Here there is something for everyone. It is a nostalgic place for me and many others who are from…read moreTroy, Ohio. But for many, this is a new and booming place, but it's not exactly new. This is not just any park...here is a little history: In the early 1940's, several Troy residents began clearing the river and the banks of rubbish in hopes of using the area for water activates. They even cleared away the remains of an old wooden damn located just north of the Adams St. Bridge. Then, Edward Alvah (E. A.) and William Hobart took an interest in the park and provided the heavy equipment needed to assist in the process of clearing. That's right...E.A and William Hobart of the Hobart Brothers Corporation. The Hobart Corporation used to be based in Troy, Ohio. Yes, that's right...the ones that created and made Kitchenaid for the home and for commercial use...and they are still made today (just not here). Let us not forget the welders, generators and industrial equipment as well to name a few. They weren't always made in a foreign country. Indeed, Hobart was alive and well in Troy, Ohio and the surrounding area once upon a time. The Corporation put quite the thumbprint on Troy, this is one of them. The leaders of the Hobart Brothers Corporation wanted to provide a location for not only boating enthusiasts, but also for their employees to enjoy the Great Miami River and all activities related to water. So, they constructed a marina, a boathouse, and a launch area with a lighthouse all from the profits of the company. At one time there was a baseball diamond located here and playground equipment as well. The place boomed with boating activities, festivals and company picnics for many years. My grandparents and parents used to speak of the fun times here. In the 1960's, E.A. Hobart gave the boathouse and property to the city of Troy as a gift. Troy accepted and decided it had great recreational potential. It has been utilized in many ways over the years. It has even seen days of non-use and dilapidation as well sadly. Some of my fondest memories growing up were playing out on the island after crossing a bridge...and we always fed the ducks. I used to love to ride my bike down that steep hill coming in and lift my legs & feet off the peddles. We used to rent canoes and paddle boats below...sweet memories. But what was once old, is new again. It brings me tears of joy to see this place come alive again and alive it is indeed. This place not only has its own website now, but it has a Facebook page too! There is a fairly new restaurant in the building called "Smith's Boathouse". The Smith family has a history of their own. I went to school with one of the brothers and was able to enjoy the family restaurant in Maui (Yummy). It is a great addition to the Park. And if you get a chance, please check it out. But not only that, there is now an area for concerts in addition to the typical walks, playing, biking, picnicking or just hanging out and enjoying the view. There is quite the venue these days at Treasure Island. It makes me smile that it is alive again. Although people call it "new", please don't forget the history, how it started, why it's here and how it has evolved. When in Troy...stop down...a water activity may interest you, a stroll, a bike ride...or maybe just the view. These are only a few things you can do there...there is something for everyone...to include finding that special spot for peace and quiet. http://www.troyohio.gov/587/Treasure-Island-Park https://www.facebook.com/pages/Treasure-Island-Park/142286295802726

This is a recently developed nature preserve that's near Troy, OH. There are trails throughout the…read morereserve that are maintained. You can see deer, geese, coyotes, ducks, hawks and even a beaver on the lake. It's a very pleasant place to talk a walk. It's over 100 acres with 1.6 miles of trails to explore and it has a lake and a stream in the middle.

I'm an avid trail runner. My normal trail is closed through August for repairs, so I decided to…read morecheck this nature trail out instead. Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed. If you enjoy running through an open field, surrounded by tall grasses, with no shade, and no breeze, this place is for you. There is one very small section of trail that goes through a nice forested area, but other than that, it's basically like running through your neighbors corn field. It is well kept, which is nice, but I won't be back.

Took a day trip to Dayton and landed at Wegerzyn Gardens. What a lovely place! With free parking…read moreand entry, it's a gorgeous place to visit. Would definitely go again!

Such a gem in the middle of the city! Wegerzyn is my…read morefavorite park in Dayton because it has a little bit of everything. Beautifully manicured gardens, a nice, peaceful nature path, a boardwalk through a swamp forest, and a fantastic children's area!

A beautiful little oasis. A bonus is a bathroom with real flushing toilets instead of a smelly…read morescary pit. This is also A good spot to collect some clean pesticide free milkweed if you help raise Monarchs in the summer to help boost their struggling numbers like I do.

Love taking walks here if you love nature it's a great place for walking or to even take the kids…read morethey have some sponsor animals they have rehabilitated and can't be let go back into the wild.

It is completely free. So fun. Lots of history. Really a beautiful little spot. Flowers were…read morebeginning to bloom. My 3 girls loved it. Made a little donation and they sent me a thank you email.

