Hadn't been here in years. They now charge for parking. I found free parking across the street…read more The building at the entrance was open and has one bathroom and water fountain but can't count on it being open. I went down the stone stairs ... they were slippery but was glad i still could manage them. They have changed things ... added wooden pathways and more water at the bottom of the stairs. I'd hoped walk to both waterfalls. But wearing new shoes and saw it was muddy. So just headed back up the stairs to the car. They have bird feeders at the buildings. Nice place to hike. Parking is 10 bucks.

Let's start off with the only thing that took me as interesting. They charge $10 for parking. It's…read morea non profit so I guess this is to help in taking care of the the facilities and help pay the staff. I'd never been here but the lovely Mrs went to camp here with her 8th grade class back in the 80's. I'd never been so was kind of curious about it as I was under the impression that it's just a park where kids could learn about nature and all its magic. What I found out is that it is an incredible wandering path. Lots of things to see like waterfalls, rock formations and even a path where you get from one side to the other by stepping from stone to stone. Lots of folks, lots of pets, big and small. The education center had a park employee out there with a bigger falcon, then a smaller falcon and then the gorgeous barn owl. The folks inside the education center were incredibly helpful and knew a ton about the inhabitants of the 'enclosures'. My favorite was the teeny tiny Megatron who's the smallest and cutest owl I've ever seen. Park isn't marked very well. They suggest you download the digital map from the QR code as you walk toward the very nice restroom facility. This is very nice but... the signs(pieces of paper with numbers written on them) with the corresponding numbers from the map are either missing, blurred due to water or faded from the sun. I'm hoping one of the Boy Scouts we saw while here takes it upon themselves to start their petition to create more permanent signs for their 'Eagle' comprehensive service project. There were so many times we were like...where are we. Plenty of trash to pick up so if you're like me, bring a small grocery bag and leave it better than you came. Thank you to the nice couple with the long haired dachshund who climbed the rocky pylon to help me get the cup that had been left there. It makes me happy that there are people still out there willing to help me with such simple but worthwhile side projects.

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.

The good is that the hike through the beautiful woods was great, and the pool area well kept. The…read morepool table area needs improvement. I really enjoyed my hike.

Cedar Trails is a nice secluded park! Family friendly. We were there just as it's annual kids week…read morehad wrapped up and there were a couple families still hanging around. Plenty of hiking / walking trails. The pool is not heated and we were there early in the season so it was still too cold for us. The hot tub was great, but could use a little TLC. It is plenty big (made by the residents themselves!). I had to rewrite the brakes in our trailer while there and not one person complained, in fact one of the residents lent me some tools! It's a little rustic and could use an infusion of money to improve the maintenance; however all-in-all a great place. Check out the nearby Serpent Mound park! We will definitely stay there again!

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!!

Easy access to the waterfall, bathrooms, parking, and seating. Trails dont have easy signs from…read morethis starting spot so make sure to use the map provided.

A small waterfalls just close by to the parking lot. The trails are marked but might be a bit…read moreconfusing. The trails are narrow as well. There is a restroom but it's a portable one. There is a lot of open space in the park and few tables to sit and eat.

I went today for a field trip and i had ms emily! it was awesome and i got to hold a cockroach and…read morepet a turtle along with a toad. Its awesome

As of late October the bathrooms are still open. Had a nice…read morehike over mostly flat terrain with lots of views of the river. A few small benches are along the way.

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!

Great all around destination for a hike. Trails are well maintained, and the Buzzardroost Rock…read moretrail was a good out and back with some variety, about 4.5 miles overall. Glad we arrived early in the morning due to the Summer heat, but also because once we arrived at the overlook, the fog was moving through the mountains and valleys creating an even more scenic experience. Anxious to return in the Fall! And my husband thoroughly enjoyed the curvy driving roads we took to get there!!

DO NOT GO ALONE! Well I did but I wouldn't suggest it! This trail is way out there on an…read moreAppalachia mountain. Not an easy trail to find or to hike! Storms that have came through have left trees blocking path. Going over the trees is not that difficult but there was this one tree trunk that came to a sharp point. I don't think very many people travel this path (hence why there's a box so that if you're never heard from again someone some day might find your name in the box). I went in the trail at 7pm figuring I could get a good hike in in an hour (but that didn happen barely made it out before dark). but because the trail is long i just wanted to keep going; however, definitely remember the BEARS - something I wasn't expecting either. Oh, and FYI when you do sight a bear you are supposed to let the local ranger know - which I'm not even sure where a ranger would be up there?... Again nice hike but don't go alone. I survived but I also came across a bear and almost broke my ankle (high ankle sprain) and I could still be out there hoping someone would travel this path.

A beautiful state park just outside of Yellow Springs Ohio. The park has hiking trails, mounts…read morebike trails, camping all along portions of the of the Little Miami. The park also has a disc golf course. The trails are well groomed but trail markings could by improved.The park had their wild flowers blooming now ... late March , early April.

John Bryan State Park is a beautiful 750 acre park near Yellow Springs, Ohio. It's a great place…read moreto take a nature hike, especially during the fall when the leaves are changing. The trails are clean and well kept. If hiking isn't your thing, there are lots of areas to play frisbee, let your kids run around, or have a picnic in the shade. It's about a 45 minute drive for us, so we don't go often but when we do go once or twice a year, we always enjoy this beautiful park.

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.