Valley View Nature Preserve was a grassroots vision to save 190 acres from being bulldozed for…read moredevelopment. Wetlands, woodlands and prairieland are all found in this one location.The project goes beyond saving nature. The project is also about saving history. The land includes one of the last family farms on the East part of Cincinnati. Educational opportunities have been held in the past. From what I can tell, there are two entrances to the Valley View Nature Preserve. One is located at 790 Garfield Ave. That one is located to the left of a large house. Signs mark where the trails begin. A well kept set of stairs are set into the side of a hill. From there... markings are few, and there are times it is hard to tell if one is even on a propper trail. After approximately 20 minutes of meandering about, we came across some very wide trails. All with markers. It was while hiking on these trails that we discovered the other entrance. This one is located behind Pattison Elementary School. (Thank you GPS for that information.) Parking at this location is more plentiful than at the Garfield location. Guests were parked along the fence. A large gateway invites visitors in. The gateway's construction was an Eagle Scout project. I HIGHLY recommend entering form the location behind Pattison Elementary. Not only for the abundance of parking, but because the trails are easier to navigate. Trails that were wider (still not sure if the first trails we were walking were official trails,) were easy to hike. The wide trails are smoth. Few tree roots were exposed. Many small birdhouses were along parts of the trail. Several were occupied. From one we saw a small blue bird fly out. Deer and horse tracks could be seen. Trails are clean. In the spring, the trails we were on were flanked with lush foliage. If not for the constant sounds of gun fire from the Milford Gun Club, Valley View Nature Preserve would be quite peaceful. Chirping of birds, and the wind rushing through the trees were welcome signs of Spring. At one point we thought we heard the whoing of owls. It sounded as it there was some sort of squabble. There are no sounds from cars or other business. (Other than the gun club.) For our next visit, I plan on going before or after range time. We also plan on bring a few books to donate. A small lending library is located by the Pattison entrance.

Riverside Park is a sports complex, with a paved trail. Well manicured lawns and fields. Even amid…read morethe field closures, (due to COVID-19) the fields were all game ready. Signs are posted with a phone number to checks if fields are already reserved. The trail is a paved multi-use trail. It snakes around the various sports fields. Pavement is pretty smooth with only minor cracks. A great area to learn how to ride a bike. Use of bikes and skates are allowed on the trail. Dogs are also allowed. A large play structure is situated in the middle of the park. There is a also sandbox with two diggers. There are some shady areas that would be nice for a picnic. If a baseball game is in progress make sure to watch out for fly balls.

The playground is really cute and great but the sand box is DISGUSTING. Just tons of bugs flying…read moreall over. I typically avoid playgrounds with sandboxes because of this, so we probably won't be back, but I love the playground otherwise.

Great place for the family.kids played hard and the dogs loved it they can run for hrsread more

Such a great park with lots of lots of things to keep the littles having fun. 10 out of 10. I…read moredefinitely recommend if you are local definitely stop by and bring a picnic, family and friends!

I'm on a photography kick ., especially bird watching and joined several related facebook sites…read more Anyway i came here because several had reported eagles and rare ducks. It's winter so no one else was there at first ... I gather it's popular for fishing in warmer weather. No one was at the booth to collect any fee this time of year. No hawk, eagle or ducks but a ton of vultures .. around 50. They were eating something ..i walked around the lake to see .. it appears they were eating their own ... just bones and feathers left. There is a boat dock and a river. Saw a kingfisher at the river. I'd spotted several but this was the first time got a pic .. they usually are too quick to fly away.

As my journey continues to the places to have a nice carry out date night we come to this little…read morelake. You can reach this right off 275. It is really not a big place but nice quiet place. They do (not now of course) have boat rentals. There are really 2 places to park. One is right when you pass the small range/collect station you go a bit and look to your right. There is a kinda not noticeable entrance to a small parking/fishing area. Then if you drive a bit more around there is a much bigger parking area. There is also the rental building there. It has some nice places to lay down,walk, and just chill out. So do go and relax and enjoy.

This place is such a gem. It has something here for everyone…read more The trails are beautiful and range from easy to more moderate, so whether you want a relaxing walk or a bit of a challenge, you can find it here. It is one of those places that reminds you not to underestimate Ohio's natural beauty. There are hiking challenges too you can sign up for prizes. There is a really cute nature themed playground that is perfect for kids. This place also makes an amazing venue for events. You can rent spaces for parties or weddings, which is my dream venue. The welcome center is one of my favorite parts. They have live animals that are very well cared for, including rehabilitated raptors, which is so cool to see up close. There is also a large gift shop, a cozy lounging area, and coffee from Coffee Emporium available to buy. It is a great place to relax and take everything in, especially if you enjoy birdwatching. They also host seasonal events, and their Christmas lights event is one of my favorites. It really brings the whole place to life in a special way. The staff here are consistently kind, welcoming, and genuinely happy to talk with you. They are always willing to answer questions and make the experience even better. Overall, this is such a peaceful, educational, and well maintained place. Definitely somewhere you can keep coming back to and still enjoy every time.

