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. 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.