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.

Ventured out here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to see one the the few remaining 5 Rivers Metro…read moreParks I haven't yet seen, and was NOT disappointed!! It always amazes me to discover these "mini-wildernesses" in the middle of/nearby a relatively populated area. So peaceful, well-maintained, and definitely a GREAT resource for the region!! Possum Creek is one of the few that I had not yet visited, so I decided to take advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to trek down to Moraine and see this gem for myself. Great for fishing, picnics, hiking (check out the beautiful, well-marked ORANGE trail) and it's even available for overnight camping (groups only??) Did not see a playground, though I'm sure there's one somewhere. Be sure to take your kids to the farm to see the animals and the Education Center, which was closed late Sunday afternoon, but I'm sure is a good resource as well... A bit off the beaten trail (perfect for a quick "escape") but definitely worth a visit!!

Possum Creek is a subtle superstar. It doesn't look to exciting as you get closer to the main…read moreentrance, but once you drive in, Possum Creek has a lot going for it on its 580 acres. From 9.2 miles of walking trails to 4.4 miles of horse trail the trails are diverse: scenic calming. Walk through beautiful prairies, forested areas over streams and huge trees galore, even past some old amusement park remains. Never to hilling or challenging the trails are a great way to explore and enjoy. There are 4 small fishing ponds and then Argonne Lake. Fishing is allowed in all 4 and you don't need a license, plus paddle crafts are permitted on Argonne lake; with h bluegill and bass, plus catfish stocked into the ponds on July 1. There is always something to catch. We even saw a fox while walking to the farm, yes they have a farm onsite too, rabbits, chickens, goats, donkeys, a garden and of course an old farm house with an educational building for farming programs and more. They even have a cool natural playground that blends in with the land, kinda like hobbits it's cool. Campsites to reserve with fire wood (provided by the park services) and a cool fire pit with a grill attached. I believe there are 3 or 4 campsites and they are huge, like 3 tens and 12 people huge. Of course they have picnic tables too. The only downer is no electricity and no showers, all they have our porta potties near the campsite. It really is a gorgeous park, there are also about 4 or 5 shelters to rent. You'll enjoy Possum Creek Metropark, it's great indeed.

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.

Let's start off with the only thing that took me as interesting. They charge $10 for parking. It's…read morea non profit so I guess this is to help in taking care of the the facilities and help pay the staff. I'd never been here but the lovely Mrs went to camp here with her 8th grade class back in the 80's. I'd never been so was kind of curious about it as I was under the impression that it's just a park where kids could learn about nature and all its magic. What I found out is that it is an incredible wandering path. Lots of things to see like waterfalls, rock formations and even a path where you get from one side to the other by stepping from stone to stone. Lots of folks, lots of pets, big and small. The education center had a park employee out there with a bigger falcon, then a smaller falcon and then the gorgeous barn owl. The folks inside the education center were incredibly helpful and knew a ton about the inhabitants of the 'enclosures'. My favorite was the teeny tiny Megatron who's the smallest and cutest owl I've ever seen. Park isn't marked very well. They suggest you download the digital map from the QR code as you walk toward the very nice restroom facility. This is very nice but... the signs(pieces of paper with numbers written on them) with the corresponding numbers from the map are either missing, blurred due to water or faded from the sun. I'm hoping one of the Boy Scouts we saw while here takes it upon themselves to start their petition to create more permanent signs for their 'Eagle' comprehensive service project. There were so many times we were like...where are we. Plenty of trash to pick up so if you're like me, bring a small grocery bag and leave it better than you came. Thank you to the nice couple with the long haired dachshund who climbed the rocky pylon to help me get the cup that had been left there. It makes me happy that there are people still out there willing to help me with such simple but worthwhile side projects.

My first visit was when I was in 5th grade at Broadmoor Elementary School in Trotwood, Ohio. The…read moreschool had an arrangement with Glen Helen that allowed us a week-long (I think!) residential visit during which we stayed in dorms and were assigned counselors whom I suppose were Antioch students. I remember being dazzled by the waterfalls and entranced by the pine forest. I'm now 70 years old and live in Colorado, but make a point to revisit this majestic place whenever I return to visit family in the Dayton area.

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

What a fantastic oasis in the middle of peaceful and quiet farmland. This is a nature area you…read morewill not find in many places. And talk about the quietness, wow. It's not a big park, but it does connect to the bigger Oakes Quarry Park. The Fen has a nice 5 or so minute loop on a boardwalk. You'll see lots of flowers and color. I wish they had benches along the boardwalk just to sit and take it in. I love that this park was made as it is a very unique ecosystem that you'd never know was there off of Byron Rd. There are some picnic tables and a port a potty in the parking area. Check out the Pen, it's incredible.

FEN-tastic!!! I felt like I discovered my own "personal" park when I arrived here, and for most…read moreof my time here, it was!! Quiet, peaceful, scenic, with a great variety of plants/wildflowers, birds, and more... Tiny, you can walk the whole boardwalk trail in 20-30 minutes or less (I took longer, thanks to the zillions of pics I took along the way... Will post soon!!) and I did a couple of "laps" around to make sure I saw everything. Gorgeous, and DEFINITELY worth checking out if you're in the area!!

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.

Such a cute place! Lots to see and do! Loved getting to see more Dambo trolls! They also have a…read morepetting zoo, which I didn't spend much time at, but the goat I saw was adorable! The grounds are well kept, the troll trail is nicely maintained. I did see a family with a wagon, which made me acutely aware about the challenges the roots and rocks on this trail pose for anyone planning to take a wagon or stroller. It's been rainy, so there were some slick spots, and it was muddy in a couple of low spots. Because of the rain, the boardwalk was also a little slippery, but a cute little stretch of path to take. The welcome center and gift shop are well organized and clean. The staff were very friendly and helpful!

Always a pretty place to walk in the woods. But this has a farm with animals which is interesting…read morefor all ages. They have the huge wooden troll statues which i love. It aggregates me when people climb on them ... disrespectful. There are ponds, wild flowers, birds watching and one section with the house ... is gorgeous in the spring. They spent their life planting spring flowers so the daffodils and blue bells are gorgeous.