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.

Yay winter is nearly hone so when you get a chance to get out and walk in nature ...go for it…read more Spring flowers are so delicate and Ohio weather is so up and down ... the inevitable cold snaps kill them. So have to grab the moments before it hits. This day was a wind storm right before the bitter cold was back. I walked around and even walked the trails with a friend. So good to be outside. The flowers were lovely but the wind was fierce. This park does such a great job keeping everything lovely which I so appreciate and its a fav of mine for years. So many special memories here. Please be courteous and dont pick the flowers. This isn't your yard and if everyone picked just one there would be none for the next to enjoy. I saw parents promoting their children to pick flowers and filming it. . This is so selfish and rude. Am I wrong?

This is one of the most beautiful arboretums I have had the pleasure of visiting. Its layout,…read morecleanliness and architecture is awesome!! They have ponds full of fish, turtles and other wildlife. Picnic area is fantastic. We spent over 3 hours there, so much to see. The edible garden is a must see.. we will be coming back to visit.

After a family "event" in the area, I needed to "decompress," and this was the perfect nearby spot…read more Looks new-ish, or at least boasting plenty of updates. Nice paved trail(s) along with several spots "off the beaten path" that lead to a stream/creek path. I didn't have a lot of time to explore, but there's a beautiful old barn, ample parking, a nature center, picnic tables, a small "natural" play area, and VERY clean restroom facilities. I loved all the wild flowers along the paved trail. Wonderful neighborhood resource for a quick natural "getaway," or to stay longer and "forget about life for a while..."

CWPD has done an amazing job updating this park. The Kennard Nature Nook side has a great big…read moreparking lot now with a paved path that connects to the trails. The nature playground is great and quite imaginative. It could use maybe a little update or addition since nothing has really changed since it opened. There are bathrooms, which is nice. The trails are marked better now then in the past. I run here pretty frequently and it's improved since I started. There is also a bridge that connects the playground at Grant Trails park. The Normandy entrance is great, but limited parking when school is in session. There is a nice new bridge to connect you to the rest of the park now. The creek is easy to access on that side though. Lots of great creeking opportunities and options. Just all around a great park to explore. CWPD just keeps knocking it out of the park with their improvements.

Overall beautiful park area, great lake view, plenty of space!…read more Difficulty -- A few trails not to difficult, Boat slip nicely manicured. Grooming -- Influx of unpaid road and pave road out balance them selves. Elevation -- None. Scenery -- very picturesque type atmosphere, lots of nature, around us, such as trees, and vegetation. Family Orientated -- definitely family orientated, easy enough to bring your dog and/or small children. Populated -- usually not very populated due to the proximity of the area off the major highway. Although in the summertime and towards the spring, obviously it will get more and more crowded although it's not unbearable. 10/10

Huffman Park is one of the largest Metroparks in Dayton. It's located in the east along the river…read more There's several ways to enter the park. It can get a little confusing. There's plenty of bike paths and trails. It has a few ways to get in. It has an entrance off Union Road which is good if you're on a bike. There's lots of bike trails here. If you go further on the road, you get to the main entrance. This has a good parking lot. It also is the most beautiful area. The best part is the lake, which is fun for pets. It's one of the best Metroparks. It has lots of bike paths connecting to the Ohio bike trail. You can also find other places to walk.

First visit and it was so good. High 40s into the 50s, 2.5 hours of solitude, God and his…read morecreation. And in late April on Wednesday morning, no one was around. I saw two people out on the trials the whole time. Bring a folding chair and you can find some great spots to sit and let your surrounds consume you. If you go to the welcome center there are restrooms and a place to fill up on water. The trail signs are positioned well and make it clear what trail is what. I recommend you take a picture of the park trial map, so you can reference it when necessary. There are some camp sites, and even some 'backcountry' camp sites that you have to hike too. Many different shelters to reserve with parking lots in other areas of the park (you don't have to hike to them). There is a sledding hill too. I only saw probably 10 or 15% of the park. But it is sure worth checking out. I believe it's 5 River metroparks biggest park. Enjoy exploring yelpers!!

Fall is my favorite time of year and great time to visit the park. Love the area they feed the…read morebirds so easy viewing for fun or photography. The birds aren't the only visitors .. .squirrels and chipmunks today. love chipmunks so cute. visitors center open for bathrooms and water.

Beware of kamikaze squirrels and a dense population of ticks! The noise from the nearby road…read moredrowns out the sounds of nature

Great little place and I like to hike there - simple but I keep going back :) Good parking tooread more

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.

I really love going to Twin Creek MetroPark. It's close to my home, which makes it super easy when…read moreI just need to get outside for a bit and a quick hike. Just be aware: The trails are moderate and there are some pretty steep spots. It is good for families with older kids, and pets - yay!! but not stroller friendly. I definitely recommend wearing good hiking shoes or boots to have a better grip on the ground. . The park itself is just beautiful. Lots of woodlands that let you recharge your soul. Benches along the trail invite for a break or to soak in the beautiful scenery.

Ok had been back to these trails in years and decided to do 2 trails the red and the blue both were…read morearound a mile each. It had been dry so didn't have to worry about mud and it had been cool lately so was hoping the bugs weren't a problem. So doused myself in bug repellent and headed out on my own to get some steps in. love walking in nature. I took pics of the trail map and color of the trail i was doing so I didn't get lost ... at least that was my goal. I did the red and then the blue. both trails were harder than I was looking for. The hills were steep and slippery .. plus rock and roots to stumble on. a few areas were so steep I had to find branches to make myself a walking stick. but the blue trail was a hot mess. so over grown and trees down. At one point it just ended .. the trail led to a lot of brush I ended up walking in the woods in areas that didn't look like a trail. alot was so over grown and they obviously aren't clearing this area and no one is going on the blue trail. Then I get to the parking lot and see the same colors I'd been on in the area near the overlook ... which I'd never been to. So is that different trails with the same colors .... I'm not sure. I followed the signs for blue and red and neither took me to this. I def wont return alone. there were several times I slipped and stumbled and it was scary especially alone. I made it out without falling and lived to hike again somewhere else another day. There was a guy in his truck when I started and the same guy was sitting there when I went to my car .. found that creepy and weird. It was 80 plus degrees why just sit there alone ... odd. park staff should clear the blue trail ... it's a hazard