The Rock Garden was neat to see. It had a bunch of places created out of rocks and it is well…read morepreserved. It's free to visit, they just ask for a donation to help preserve the community.

Always a pretty place to walk in the woods. But this has a farm with animals which is interesting…read morefor all ages. They have the huge wooden troll statues which i love. It aggregates me when people climb on them ... disrespectful. There are ponds, wild flowers, birds watching and one section with the house ... is gorgeous in the spring. They spent their life planting spring flowers so the daffodils and blue bells are gorgeous.

Great walking trails- don't be afraid to get dirty or muddy. This can be whatever you want it to…read morebe. It can be all day long or just a few hours. Don't forget to hit the gift shop for great local and wildlife funded products. Check in at the center before starting out- get your day sticker and a little direction too.

This is a really big and nice park. I come up here once a year for a race that uses the park as…read morehome base. There is tons of parking. The path is in nice shape and the bike path is connected so longer runs or rides are easier to plan. The bathrooms could use some upgrades, but the picnic shelter is still pretty nice. I think the one thing I wish they'd do is continue the path inside the park somehow. Maybe over towards the baseball fields, but it's not a very long path in the park.

Great place for all kinds of sporting activities. Clean and safe for your events day or night.read more

Orchardly Park is an excellent park for kids of all ages! There are swings (for babies and big…read morekids), many play sets (even a smaller one for younger kids), a splash pad, a sand pit, basketball courts, and a picnic shelter. I took an almost one-year-old baby here today. It is only street parking, but there were plenty of spots. The park has many trees, so there were spots of shade for us to rest. Many kids were playing at the park! But we played in the sand and used one of the many baby swings! This park is so much fun for kids of all ages! I brought a baby that's walking with assistance, and she had a blast! Other kids seemed to love running around and then cooling off in the splash pad. Highly recommend going here with your kiddos to get out of the house!

This is a great park for big and little kids! There's a little sandy area for babies with…read moreconstruction trucks in it. You can pretend you're a construction worker. LOL. There's about six swings, two or three playgrounds, and more baby swings. Parking isn't too bad here either. And, for the big kids, there's basketball hoops and tennis courts. The restrooms weren't too bad. (Unlike Shoup park - there's just a port-o-potty there!). The restrooms are next to the tennis courts.

I have been on kick this year of going to nature parks and covered bridges. The great thing about…read moreboth of them is that there are some real hidden gems out there. The difficult part is being able to do a review on them since they are difficult to find on the computer. This one of the few I have found. It is easy to get to and has a large gravel parking area. The trails are well maintained with nice views. Some unique tree formations (spikes). There is no difficult hiking here. There are no restrooms. If you are looking for a quiet afternoon with small group or with family, try this park out.

This is a great nature preserve for this area. It has an excellent trail that is about 2.25 miles…read morelong and is not very difficult. The first 0.25 miles are handicap accessible. The remainder of the trail is a hiking trail through grass plains and woods. It crosses the headwaters stream a few times and ends at an overlook that gives a nice view of the headwaters stream. This is a great place to take a relaxing walk. You can take your dog too. There is parking available. There is no great place for a picnic. The place is around 800 acres and the hike goes through only a small portion of it. There are great opportunities to see wildlife. They have done a great job preserving the grounds and the water. We have taken our dog several times, she has gone into some taller grass and we have found a couple ticks on her, so be sure to check yourself and pets after you go.

Another GEM in the Five Rivers Metropark crown!! Used to come here all the time when I lived…read morecloser, so I was happy to make a return visit while back in the area. SO MUCH to see/do here that you'll need several visits (at least!!) to even scratch the surface. There's so much to see/do every season, it's tough to know where to start... Bike, fish, hike, picnic, take zillions of pictures, watch for deer and other "residents," and more!! Be sure to view the MASSIVE dam, it's impressive!! Don't miss seeing what there is to see at all of the separate entrances, definitely something for EVERYONE!! Next time, I'm bringing my bike!! Enjoy!!

If you are looking for a nice walk in the woods and down by the river, this is the place to go. We…read morehiked all on the east side of the river, totaling a little more than 5.5 miles round trip. Starting from an access trail next to the dam, we went counter clockwise , linking the yellow and orange trails. We probably did not get the full "experience" since we were there in the winter when the leaves were off the trees and the river level was low-ish. I am looking forward to coming back in other seasons. Two words of warning: Remember that the trails can be muddy due snowmelt, even if the snow has been gone for a few days. Saw several people out there today whose originally white sneakers are probably a few shades of darker brown now. Also, mud will be thicker and deeper down near the river where soil will have been pushed down the river during previous floods.