We recently visited for the first time over the Memorial Day weekend and were pleasantly surprised…read more We only hiked the Cascade Trail so that is what my review will be on. The park website and things online are very confusing. One site says, permit not required and another say one isn't. The sign at the park also says permit required, but there is no where to purchase one in person or online. We took the chance and parked without one. I did see a worker driving around and he didn't seem to be checking cars. The map seems okay for general navigating and there is signage around. The trails are marked okay I think. There could be some improvement, but the Cascade Trail is a big loop so it isn't a huge deal. The trail was well maintained. A little overgrown in places, but nothing terrible. It's also really flat except for the end of the trail where you need to walk up a big hill to get back to where we parked. My kids did fine with the trial the whole time though. The bridge is super neat and my kids had fun crossing it. The falls were pretty and a nice treat, but you really have to wander around to find a good view of it. Luckily none of us minded that. The creek is really nice to play and walk in. That was by far my kids favorite part. We also found lots of fossils to explore and look at! It was a little muddy after all the rain we had received, but nothing terrible.

My favorite 'hiking' spot in Butler County…read more My favorite part about this preserve are the trails. There are multiple trails that connect to each other, so if you get bored with hiking your usual trail, it's easy to mix it up a little bit. They are all well kept and maintained. Sometimes there is some litter, but we pick it up. There are two old building foundations on one of the trails and a piece of farm equipment grown into a tree, pretty neat! The park is big, lots of space.

I happened to stumble upon this park as I was picking up a few items in the Westchester area. I had…read morea friend mention this park to me a few weeks before I decided to check it out. I just happen to pass the sign for the park, so I decided to head out for an adventure. It had just rained before I visited this park, so the trails were slightly muddy. I would love to go back once all the leaves and bushes are full of their green leaves and when the trail is not slippery wet and muddy. However, I happened to see some people trail running, as I was exploring. This would be a great place to do that! According to the map next to one of the trails I was exploring, it looks like there is about a 2 mile loop that crosses over the creek in two spots. You can walk this, hike it, or even decide to run the path. There are multiple entrances down to the trail. I ended up taking a muddy downhill to the creek, but as I begin walking, I realized that there were other places that led to the creek that had a set of stairs. If you are exploring and don't see a great way to get down to the creek, look around for an easier access. There are plenty! This park also has a beautiful amphitheater. It would be the perfect place to have a summer show or sit to enjoy a concert in the park. I did see a family with small children riding their bikes. They were a bit disappointed to discover that the trail was not suited for bikes. If you are looking to bike, I would not pick this specific park. However, if you are looking for a nice walk or a not too difficult hike, this park is for you!

This is a nice park with good amenities, accessible via two entrances. One side provides closer…read moreaccess to an amphitheater that offers concerts, a historical home, multiple reservable shelterhouses, a playground, and restrooms. A variety of trails lead down into a nice wooded area along a creek to explore. We were able to see a number of small fossils down there. There are multiple access points (some with stairs, some without, as well, depending on your preference), so referring to the map or keeping an eye on the trail markers can be helpful for wayfinding. There is also a mountain biking trail. The other side offers closer proximity to the sports area, which includes pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts. Fun place to visit!

If you are into birding this is a great spot ... there are other critters and bugs if thats your…read morething but birds and turtles are the easiest things to find. in the past I have seen deer, snakes, some weasel thing possible ferret. I thought I saw a beaver but in looking at pics it was a huge rat in the water eeek. But today only birds, turtles and dragonflies. Had hoped to see beaver or snakes but no luck. saw cedar waxwings but they were turned away so not the best pics and when I repositioned they flew away. sighhh. I got there late in the day and was already tired but it was a perfect weather day and got 2 days worth of steps in, but you have to be patient and bit lucky.

The Fernald Feed Materials Production Center has been a part of many people's lives. My family,…read moreincluded, so going to the preserve and museum has been on my to do list for a long time but always felt weird. Finally, I saw they were hosting tours of the museum and I drove out. It's a beautiful preservation. I was informed by my wonderful tour guide who I believe was named Penny, that there have been over two hundred different bird species spotted on the grounds. You cannot bring dogs there. The tour was fantastic and my tour guide could not have been better. The museum starts with acknowledging the families the land was taken from with eminent domain and goes through life at the plant. They have the video about duck and cover playing in a little fake living room. You can search records if you know someone who worked there. Lots of stuff. There's also a conference room free for nonprofits. I thought the museum would disappoint me. And I do wish it acknowledged the people who lived there more but my tour guide was really thoughtful in that respect and I'm so glad I met her. She took me on a tour of the land where the debris was encased that's now sectioned off with fencing, too. They are not, as of this date, allowed to have a Facebook so finding their events can be challenging but definitely worth it if you have any interest is local history or military history, the cold water or uranium clean up or just nature. I learned a lot and definitely will go back.

