This is a fantastic 4.9 mile loop trail for a day hike. I don't normally give much credence to…read moretrail difficulty ratings in the Midwest, but the "expert" trail definitely isn't easy on foot (I imagine it would be super challenging on a mountain bike). The trail weaves through old timber, dipping and diving between marshes that flank the White River. The trail actually divides at various points into easy, intermediate and expert legs. To get the full 4.9 miles, you have to take all of the expert loops, but they are the fun ones anyway. The trail was not heavily trafficked, even on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The loop is one-way traffic, so you won't likely see anyone else unless you overtake them or vice-versa. That also means no turning back once you start. Take water and a snack. The full 4.9 will take over 2 hours to hike. Also, with all of the marshes, there are lots of bugs in the summer months. Make sure to apply plenty of deet.

I really enjoyed my visit to this park. First, I don't think many people know about it and so I…read morehad the entire park to myself. I was able to grab one of the limited street parking sites on Bunch Blvd near the north entrance to the park. Second, there was a small plaza with informational signs describing the park, the folks involved with getting it built, and general wetland information that was brief, but helpful. Next, most of the pathway for visitors is slightly elevated on a boardwalk. Even though there was disturbance in the area during the construction, the wetlands have now recovered and the elevated trail makes for easy walking without damaging the surrounding wildlife. The rest of the trail is equally broad and hopefully gives good enough views that visitors won't wander off into the prairie area of the park. Note that during my visit, the wetlands appeared mostly dry but green. About half way through the trail, a large wooden shelter was constructed with a slightly elevated observation deck that offers great views over the lowlands of the park. There are more benches available there and lots of shade in an otherwise open area of the park. I really appreciate that the area has been preserved as a beautiful green area that can accommodate both humans and nature. Review #1053

We had such a great time! It is a smaller State Park but it was really peaceful and clean. I had…read morethe best sleep ever here. We also loved seeing the Bison and enjoyed watching the feeding. The volunteers were extremely knowledgeable about them and had interesting facts.

Great little park with a sturdy, well built/renovated fire tower great for climbing, and a buffalo…read morepreserve! We went at the right time of day and they were right up against the fence line. Very cool sight. There were a lot of great trails including a mile long one around the buffalo area, as well as a fully paved bike trail that goes through the woods. It was a lovely ride. The bathrooms left something to be desired as usually 2/3 toilets were clogged and the hardware in general could use some renovation. There are private showers in the back restrooms which were a nice change but having to continuously hit the water button (and it pauses every time you hit it) was a different, not so pleasant experience. Overall, this was a decent campground, fairly busy. A lot of the large buildings were closed or intended for renting out. There was no nature center. There is a lake which offer paddle and other boats for rent. There is also parking for horse & buggies away from the RV sites. Outside of the horse & buggy and a summer camp area, we never found the primitive camp sites but we didn't exactly go looking for them either.

Great trails! Definitely one of my favorites. Not too crowded. There's a good variety of trail…read moreoptions. The trails are well kept. It was very cool to see the mounds and read about the history.

If you haven't been here the mounds are an archeological site, and that this site and was noticed…read moreby outsiders/settlers and survived is also amazing. The nature center has a great mural of the mounds, their preservation, and Mounds before it became Mounds State Park. The obligatory bird/wildlife viewing room, like Turkey Run and Brown County State Park, is here, when you finally peel yourself away from that peaceful space, visit the Bronnenberg House next door to the nature center. You can only go in to the Bronnenberg home on the weekends, but no one bugged us for peeking in the windows of the closed building. There is sadly no more pool, and hasn't been for a couple decades, but you can get your feet wet in the shallows of the White River. We poked around for mussel shells and man-made fossils, river-erroded glass, tiles, and brick bits. Plenty of hiking trails and bike-able spots in the park, a minimal bike trail in the from Bronnenberg house the group of mounds, but the roads are pretty flat around the park if you need a good ride. Friendly enough staff at the gate and campground gate, and one ranger took the time to say hi to us after noticing our way out of state plates. Fellow campers were quiet enough, making this a good getaway.

Peaceful spot for hiking, leaf collecting and exploring nature. Growing up, this was the spot…read moreeveryone visited to build their leaf collections for school. They have paved and non-paved hiking paths along with an outdoor chapel and nature center. Overall, a lovely and free experience tucked begins the hustle and bustle of department store chains in Richmond.

This place is wonderful! Multiple trails to walk, a nature center to visit and even a trail to…read moredrive though. So many trees, just so relaxing. They allow dogs and we really enjoyed the quiet. Such a wonderful place. We wished we lived closer so we could visit more often.