We enjoy going to Cincinnati Nature Center's "Light in the Forest" every holiday season. Getting…read moreoutside and taking a walk on a chilly evening is a nice departure from all the indoor events we go to this season of the year. It's a well-lit, easy one mile walk through the woods. There are stops along the way: several bonfires, a gift shop, live music, interactive light displays, and a historic home you can walk through. It's $20 per adult and $8 per child, with a small savings for members. We'd love to go back during the summer months, perhaps for another one of their many events.

Attention Pickleballers! They put in new courts in the back by the dog park. Nice courts, already…read morebusy during popular play times. The only things I would say is the courts are a bit sloped more than other places. If you like heavy grit, the court paint will make your foot stick well. All in all, we had a great time playing here!

This is such a diverse park. Don't let what you see from the street fool you. Clepper Park is…read moredeceptively large. Unless you are comimg for the basketball courts and football field keep driving back. There are places to park near the soccer fields, baseball fields, playground and near the lake. The lake is small, yet a nice touch. Made to look at, and fish from. It's too small for boating. There is a gazebo, benches and a porch swing to relax, and enjoy the view. A peninsula juts out with picnic tables and grills. It appears to be a popular place to fish from. Fishing here is catch and release only. Improvements are happening near the lake. The multi- use trail is level and wide. It connects all the areas of the park. Topography at the park makes for an interesting walk/ride. There is everything from sunny wide open sports fields, to areas that are more wooded. Particularly near the lake. Wild blackberries (I think,) were growing in numberous locations. Several picnic shelters and benches are available throughout the park. Some of these have grills. Signs posted that no demestic animals are allowed in the park. The park is very clean.

Beautiful community park. There are lots of wide open spaces. Wide open spaces are in part to there…read morebeing multiple baseball and soccer fields. This park would be awesome for flying kites. There is also a small playground, and paved walking trail. The trail snakes around the park. Many mature trees toward the outskirts of the park as well. Several different varieties of trees adds interest. Their added shade is much welcomed in a park with fewer shaded areas. This seems to be a popular spot to walk dogs. We were here for seversl hours and saw many dogs. There was even someone running a dog training lesson. There was plenty of space for everyone to be spaced out. I am so glad that some new friends invited us to this park. It is not in an area we frequently would visit before and, doesn't look as big as it is when driving by. It would be easy to pass by, and write this park off. Camp Dennison can definitely be classified as a hidden gem.

We walked the bike trail. Parked at veteran park in Morrow near Sunoco gas station. Drove down the…read moregravel road beside ball field 2 easy access to bike trail. The walk was lovely. Lots of shade as you walk alongside the river. Lots of birds ... I ran my merlin bird app.

I love the Little Miami scenic bike Trail. This is a paved path that runs from Dayton past Newtown…read more They are trying to expand the connection from Newtown to Lunken, which would then connect to downtown. They are working on putting in a bridge to get across the river after the trailhead in Newtown. They are hopeful to start in the spring of 2021. I usually park my car in Loveland, as I live in that area. When I ride my bike, I try to head towards Milford. From Loveland to a little bit past Milford and back, is about a 20 mile round-trip. If I ride from Loveland to the trail head at Newtown, there is a small addition of the trail that runs through a park in Anderson and dead ends under the bridge where the project will eventually begin. This additional 3 mile stretch can add 6 miles onto your bike ride, and it's one of my favorite parts! There are tons of wildflowers to see and is in direct sun. When it is windy, this 6 mile stretch can be difficult, as there is nothing breaking the wind (you are not in the woods anymore but out in the open). You can usually see planes flying low, as they are trying to land at Lunken Airport just across the river. Whether walking, running, or biking, I have felt very safe on this trail. I keep my cell phone close at all times, but I have never felt uncomfortable. Know that you may be the only one on the bike trail in certain areas. If you do you not prefer that, you may want to stick near the areas that have parking lots attached to the trail. These areas would be Loveland and Milford and Newtown. It is definitely one of my favorite parts of my town. My life would be so much different without this beautiful Bike Trail!