Park District sees hidden gem

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of articles looking at “Hidden Gems” — interesting sites in The NewsHerald’s coverage area that even longtime residents might not have discovered.

Timing is everything in viewing Affelder Falls, a seasonal waterfall the Geauga Park District just recently made accessible to the public.

The falls located in The West Woods in Russell Township is what Geauga Park District’s chief naturalist, John Kolar, describes as an intermittent kind of falls. Some days it’s there, some days it isn’t.

According to Kolar, the falls are the most full and flow the most in the early spring or late winter when the snow is melting or immediately following a period of heavy rain.

“When the falls are gushing after heavy rain or snow melt they are a maximum of 15 to 20 feet tall and about 30 feet wide,” Kolar said. “When it’s really flowing, it’s just majestic.”

Geauga Park District in the summer of 2016 installed a trail out to the falls to make it accessible to the public. The new trail consists of a bridge and benches where visitors can sit and enjoy the area.

The trail is new enough that it’s not listed yet on the district’s trail maps.

Prior to the trail, the public couldn’t readily see Affelder Falls and would have had to know where exactly it was and bushwhack through the woods to find it, according to Kolar.

“Our idea was getting a trail out past it so people could be inspired by it,” he said. “Sometimes nature does all the work for us and we just put a trail there so people can see this amazing spectacle.”

Kolar noted, that naturalists over the years have led a few hikes out to the falls so people could see it, but timing the hikes right was a challenge.

The park staff does monitor when the falls are flowing and will put post on the district’s social media accounts to let people know it’s a good time to go.

“Typically the worst the weather, the more the falls are going,” Kolar said.

Kolar describes the falls as an inspiring, majestic site and doesn’t believe there is one any bigger in any of the district’s other parks.

Nancy Herrick of Russell Township has been hiking the trail to the falls at least twice a week since autumn of 2016.

“I try to come out here as often as I can because it is so healing,” she said. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

Herrick notes that she rarely sees anybody else when she is there.

“Occasionally, I will see people riding horses or see a few dog walkers,” Herrick said. “I have yet to see the same person twice.”

The trail leading to the falls can accommodate horseback riders, hikers and skiers.

It’s a short two-tenths of a mile walk to see the falls from the Affelder House located at 15139 Chillicothe Road, via a pull-off from road marked by a small sign. The falls are also accessible by an approximately one-mile hike from the Affelder Link Trail.

We are of the mind-set that we as educators try to inspire how people look at things up close and be inspired by the natural wonders of our county,” Kolar said. “By putting a trail near the falls, we feel people will be inspired by that and also want to help preserve and protect our natural resources.”

Geauga Park District is currently running a Hidden Gems Hiking series to show case more of their lesser known natural wonders.

For more information on the series call 440286-9516. Information on when the falls are flowing can be found at www.facebook.com/GeaugaParkDistrict or at twitter.com/ GeaugaParks.

SUBMITTED Affelder Falls, an intermittent or seasonal waterfall flows the heaviest after a period of rain or in early spring when the snow melts.

KRISTI GARABRANDT — THE NEWS-HERALD Affelder Falls, varies from a trickle of water to a gushing waterfall depending on the time of year. The falls are best visited after the snow melts or after a period of heavy rain.