Columbus and Hocking Hills in Ohio Offer the Perfect City and Nature Getaway

Urban Adventures and Natural Wonders: 72 Hours in Columbus and Hocking Hills

A long weekend getaway to Columbus, Ohio and the Hocking Hills offers a perfect combination of city experiences and nature. Columbus, Ohio recently was ranked as a  Top Best Big City in the US as part of Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards for 2024. So, Columbus should definitely be on your radar -- and I totally agree. Pair a trip to Columbus with an adventure to the Hocking Hills and you will enjoy a well-rounded vacation exploring both the city and nature. There are many things to experience throughout this trip, but here are some of my favorite discoveries to consider for your itinerary:

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Early Spring Waterfall Hike at Settlers Cabin Park in Pittsburgh

A lovely hike through majestic woodlands treated us to a view of a tranquil waterfall tucked away in Pittsburgh at Settlers Cabin Park. Traversing slightly muddy trails on a recent spring visit was well worth it as we soaked in views of the picturesque waterfall gently trickling over layered rock. Pure bliss!

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Seals, Waterfalls, and Vikings: Wandering Iceland's Seal Circle

 

Seals, Waterfalls, and Vikings: Wandering Iceland's Seal Circle

Wandering the Seal Circle around Iceland's Vatnsnes Peninsula welcomed us to a remarkable portion of North Iceland that we had not yet explored. We quickly fell in love with the peninsula as we explored the highlighted sites. Views of the Arctic Ocean and fjords are just spectacular. We loved this adventure so much that we are already looking forward to driving the Seal Circle again!

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Breathtaking Hike at Kolugljúfur Gorge in Northwest Iceland

 

Waterfalls, Breathtaking Scenes, Extraordinary Rock Formations and More Captivate at Kolugljúfur Gorge

Winding down a day of travel in Iceland, we were ready to turn back to our apartment until we spotted a waterfall on the map. We have experienced many waterfalls in Iceland during our five visits to the stunning country, yet we knew that we could not miss this one. So, we headed to Kolugljúfur.

Upon embarking on our hike, we immediately found Kolugljúfur Gorge and Kolufossar breathtaking. After tracing the gorge and stepping through the waterfall's mist, I cannot decide which experience is more incredible.

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Winding Along the Boardwalk to Hayden Falls in Dublin, Ohio

 

Morning Wander to Hayden Falls Near Columbus, Ohio

Hayden Falls captivated us as it rolled over craggy rock. The stunning cascade falls in a bit of a wedge of a preserve along the Scioto River in Dublin, Ohio. When we first parked in a tiny, unassuming lot, we had little concept of how magnificent Hayden Falls is. Just wow!

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8 Favorite Northern Illinois Waterfalls

Discovering Northern Illinois Waterfalls

Northern Illinois features a number of waterfalls both natural and manmade. We are still encountering new-to-us waterfalls on the trail. Here, I have collected a selection of my favorite waterfalls to enjoy during this hiking season. I love waterfalls of all sizes and appreciate their uniqueness. I hope that you enjoy these eight waterfalls:

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Wilke Glen and Cascade Falls Enchant in Osceola, Wisconsin

 

Serenity in Osceola, Wisconsin Discovering Cascade Falls, Wilke Glen, and the St. Croix River

Descending down wooden stairs from the charming town of Osceola, Wisconsin, we would soon find ourselves captivated by the rush of a 25-foot waterfall. The scene truly took on a magical vibe as the sun illuminated sculpted rock and the varied greens and yellows of the trees. Spectacular!

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Hiking to a Delicate Cascade at Shadow Falls Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota

 

Shadow Falls Park Provides a Minnesota Hike Complete with Stunning Ravine, a Gentle Waterfall and Mississippi River Views

Shadow Falls Park effortlessly captivates wanderers with magical tree-covered ravines and a waterfall that delicately unfurls amidst soft, olive moss and verdant forest greens over nature sculpted rock. Whiled wrapped in the natural treasures of the preserve, we easily forgot that we were hiking in the Twin Cities. 

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Visiting the Dueling Waterfalls of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

Wandering Around Waterfalls at Menomonee Falls

Looking for a little adventure on a winter day, we drove up to Menomonee Falls to gaze at waterfalls. We then trickled our way back to the Chicago area, stopping at a variety of hiking spots to savor some fresh air in short stints. My grandparents drove me all over Wisconsin as a child. However, I do not remember ever stopping in Menomonee Falls. So, I thought it would be fun to check out the waterfalls.

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Short Hike to Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs Delights as a Water Veil Tumbles Over Bronze Rocks

Short Hike to Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs Delights as a Water Veil Tumbles Over Bronze Rocks

Rainbow Falls in Manitou Springs, Colorado tumbles over bronze rocks on the side of Pikes Peak as it flows to Fountain Creek towards the Arkansas River. The hike to the natural treasure is quite short making this adventure an easy one to add to any Manitou Springs excursion.

