Great hike! The loop is just over two miles and provides a few great views of the river. Very…read morewooded and beautiful nature. The loop provided about 500ft of elevation change so this is not too difficult for even the least experienced hikers.

I've lived in Delhi all my life and visit many parks all over Cincinnati. For some reason I've…read morenever gone to Bender Mountain Preserve until this year. Why? I have no idea. It's close to home and it's trails offer an amazing workout. Bender Mountain Preserve has many trails some that go along the creek bed, with others that are much more difficult, climbing up to a 45 degree incline. Once up top there is an amazing view overlooking the Ohio River Valley and Kentucky. Bender Mountain Preserve is more hiking trails than a standard park. It's very remote and even during peak times you may only see a hand full of other hikers. Plus dog friendly!!

I absolutely love this hidden gem of a park. My husband and I have taken our dogs many times to go…read moreon the hiking trails and splash around in the creek. The creek runs into a river that you have to be a little more careful about since the current can be strong and sweep them away. I wouldn't recommend going too far from the shore. I often see people posted up on the beach, enjoying a picnic and/or swimming. The trails are not terribly well kept, but that's OK with me because it just is wild nature and I like that. Most recently, I took my baby and wore him in a hiking backpack. While it was a workout, we had a good time. I even let him splash in the creek for a little while and enjoy a banana while sitting in the mud. Grateful to have parks like this in our city that allow us to escape to a little slice of nature.

Caldwell Nature Center is a nice park in northern Cincinnati. It's located about a mile or so off…read moreVine Street in the Carthage area. The park has several miles of trails. It also has a beautiful nature center. This is usually a good place for kids. The best way to get there is to take the Galbraith exit off 75, get on Vine, and then get onto North Bend. It has a small parking lot just off the road. The park has miles of beautiful trails. It's a good place to exercise. The trails are mostly shaded by trees. It makes it a nice place to run when it's hot. The indoor nature center is a good educational experience, and there's lots of opportunities to see wildlife. It usually is kid friendly. As one reviewer noted, sometimes unsavory things may happen. That kind of stuff is usually later at night when it's closed though.

we were bored and looking for something to do that day .. my husband knows I have an interest in…read moreplaying with my point and shot camera and wildlife. He read something about having birds of prey at this park .. we'd never been there and didn't realize it was going to take an hour to get there. When we arrived there were naturalists who had birds they had rehabilitated after illness or injury. All of them were not going to be able to be set free which is always sad but we got to observe them from a short distance and they answered questions about the bird which was interesting. YOu never know till you try .. if I had know that was all it was I'm not sure we would have drove that distance. we looked at the birds for about 30 minutes and drove back. there was no fee for the park or the birds of prey

A lovely little park on the northern side of Cincinnati! There's a great one mile nature trail with…read moremarkers and educational markers that makes for a nice brisk walk. The lake is great for catch and release fishing and is 1/3 mile loop with lovely views of the water and woods. The bike trail has two loops. The A loop makes a great 4 mile trail run with lovely wildflowers and trees. The B loop is a little more rigorous and woodsy. Highly recommend this park!

This was a cute little trail, we walked around for about an hour. Be prepared to walk steep down…read moreinto the trails and have a steep incline to get back to your car. Save your energy for the end! I'd say this is a beginner to moderate trails, since some pathways are covered with roots or leaves which could be uneven or slippery. Also, there are so many different trail options so don't go too close to dark if it's your first time, wouldn't want to risk getting lost. Dogs on leashes are welcome!

I really enjoyed hiking this urban park. Trails are accessible from multiple locations and the…read morewebsite was very helpful in helping me find a good place to start. Most of it is dirt with little rocks so if it recently rained, I would steer clear. All trail junctions had a marker so I knew I was on the right path. Overall a great and long hike through a dense forest smack in the middle of Cinci. Would recommend to urban trail enthusiasts and those just looking for a close and strenuous-ish hike.

Great park that is part of the Hamilton County Parks system and requires the affiliated parking…read morepass. It appears that the former golf course may no longer be available. There are several trails, playgrounds, some historic buildings, picnic areas, and extremely clean and well maintained restrooms. We opted for the Miami Fort trail, which offers fascinating signage about the earthworks and mounds that can be seen along parts of the trail, and about the Hopewell and Adena people who constructed them. If you take a close look at the map at the trailhead, it shows you where to look for the fort walls (to your right as you enter the fort, and there is very clear signage on the trail that indicates when you are entering and leaving the fort). We found that helpful for initially orientating ourselves, plus watching for additional signage along the way. The trail is 1.4 miles long, and you can loop all the way around the interior edge of the fort, if desired, or you can go out to the Ohio River Valley Overlook (or do both). We opted to do an out-and-back to the overlook because the other section of the loop seemed a bit overgrown. It's a very pretty forested area, and the overlook is excellent - you can see both Indiana and Kentucky from that point. There's a nice bench to sit and relax. It was definitely a popular spot as we saw several other groups moving along the trail and stopping at the lookout point. Signage at the lookout indicates that the last native group to use the area were the Shawnee, which is how the park's name was chosen. We really enjoyed the historical information and experience the lovely nature on the trail, plus the stunning view!

This was a great place for a family hike in Cincinnati. Great scenery and view of the Ohio River.read more

Avoca Park is such a peaceful spot tucked right along the Little Miami Trail. The paths are…read morewell‑kept, the scenery is beautiful, and it's an easy place to unwind whether you're walking, biking, or just sitting by the water. Parking is convenient, and the whole area feels clean and safe. A great local escape when you want some fresh air and quiet.

Avoca seems to be more a part of the Little Miami Bike Trail than it is a park on it's own. That is…read moreunless you are there for the soccer fields/open green space. The trail itself is a paved multi-use trail that connects to other trails and parks. On a Saturday morning the trail is super busy. Cyclists, skaters, runners/joggers and walkers are all in account. There was even a guy riding his skateboard like a paddle board. The trail is smooth. There are some inclines that add a degree or three of difficulty if on a bike. From the Avoca connector trail it is an easy walk to Fifty West's new Burger Bar, as well as the Bass Island connector. A Hamilton County Great Parks parking pass is required for parking. Passes are not sold at this location.

I'm new to the area and can't believe all the beauty within minutes from my parent's house. This…read morenature preserve in Loveland is apparently a hidden gem. There were very few people in the park. There is a parking lot right by the entrance and the trails are well manicured and easily walkable even for a little dog. Signs and maps are located throughout the park. Benches are available too for those who need a break or just to sit and enjoy the beauty. I'm anxious to head back here again especially with the changing seasons.

This is a really nice, but small nature preserve. It's really flat with nice walkable trails. The…read morecreek is fun to look at for fossils. There is major construction going on right now so it can be loud. There is parking right before where the constructions starts.

California Woods has an address that's inside Cincinnati, but it doesn't look like most of the…read moreother parks in the City. The road in here is about a mile long, and it's VERY narrow - so narrow that I suspect it would be dangerous if you run into someone driving in the opposite direction... True to its name, this place has some fairly dense woods, and it's also got a fair number of hills. You'll find trailmaps for the taking inside the park, and you'd be wise to bring bug spray ;-)

This was another new (to us) hiking spot my husband and I checked out recently. On a Friday morning…read morewe only saw one other group in the woods. A good mix of flat, hilly, and moderate trails. One trail had pages from a children's book on signs as you went along the path, which was cute. Like others have said, it's not always very intuitive which trail you're on. But since they all lead back to the main path, you never feel like you're lost. Also want to reiterate driving in/out slowly due to the narrow road leading in.