This is a small park tucked away in a suburban area. Years ago I tried the par cours trail which…read morewas a fun change of pace for exercise. This past visit we were just walking around checking out the scenery. The path is gravel, and when you get a little bit into the path there is a rather steep hill, so it isn't ideal for strollers. We enjoyed being near the pond and watching the ducks. The playground is most suitable for elementary aged children.

Nice park, fishing on one side and two well maintained ball diamonds on the other side. Nice…read moreinventory in the snack shack and I seen several people drinking draft beer in a plastic cups, I guess they sell beer also. Seen the Park Police patrolling parking lot, so there is security present.

It's so beautiful here…read more You have places you can sit and just talk, you can walk a trail that splits off in different ways but still leads you to the front. And the scenery is beautiful

This stretch of land offers widely varying topography and plant life. An array of paved trails and…read moremanicured gardens circle the place, but a wildflower sanctuary and some more rugged terrain exist towards the edge of the property. It appeared that the park required a parking fee at least some of the time, though it didn't seem to be enforced while I was there (maybe it's a Memorial Day-Labor Day situation?). Regardless, the $10 for a car would be a pretty good deal. There was a kid's garden that looked nice and which costs extra. One can walk into the gardens from nearby footpaths as well, though there did not seem to be any access directly from the residential neighborhoods nearby.

This is such a beautiful area! We parked in the small paved parking lot on the east side of the…read morepark, which let us walk right into the area with the gorgeous pond area, featuring a ton of plant and wildlife, including these gorgeous large flowers. The trail around the pond area is paved and easy to walk, and as you approach the far end, signage indicates access to an unimproved trail. There is nice seating near the pond, as well as a great overlook deck. What a great little park!

Wetlands is a great local park with beautiful scenery, and nice paved trails or alternatively…read more"mowed" trails. You can go shorter or longer distances as you wish. Parts of the park are located along a fairly busy road so there is some road noise along some trails, just FYI.

This is easily one of my favorite parks in Cincinnati. The wooded entrance is beautiful to drive…read morethrough and there is so much to explore. My husband and I brought our 1 year old here for a birthday picnic and found a quiet grassy spot to enjoy our special time. We also let him play on the new(ish) playground. It's SO cool. Very nature themed and unique. On our last visit, my (now 16 month old) son had a blast just running through the grassy areas near the playground picking up sticks. We got some sweet family photos. I can't wait to bring him back to play in the water features sometime.

The park is now open, after much renovation. The paths are different, and need new signage. It…read moreadded more concrete to the trails. It was harder to find where we were and where we were going. I wish the trails had more shade.

Very lucky to have this great park so close to us in Harrison. Great wooded trails to hike (three…read morego out from the Timberlakes shelter parking area, plus Tallgrass prairie trails) and nice paved road paths to walk or bike too (7.8 mile outer loop, 1,8 mile inner loop and harbor area path) and nice lake to fish or kayak on (with a great launch rails set up) .

Very nice park. COVID has NOTHING to do with going to the park, restrooms or playgrounds Fear…read moreoperation to make people get the bioweapon Vaxx, don't do it. Enjoy the outdoors, leave fake flu off the website.

Took the kids on Sunday for lunch picnic and to play . The…read morekids loved the splash pad and playground. Lots of picnic tables. Chairs and benches around the playground and picnic table - it was so crowded . Suggestion bring your own folding chairs . Will definitely be back.

My favorite park in the area. This park has great trails, pickle ball courts, different playground…read moreareas, basketball hoops, and a full length tennis court as well. This park is very versatile and also has some fair views.

I took my son to meet my sister and her daughter at the playground for a few hours. My son is a…read morebaby, so it was his first time playing on a playground and he had so much fun. I am always impressed by how well kept the playground is and how clean it is. There is so much space to spread out at the picnic tables and eat lunch, which is what we did. We brought takeout from a local restaurant. I also love that. There is a nice view of the lake from the playground. The parking situation is fantastic since the lot is so big.

Lots of love for this beautiful park just north of Cincinnati! I was first introduced to Winton…read moreWoods during the Great Parks Earth Day cleanup - and I knew I needed to get back up here as soon as possible. Winton Woods, like all of the Great Parks, does require a vehicle permit. If you're a Hamilton County resident, you can snag a day pass for $5. Since my husband and I drove up from NKY, our pass was $8. I have no problem paying a bit for a well-maintained park! If you think you'll visit more than twice a year, it's worth it to just buy the annual pass for $16. They do accept both cash and card at the main gate. My husband and I brought our dogs to hike Kingfisher Trail on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. While the harbor was pretty busy, and several of the covered picnic areas had been claimed, we were some of the only people on the trail. This is a pretty easy loop -- and while there is a small uphill portion, it's not steep at all. Dogs do have to remain leashed -- but there's plenty for them to sniff and explore right on the trail. As the weather continues to warm up, I'm sure we'll return to Winton Woods again soon!