Large tall play area. My kids loved it and we went early enough we were the only people around. We…read moredid not make it to the creek due to it being too far away to walk with a 2 year old and 5 year old considering it would be uphill walk on the way back.

I almost didn't want to write this review ... because this truly is a hidden gem and I don't want…read moreit to get too crowded! But, I think I've kept this awesome Burlington trail a secret for long enough. Let me start by saying that there is a park area with a playground and covered shelter and grill that looks nice and clean! On our most recent visit, there was a big cookout going on, and all of the parking spaces in the small lot were full. Don't be concerned if that's the case when you arrive ... there's plenty of street parking available in the surrounding neighborhood. And - even if the play area is full of people, we've never seen another person on the actual trail beneath the park. This trail is not for hiking amateurs. You can except a VERY steep climb back uphill at the end of your visit. There is a side path that's a little less steep - but it's very rocky with lots of switchbacks. I definitely recommend this trail for more experienced hikers. If you are a beginner and still want to check it out, just be sure you know what you're getting into. It's definitely worth the climb! My husband and I often bring our dogs for a quick spin around this trail, on both weekday and weekend mornings. When you get down to the actual river, there's plenty of wildlife to check out. Most recently, we enjoyed the blooming Honeysuckle plants, but steered clear of a few snakes in the water. Be sure to watch where you step. Check out Gunpowder Creek the next time you're looking for a unique nature hike with a bit of a challenge. You won't be disappointed.

Great hike! The loop is just over two miles and provides a few great views of the river. Very…read morewooded and beautiful nature. The loop provided about 500ft of elevation change so this is not too difficult for even the least experienced hikers.

I've lived in Delhi all my life and visit many parks all over Cincinnati. For some reason I've…read morenever gone to Bender Mountain Preserve until this year. Why? I have no idea. It's close to home and it's trails offer an amazing workout. Bender Mountain Preserve has many trails some that go along the creek bed, with others that are much more difficult, climbing up to a 45 degree incline. Once up top there is an amazing view overlooking the Ohio River Valley and Kentucky. Bender Mountain Preserve is more hiking trails than a standard park. It's very remote and even during peak times you may only see a hand full of other hikers. Plus dog friendly!!

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!

We took a "field trip" here while learning about trees in our homeschool unit and we really…read moreappreciated three things: the walking trails are very nicely maintained and paved well, all of the natural shade with benches to rest, and all of the labels & information panels on the various types of trees! The area is beautiful and a great place for a walk. My 4 star rating is coming from a desire for a better map, the ones they have are ok but I had a little bit of trouble at times, and then for being let down on 2 things I promised my kids. The "children's garden" has definitely seen better days and is very lackluster in general. There's nothing to do inside of it and we were honestly just confused. The other thing was the butterfly garden, all of the bushes were gone on our visit. In general, these things aren't a big deal but considering I had 4 small kids with me, these were 2 things advertised that we were looking forward to.

What a lovely little paved path just off the main road in the Union-Florence area! Don't let the…read morebaseball fields fool you - just follow the trail in to experience a wonderful little oasis of nature. There's plenty of parking - regardless if you're there for a baseball game or for a nice walk. We brought our dog with us, and ended up doing the entire loop in just under an hour. We'd initially pulled up this trail in the AllTrails app, and it told us this was 1.1 miles ... we're not so sure that's accurate, since it felt like we were walking for much longer than that. Next time, we'll make sure to measure how far we've gone. Either way - what a gorgeous way to start your day! The plants and trees are all labeled, and sorted into various collections. The Magnolia Collection was by far our favorite, although that's about as far back into the loop as you can get. The trail itself is well-maintained, and wasn't too busy at all on a Saturday morning around 9 a.m. There was a good age range among the folks walking ... it was nice to everyone from families to elderly couples out for a morning stroll. We'll definitely return to this paved trail - it's especially convenient after a big rain, when you don't want to hike through the mud!

After Cincinnati Nature Center made Yelp's list of best places to hike in the country, I knew I…read moreneeded to try out a yearly membership. During COVID-19, Cincinnati Nature Center (as well as Long Branch Farm) are exclusively for members (normally, you can pay a daily rate). A yearly fee of $64 (which includes a guest each time) seemed reasonable. Also during COVID-19, they have time slots for you to sign up for to access the park. I wanted to take advantage right away, but all the time slots for Cincinnati Nature Center were booked, so I decided to book a time slot at Long Branch Farms and Trails. I hadn't received my access card in the mail yet, but someone at the gate was able to let us in. All of the Trails are pretty short (the longest being about 1.5 miles). If you're feeling ambitious, you can totally tackle all the trails in one visit. I believe we walked almost all of them. Definitely plan on wearing some hiking boots if there is any moisture on the ground, you WILL get muddy. You can also stand in the shallow stream to clean off your boots a bit. The trails were well-kept. I'll definitely venture back to spend more time on the trails and find some good spots to put up a hammock!

