73 west to Corwin Rd. The preserve sign is on the east side of the road. A parking lot and hiking trails are present.

Abide by Preserve Rules at all times