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.

After my wife's chemotherapy this week, she needed some fishing therapy. She's caught 3 so far…read more I love to see her smile!

Beautiful lake!! We've taken the pontoon out here and also do paddle boarding. It's a spectacular…read morearea!

Greenville water fall is in Covington Ohio ??? could have been named better. You can see the falls…read morefrom the bridge or theres parking to a viewing area that is short easy walk for another view point. there had been lots of rain so the falls was really moving and nice loud sound. There was another view but these ladies brought chairs and camped out reading and hogging the whole area .. rude? Didn't do any hiking .. just looked at the falls and left.

No playground! Let's just get that out of the way right now. My children believe that all places…read morethat call themselves "parks" should have a playground, otherwise it's false advertising. I don't agree, but you should know up front that this park doesn't have a playground, so you can set your child's expectations where they need to be. What Beckenholdt Family Park does have is lots of walking paths that meander around a beautiful pond. There's also a wooden deck and lookout tower, which when you make it to the top, you can see the whole park. (The lookout tower is also wheelchair accessible, which is cool.) The lookout is what actually caught my eye from the road. I saw it and slammed on my breaks, did a U-turn and headed toward this park that I had never heard of until today. A good portion of the park is dedicated to a fenced dog park called Rovers Run Bark Park. The dog park has a few obstacles, but mostly lots of grassy areas to run. There's also a gazebo-type sitting area for the humans. Next to the dog park is a rainbow bridge -- literally, a bridge that's painted rainbow colors -- called Baker's Rainbow Bridge, for people whose dogs have died. The owners can place their lost dogs' collars, ID tags, photos and other mementos all along the bridge. I have been in my head a lot lately, with my feelings heightened and right at the edges, so seeing this rainbow bridge, with all of the photos and collars attached to the bridge, made me cry. There was just so much love there. It's making me want to cry again just writing about it! What a nice gesture for the community. Luckily, a dog from the dog park sensed that I needed to snap out of it, and ran over to bark at me. I'm so glad I stopped at this park! It wasn't a planned part of my day, but sometimes the unplanned things are just what you need. It was nice to walk around and enjoy the sunshine at this beautiful place.

Sometimes you just need to take a freaking walk…read more I've been on a health journey for the past few years, and I am trying to change different habits and my default ways of dealing with stress, anxiety and all sorts of emotions. I used to stress eat. When the hamsters were running wild and free inside my brain, I would head straight to the fridge. Now, I go for a walk... and it's glorious. Today, I needed a walk. It was the end of my work day and I wanted to clear my head and burn some calories. I work less than 10 minutes from Beckenholdt Park, so I left work a few minutes early and headed to the park. I keep my ruck pack in my trunk, so I was all set. I arrived at the park around 4:00pm. It was cool and overcast, but a great day for a walk. I have been to this park multiple times over the years. I have taken my kids fishing in the small pond and have walked laps around its trails. Today, I threw on my ruck sack, put in my earbuds, and started walking. There is something special about moving your legs and listening to good music. Neutral Milk Hotel danced in my ears as I walked laps around the pond. While this band might not be for everyone, I feel like nature parks like Beckenholdt were made for folksy bands like Neutral Milk Hotel. Listening to folk music and walking in nature-- that's a great way to slow down those hamsters! Beckenholdt Park isn't the largest park. There are no playgrounds. But it is a great nature preserve to take your family and your dog. Or to simply go for a nice walk around the pond.

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.

Within the city limits of Hagerstown is another addition to the Red Tail Land Conservancy's growing…read morelist of properties that were saved/reclaimed for wildlife and nature. This 46 acre site is now a reforested wetland that was saved to provide a green space for local wildlife. There is a mowed trail that is about a mile in length through the brush and trees. However, since I didn't plan my trip well, I didn't have the right kind of shoes to hike through the wetlands. Even a few strides in, I could see standing water along the trail which would need some decent waterproof boots to navigate comfortably. Though there is a trail, remember that this is for the animals (a sign reminds you at the entrance). So, don't expect any changes to the drainage to take place. Maybe a trip in the drier days of summer would be more accessible. The entrance to the preserve is located about midway along the western edge (Teetor Rd). Parking is available at the neighboring soccer field park across the street and about 100 yards to the north. No street parking is allowed. Review #2586

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

Yes, I climbed to the highest point of Indiana today with an elevation of 1257 feet above sea…read morelevel. The site is called Hoosier Hill and is promoted by Wayne County. (There really is no hike as you can easily drive up to the site). We drove pass miles of beautiful Amish farmland in Wayne County to find the marker. There is a small gravel drive into a wooded area that is marked by a second rock as the highest point. A picnic table and bench are available for those who want to enjoy the beauty of the site. A mailbox invites visitors to sign the guest book. I must confess that the site did not feel that much higher than other points in the otherwise flat state, but I trust the geological survey that conducted the survey. Parking is limited. There are no restroom facilities or amenities other than the bench.

The highest natural point in the entire State of Indiana, Hoosier Hill has an elevation of 1257…read morefeet above sea level. It is on private property but amazingly open to the public thanks to the local land owner. A small forested area next to farmland but a small picnic area is at the end of the short trail from the small parking area. I've been to Britton Hill (Florida) and Ebright Azimith (Delaware) and Clingmans Dome (Tennessee) among others, so now I'm adding Hoosier Hill to my list of highest points. Indiana's highest point is the 44th highest point of the state highest points. Way down the ladder but IT STILL COUNTS. [Review 1316 of 2024 - 192 in Indiana - 22339 overall]

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 wanted to hike on this hot summer day. The trails were shaded so it was very enjoyable. We…read morestarted at the nature center and took the stairs down to the John L. Rich trail and looped back around crossing over onto the north rim trail. Heavily trafficked trails from what I saw.

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.