I would live here if I could. This place is amazing…read more The trails are great and offer varying hikes in length, terrain and scenery. There are constantly improvements being made as well, showing a real commitment to the place and the people who love it. There are maps available that list the trails and can be recycled when you are done as well as trail journals scattered throughout for jotting down quick thoughts or discoveries to share with fellow hikers. Mother Nature's guestbook! The main lodge has restrooms and a gift shop as well as a great little selection of books to read. There is also one of many areas available throughout the park where you can observe local birds as they go about their bird business. The naturalists are very knowledgeable and just as excited about nature as you would hope. Some trails are equipped with little learning stations that offer more information about local flora and fauna and there are descriptive boards along each section of trail that detail the type of area, improvements etc. The feeling that comes from spending time here is priceless. Every time I leave I feel like I'm breathing more easily and deeply at peace. They offer a wide range of activities and social events year round to help build the community. The trails are dog friendly and there are pet pick up bags and disposal stations throughout. For quiet hikes, try one of the longer trails or one that takes you farther from the main lodge. And be aware that on week days there tend to be class trips, so if large groups of children aren't your thing, the longer trails might be a better option too.

Quiet Trails was my find of the year!…read more I am hesitant to write a review because putting it on the Yelp map might make it a little less secretive. I only found out about this place through word of mouth from a few friends as there is very little information online. For the locals in Harrison County, Quiet Trails has been a popular hiking spot along the Licking River. This year-round hiking trail loops 1.7 miles down to the river and back up. The loop is actually two different trails that meet up at the same point - so you can choose to go down and up the same path, or go back on the other path. We initially choose what we thought was the more difficult path (Challenger Trail) to get down to the river, and the 'easier' path back up -- but I think it should have been marked the other way around. One path is rather wide and easy to see -- the other (Deep Hollow) is very narrow and goes through some very steep areas. While some areas are clearly the path, some parts were a little bit harder to see and we had to use intuition to figure out which way to go. Yet, it is a stunningly gorgeous hike, especially on the Deep Hollow path. We were told that it would be an easy, short hike. It wasn't easy or short at all with a toddler that wanted to be carried nearly the entire time. Once we got to the river, we had a little bit of a break as he wanted to wade and splash, but we were eager to get out of the heat and back in the car. By the end of the hike, my back was so sore (can you guess who carried the kid most of the time?). We will try to come back when my child is a bit older and more willing to walk himself, or just without him on a day date. If your kids are used to hiking or over the age of five, they will most likely be fine. Also, the GPS will take you here -- but be prepared to be a bit confused as you drive through back roads to find this place. The little gravel pull-off [parking lot] with the gate and a small sign is actually the entrance to the preserve. You'll have to shimmy through the fence to get to the paths. We were so confused if we were even in the right place until we saw a person that was a seasoned hiker in this area. Thank goodness! Oh, and bring a stick to knock down some spider webs. I'm excited to come back here next summer and do more hiking!

This is a nature preserve and doesn't allow dogs, including on a leash. There is a large sign at…read morethe start of the trail. It's a lovely area and the trail looked promising.

Yet another gem in Ohio's FABULOUS state park crown!! I had just one goal this visit, one I hadn't…read moreyet accomplished during previous visits, to see/cross the swinging bridge. Check!! Done and worth the wait!! SO much to see/do here... Camping, hiking, biking, boating--- It's a WONDERFUL four-seasons getaway!! Check it out, there's DEFINITELY something for EVERYONE!!

My husband, mom, baby, and I recently spent the day on the beach. For a lake beach, it is a good…read moresize and honestly pretty well kept. There was minimal trash on the beach. The water is murky, like you would expect, and the sand is really rough and gritty, again like you would expect for a lake, but it's not slimy. The bathrooms are brand new. There is a ton of green space and plenty of room to spread out from other families. There are picnic shelters and grills. Huge parking lot! Even on the busiest summer holidays, I have never struggled to find parking. There is a really nice fenced in dog area, as well as as a dog section of the beach. If it was closer, we would probably be there a lot this summer as it's a great way to cool down.

My family and I love doing hiking trails it's one of our favorite things to do when we are visiting…read moredifferent cities. So while we were in Florence visiting the Lincoln playground park there was a trail that they have and we decided to check it out it's behind the playground behind me baseball fields and it takes you probably about a half a mile through the whole words it's a fun nice trail that is definitely worth checking out when you're in the area