Don't start at this point heading towards Middletown and Franklin. The trail is in bad shape. Lots…read moreof rocks, flooding and is shut down halfway to Middletown about 75% of the time. Especially after heavy rain. Better to park in Middletown. The connection to Franklin will be open soon.

Park in lot number one and ride all the way to lot number six it is about 9 miles each way I think…read more It is pretty flat but a steady bike ride. It is also great for walking and fantastic for walking dogs because there is a lot of field and many people walk their dogs out here. You have very nice views of the river! It is a great way to get some exercise and it's also a great way to wind down after a long week and clear your head! This is my first visit here and I did the entire bike ride. Next time, I will bring my dog to walk with me! I'm so glad I found this paved bike trail!

We recently visited for the first time over the Memorial Day weekend and were pleasantly surprised…read more We only hiked the Cascade Trail so that is what my review will be on. The park website and things online are very confusing. One site says, permit not required and another say one isn't. The sign at the park also says permit required, but there is no where to purchase one in person or online. We took the chance and parked without one. I did see a worker driving around and he didn't seem to be checking cars. The map seems okay for general navigating and there is signage around. The trails are marked okay I think. There could be some improvement, but the Cascade Trail is a big loop so it isn't a huge deal. The trail was well maintained. A little overgrown in places, but nothing terrible. It's also really flat except for the end of the trail where you need to walk up a big hill to get back to where we parked. My kids did fine with the trial the whole time though. The bridge is super neat and my kids had fun crossing it. The falls were pretty and a nice treat, but you really have to wander around to find a good view of it. Luckily none of us minded that. The creek is really nice to play and walk in. That was by far my kids favorite part. We also found lots of fossils to explore and look at! It was a little muddy after all the rain we had received, but nothing terrible.

My favorite 'hiking' spot in Butler County…read more My favorite part about this preserve are the trails. There are multiple trails that connect to each other, so if you get bored with hiking your usual trail, it's easy to mix it up a little bit. They are all well kept and maintained. Sometimes there is some litter, but we pick it up. There are two old building foundations on one of the trails and a piece of farm equipment grown into a tree, pretty neat! The park is big, lots of space.

Good experience first time in the park for the Caesar Creek Triathlon. Easy in and out with…read moreability to expand parking to fields near the bathrooms and beach. Bathrooms were clean if not extensive although stall door missing a lock. Beach was clean and grass mown so no drama there. There are accessible paved trails that go close to the beach and up from the beach into the woods so older adults and mobility assisted people can participate fairly easily. Definitely just a small snap shot on an event day but it worked for us to come in and out for the morning from two hours drive away.

Went there today to rent kayaks at the state park campground store. Kayaks were disgusting covered…read morein bird crap and kayaks did not have plugs so continued to take on water. Was a disaster and the staff did not seem to care. Will never go back there to rent kayaks

Beautiful state park, voted a "gem" in Ohio! The lake is a perfect size to kayak on as larger boats…read moreare not permitted. If you paddle to the back of the lake on the campground side, the creek is gorgeous. There's a ton of wildlife like herons, turtles, eagles, and all sorts of fish for catch and release. The campground hosts several events throughout the season and has electric and non-electric but no full hook up. The camp store has everything you may need. Hike on one of the many clean trails or try a round of disc golf, it's a brand new trail and impressive!

Pulled out camper in to this nice small campground for the weekend. Easy check-in and very clean…read morefacilities. A lot for the family to do with basketball court, pickleball, kids playground, cornhole, ping pong, trails and kayaking! Absolutely coming back!

I've been (re)discovering some of the area's beautiful metro parks, and this Sunday's late…read moreafternoon visit to Bellebrook's Sugarcreek Metro Park was a real treat!! Shady and cool, in spite of the humid weather, and the best-marked trails I've seen at any of the Metro Parks I've visited so far!! I took the orange and blue trails, and even with my lousy sense of direction, I never got lost once!! Be sure to see the Three Sisters (now only two...) 550 year old white oaks on the orange trail, and the beautiful Orange Osage Tunnel, a real gem. Can't wait to check them both out in the fall!! Worth a visit... A true gem in the Five Rivers crown!!

Great safe place to hike. We tried a different trail .. green was 3.1 mile and more challenging…read more More hills and crossing a few streams on rocks. They were nice sturdy rocks but im old and uncoordinated.. so it was challenging. We were hot and tired but made it back safe. Great place to hike.

I was there to tent camp over a weekend. We had a decent time. They have 2 restroom buildings easy…read moreto walk to, and a shower house. We were in the main central area. It's a huge packed area with few trees, borders hard to discern and tightly packed. I would recommend getting a spot on one the little dead ends with trees and not 1,000 people. The area the park has on the lake is not very appealing tbh. The nature center was a good diversion and they also had movie night and mid day crafts available at the pavilion. I'd give those a 5*.

My family and I have camped at Cowan Lake State Park twice now and will definitely be back for more…read moreoutdoor adventures. The campsites are a good size and are all in the woods, which we prefer. The bathrooms are super simple, but the women's restrooms are impressively clean. My husband did say that the men's restrooms were pretty much unusable though. I have not used the showers, so I can't speak to those. The price is good and I am happy to support a state park. We also haven't gone down to the lake or used any of the other park amenities yet, but look forward to trying them out. Each campsite has a firing and a picnic table and a paved driveway, perfect for our truck top tent. My only complaint so far is that the last time we stayed, there was a dog who truly barked without ceasing the entire time, with the exception of quiet hours because it was taken inside to sleep. I understand the dogs are allowed in the campground and that they bark, but we weren't able to relax, and the campground wasn't peaceful because the barking was that bad. I do wish there was some sort of policy for this. However, this won't deter us from coming back because I do believe it was a coincidence.

Nice little park. Small play ground. Ball field. Benches. Flat trails in the woods that are flat…read moreand easy. At one point you can see the river. It feels like a safe place to come walking. This is 60 acres purchased from heirs of the carmody family estate. Lower twin creek nature preserve.

This is one of the access points to the main trail (Adirondack Trail) that goes through this…read moreMetroPark. The trail itself is pretty much an out-and-back route with a couple of side trails that go into the neighborhoods or just an alternate route. While the vast majority of the trail is "in the woods", the park is sandwiched between the golf course and the houses but (at least while I was there) the area was pretty quiet. Admittedly, it was a cool winter morning without much sunshine. In any case, the area seems to be a popular place for walking or hill running, either on the trails or the park road. This park, while not one of the largest or most secluded, is a great place for a quick escape. This part of the park also has a very nice pavilion, restrooms, and the watchtower to visit.

Really not one of the best hikes around Dayton. Confusing trails, right next to the golf course,…read moreand a little on the short side.