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Summer Morning Rush at Falls Park in Sioux Falls Crafts a Splendid Start to the Day

Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Greeted Us with the Power of the Falls and the Kiss of their Misty Spray on Our Faces

Tiered cascades rushing from Big Sioux River provided us with a rather splendid morning start  in Sioux Falls during our recent summer road trip. We benefited by fantastic weather during our whole trip and our morning in Sioux Falls was no departure. Stunning weather and a stunning landscape!

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Immersed by Nature at Helen Hunt Falls and Silver Cascade Falls in North Cheyenne Canon Park Colorado Springs

Immersed by Nature at Helen Hunt Falls and Silver Cascade Falls in North Cheyenne Canon Park Colorado Springs

Colorado adventures meld together fantastic nature moment after nature moment. During our first day exploring the natural splendor of Colorado, we basked in the sparkly strands of Helen Hunt Falls in North Cheyenne Cañon Park. The Colorado Springs cascade streams over a craggy surface begging for pause by hikers.

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Forest Bathing and Chasing Waterfalls at Willow River State Park in Wisconsin

Forest Bathing and Chasing Waterfalls at Willow River State Park in Wisconsin

Willow River State Park in Hudson, Wisconsin easily entices visitors with the rush of Willow Falls and the spectacular landscape of the Willow River Gorge. Several drops add to the splendor of the falls. However, 12 miles trails fanning out into the forest are not to be missed.

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3 Unique Waterfalls in West Iceland

Wandering Around Waterfalls in West Iceland

Our Iceland adventure certainly was not short on waterfalls! After exploring the stunning Snaefellsnes Peninsula during our recent trip, we wandered through more of West Iceland. Of course, we had to add several waterfalls to our excursion! During our West Iceland excursion, we explored three different waterfalls and each was quite unique!

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Summer Adventure to Denmark and Iceland with a Quick Stop in Sweden

Summer Adventure to Denmark and Iceland with a Quick Stop in Sweden 

Denmark and Iceland entranced our family for the last 10 days with castles, canals, fjords, waterfalls, history, royal jewels, gardens, volcanoes, Vikings and much more! While in Denmark, we even were able to add a short trip to Sweden by crossing the Øresundsbroen Bridge. Pairing Iceland and Denmark really worked well for our family. During our stay in Copenhagen, our days were full of tours of castles and landmarks taking time to absorb the immense history in the city and Denmark. Our days in Iceland were full of nature exploration, unique hikes and spectacular views. This vacation was really one of the best we have ever enjoyed and had something for all of our individual passions even the teen! We just returned yesterday and while I am a bit jet lagged, I am so inspired by our experiences that I would like to share a little about our adventure!

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Hiking at Gooseberry Falls in Minnesota

Hiking to Stunning Cascades at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Minnesota

While visiting Duluth, we certainly had waterfalls on our minds! On our first afternoon, we traced Lake Superior until we reached Gooseberry Falls State Park.  Our nearly 3.5 mile hike greeted us with many vantage points to enjoy the falls and rapids.

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Spring Hike to Cascade Falls at Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland

Spring Hike to Cascade Falls at Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland

Our spring road trip waterfall hunting continued into Maryland. We were centered in the Annapolis area for a bit and discovered Cascade Falls in Patapsco Valley State Park about 40-45 minutes away. Patapsco Valley State Park contains 16,043 acres of preserve, so it is rather massive. Given the large size of the preserve, you do want to make sure you are heading to the Cascade Falls Loop Trail to see the falls. There are two spots that I know of to access the trail. We ended up parking on the side of Landing Road to access the trail. There is a parking lot on the other side as well. However, we did like the hike from Landing Road. I wouldn't have changed our hike for the day! Just nature bliss!

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Dueling Cascades in Cascade Park in Elyria, Ohio

Dueling Cascades in Cascade Park in Elyria, Ohio

Cascade Park in Elyria, Ohio provided us with our first opportunity to truly stretch our legs and explore on our trip. The sky threatened to open up and pour, so we did not know how much time we had to discover the two cascades at Cascade Park. We were determined to at least find one, so we set out to traverse the rocky terrain along the Black River.

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Waterfall Hunting Near Portland, Oregon

The Columbia River Gorge near Portland, Oregon provides for many opportunities to view magnificent scenery and even enjoy waterfall hunting. We delighted in exploring three waterfalls on our trip and there are many more in the area. The Columbia River Gorge is a stunning canyon carved by the magnificent Columbia River. The area is marked with mountains, overlooks, waterfalls, rivers and more. The scenery is powerful in the entire area treating visitors with a plethora of nature experiences.

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Favorite Midwest Hiking Trails

The Midwest is full of natural treasures ready for a hiking adventure. With the help of some of my favorite Midwest travel writers, I have collected some of our favorite Midwest nature destinations to inspire your next adventure.

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