I was a little bit nervous about signing up to do a 3k event in November, however, the opportunity…read morepresented itself and I knew I'd be able to visit a park I'd never been to before. Flat Fork Creek Park is part of Fishers Parks. Located at 101st and Cyntheanne Road, Flat Fork Creek Park offers just over 60 acres of relaxing fun for just about everyone in the family including a good amount of ADA accessibility. First off, you'll get a 60-foot sledding hill here. That's good to know as we inch toward winter. It's the tallest point in Hamilton County. There's also a 1.25 mile progressive mountain bike course that offers features for both mountain biking newbies and those with more experience. There's a beautiful fishing pond - state license required except for those 17 and under. Nearly 20 acres in the park are reforestation areas and there's a shelter with picnic tables that can be rented. Okay, that accessibility I mentioned? The 3k I did was a relatively small group, though it was centered around disability and had several disabled participants. The park includes an ADA accessible treehouse, a paved multi-use trail, and a boardwalk (I would note that while the boardwalk is, indeed, accessible, you do want to be a tad careful due to the side of the boardwalk that do offer a bit of a drop-off). You know what I think is really cool? They've created a ramp here so that even those with mobility issues can get to the top of the sledding hill - in most parks, that's an afterthought. As a side note, Fishers has won awards for their inclusion work and this park really shows it. This is really just a lovely park. You're not going to find a playground or other frequent park features, however, this beautiful park does a nice job of including everyone and weaving together nature with fun park adventures. This was my first time here. It won't be my last.

I recently discovered this park and have gone back a few times now. It's a beautiful park with a…read moregreat walking path, trail and hill. I love taking my dog here for a walk or going alone just to watch the sun set. The park is spacious and clean and overall a great experience. If it were closer to me I'd probably go daily.

I'm fat. Over the last year this statement is no longer a subjective opinion, my pants tell me I'm…read morefat. So, I've made it a point to be more active and start creaking the ole bones again. I've driven past the entrance for this park for a year and had good intentions of stopping. Today I ran into the one neighbor who doesn't hate me, and he told me I can get to the hiking trails from my neighborhood. Cool! I charged up my 1st gen iPod (seriously), dug out my pig wrestling sneakers (seriously), and my fanny pack (seriously) and off I went. Mengerson is owned and cared for by Acres Land trust since 1989. There are approximately 32 acres of forest and hiking trails are about 1.2 miles. This time of year the trails are ridiculously muddy, so I'm glad I wore my pig shoes. There were several points I just went off trail to avoid standing water, and since the trees and undergrowth is still bare, it wasn't too bad. The hike itself is easy and suitable for just about anyone. There can be deer seen (according to my neighbor) and all sorts of bird species. There are a few neat side trails. You are never far from housing, but it's still quiet (my iPod died in the middle of Bel Biv Devo) and once the trees fill in I imagine it's even more peaceful. Now that I know I can walk to a trailhead and not have to drive and park, I can say I'll be back frequently till the mosquitos drive me away. This is a neat little patch of forest and I highly recommend it. Plus its a pokestop for the three people who still play PokemonGo.

We was planning to go to the middle creek park, but GPS lead us to this park. Strange! There is one…read moretrail beside the parking lot. It's a loop and quite nice walk. The first half is mostly uphill, will be a little exhausting, but the 2nd half is much easier. There is an overlook area, but not much view.

I went looking for this site, and almost turned back when I saw a sign stating the road was Posted…read moreNo Trespassing. I stopped to ask a nearby homeowner, who promised the trailhead was just beyond the outdated sign. It was, all official with signage and a parking area. It's a nice trail, clearly marked and with several benches along the way. It's a loop of about a mile and a half, which ends by the creek. There's no real vista while the leaves are still on the trees, perhaps in winter? Maybe I'll make it back to find out!

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve is my first state park I have visited in Ohio, and it did not…read moredisappoint. I'm not a hiker, but I found the trail to be a somewhat easy hike for a senior and the walkways and guardrails were well-maintained. There are lots of benches to sit on to take in nature, darling native plants, and plenty of interesting facts to read about along the trail. We saw photos and explanations of how the Little Miami River was used to power grist and cotton mills, paper factories, and breweries. In the information building, we were greeted by the very friendly ranger, who gave us a botanical identification brochure (it would have been very useful during the hike) and introduced us to the turtles in their enclosure. The preserve was quiet, and we enjoyed ourselves so much. This is just the start of our adventure of the Clifton Gorge, and there are so many more activities to explore. We hope to be back during another season when the water in the gorge is flowing more rapidly.

A truly beautiful Ohio state park. It is 260+ acres and backs up to another park- the John Bryan…read morePark. You can take trails between both parks - so you can hike for miles! The little Miami river runs through it. We hiked a loop. Starting by at the North Rim trail by the nature center and taking it to its end, which actually is in the John Bryan state park. We then looped over to the John Rich trail and hiked back. The total hike approximately 4.3 miles. But of course, there are multiple trails and options for length of hike. What made this hike absolutely beautiful was the deep gorge and valley into the river. The northern rim is on top of the gorge and the John Rich trail follows at the base of the gorge alongthe river. There are stunning views from the top of the gorge looking down, as well as numerous places with bolts for rock climbing. It is heavily wooded and provides for nice shade in the warm weather months. Along the lower trail you can experience river up close. The views are stunning. We saw a large Great Blue Heron on the bank looking eagerly for its next meal. The heavily wooded area provides for a wealth of plant life including beautiful ferns and in the sunny spots, wildflowers. There are picnic areas located along the trails as well as benches and overlooks. There are no entrance fees.