Quarry Rock Falls is a broad, tiered cascade on the Aurora Branch of the Chagrin River inside South Chagrin Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks system, on the edge of the village of Bentleyville in Cuyahoga County. The river bends here beneath sandstone cliffs that still carry the vertical tool scars of a 19th century quarry, the source of the name. A small stone-quarrying settlement called Griffithsburg stood nearby in the early 1800s, and Metroparks notes the area once held the only post office for miles around. The falls drop over stepped ledges of shale that run the full width of the stream.

Getting there is short and simple. Drive to the Quarry Rock Picnic Area off Solon Road, just south of Chagrin River Road in Bentleyville, and park in the small lot there. A short walk from the lot leads to a wooden viewing deck above the falls, and the Quarry Rock Loop Trail and Hatchet Ridge Trail follow the south bank of the river past the cascade. The picnic area has tables, grills and non-flush restrooms. The reservation is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Entry and parking are free; Cleveland Metroparks charges no admission at its reservations.

This is a creek spot rather than a beach. Expect wet, flat shale shelves, riffles and ankle to knee deep water over the ledges, with deeper pockets at the base of each step and in the bend below the falls. Depth and current change a lot with rainfall, and there is no posted or measured depth. The water is cool and shaded under hemlock and hardwood cover, and it is at its most comfortable from late June through August when flows drop. Cleveland Metroparks regulations allow swimming and wading in park waters except where an area is designated otherwise, and visitors assume the risk of any water contact. There are no lifeguards at Quarry Rock; the system's guarded swimming is at its six designated beaches and pools, not here.

Treat the Aurora Branch with respect. American Whitewater rates the branch as class III to IV whitewater at high water, and the stream can rise quickly after a storm. Stay out when the water is high or murky. The shale is slick with algae, the cliffs around the gorge are steep and crumbly, and Metroparks allows climbing only in designated areas with a permit. Do not jump or dive from the ledges; the pools are shallow and rocky. Metroparks posts no water quality results for this stream (its monitoring covers the guarded beaches), so avoid swallowing water and skip a dip for a couple of days after heavy rain, when runoff from upstream suburbs is at its worst. Alcohol is prohibited throughout the park district.

The rest of South Chagrin Reservation is worth the trip. A short walk downstream along the Aurora Branch leads to Henry Church, Jr. Rock, a 19th century carving of a serpent and a woman cut into a sandstone boulder by a local blacksmith, with more small falls nearby. The Buckeye Trail runs through the reservation, Shadow Lake is stocked for fishing, and the state-designated scenic Chagrin River forms the park's eastern edge. In winter the Quarry Rock cliffs grow long curtains of ice, and Metroparks lists the falls among its best winter waterfall stops.