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.

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!

After Cincinnati Nature Center made Yelp's list of best places to hike in the country, I knew I…read moreneeded to try out a yearly membership. During COVID-19, Cincinnati Nature Center (as well as Long Branch Farm) are exclusively for members (normally, you can pay a daily rate). A yearly fee of $64 (which includes a guest each time) seemed reasonable. Also during COVID-19, they have time slots for you to sign up for to access the park. I wanted to take advantage right away, but all the time slots for Cincinnati Nature Center were booked, so I decided to book a time slot at Long Branch Farms and Trails. I hadn't received my access card in the mail yet, but someone at the gate was able to let us in. All of the Trails are pretty short (the longest being about 1.5 miles). If you're feeling ambitious, you can totally tackle all the trails in one visit. I believe we walked almost all of them. Definitely plan on wearing some hiking boots if there is any moisture on the ground, you WILL get muddy. You can also stand in the shallow stream to clean off your boots a bit. The trails were well-kept. I'll definitely venture back to spend more time on the trails and find some good spots to put up a hammock!

I would live here if I could. This place is amazing…read more The trails are great and offer varying hikes in length, terrain and scenery. There are constantly improvements being made as well, showing a real commitment to the place and the people who love it. There are maps available that list the trails and can be recycled when you are done as well as trail journals scattered throughout for jotting down quick thoughts or discoveries to share with fellow hikers. Mother Nature's guestbook! The main lodge has restrooms and a gift shop as well as a great little selection of books to read. There is also one of many areas available throughout the park where you can observe local birds as they go about their bird business. The naturalists are very knowledgeable and just as excited about nature as you would hope. Some trails are equipped with little learning stations that offer more information about local flora and fauna and there are descriptive boards along each section of trail that detail the type of area, improvements etc. The feeling that comes from spending time here is priceless. Every time I leave I feel like I'm breathing more easily and deeply at peace. They offer a wide range of activities and social events year round to help build the community. The trails are dog friendly and there are pet pick up bags and disposal stations throughout. For quiet hikes, try one of the longer trails or one that takes you farther from the main lodge. And be aware that on week days there tend to be class trips, so if large groups of children aren't your thing, the longer trails might be a better option too.

My wife and I used to rent (back in 1986-1992) the Horse Barn and were given free rein of the…read moreproperty at Johnson Hills Park B4 it became a park. My daughter loved horses and I fell into that "horse lover" trap myself, so we bought horses for her and my wife and I. Then we accidentally found Mrs. Johnson's' property and were given permission by Mrs. Johnson to rent her barn and the entire property and additional stalls in the barn at Johnson Hills. We tried sub-leasing some stalls to other horse lovers for a short time but soon decided against it. (Some folks weren't "fit" to have horses. We considered them pets, others seemed to consider them as "slaves" or " just animals to treat (or mistreat) in any way they wanted.) But we have many fond memories of riding around the hills and in the woods that were plentiful and beautiful.

Johnson Hills is a well maintained park. The fields, including the frisbee golf course look as if…read morethey are mowed regularly. The frisbee golf couse was quite busy when we arrived. Covered shelters are free of trash. The parking lot is clean. The sidewalk leading to the covered structure with fire pit has cute animal tracks inbeded in it. The structure would be perfect for a party. (When people are allowed to gather again.) The surrounding areas are shaded as well. A port-o-potty is located near the parking lot. Discovering a butterfly garden was an exciting surprise. Many of the flowers were in bloom. Butterflies were infact attracted to the area. Several even landed on our legs. Some signage near the parking area directing to the trails would be much appreciated. (The park is in the process of being redesigned/upgraded so this may have been here previously, or be coming.) We thought a short paved trail might be it. We were about to leave when some fellow visitors yelled to us (they were practicing good social distancing,) if we could direct them to the nature trails. We informed them that this was our first visit, and that we had not found the trails on the side of the park we were on. They then said the trails must be on the other side. We followed them (at a safe distance,) to the other side of the park. (We did not think to walk through the field to get to the trails.) The easiest way to the trails seems to be through the field, that is past the parking lot and covered structure. Paved walkways are apparently coming to that side as well. There is a yellow, red and blue trail. The first trail we came across, just after the butterfly garden, was the blue trail. We decided to take it. Trails are easy to follow. The canopy is fairly dense. It offers much appreciated shade on a hot summer day. The rays of light cascading through the trees are rather beautiful. Trails are on the muddy side. There are various gradients along the route. There are also a lot of exposed roots. Young hikers may need help at times. During our hike we discovered several species of fungi, a few flowers, a creek, an Eagle Scout project, and even a geocache. There is quite a bit of stinging nettle along the trails. Thankfully, the plant is courteous enough to stay along the edges of the path. As long as you stay on the trail you should be fine. There is also Jewelweed growing amongst the stinging nettle. That will help with the stinging if you find yourself in need of relief. We will definitely come back to this park to experience the red and yellow trails.

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!

This is a great park with lots of greenspace. There's a playground with swings, a shelter, some…read morepicnic tables, and a few baseball fields. On Sundays in the summer a musician plays the carillon bells in the tower for about an hour in the afternoon. Bring some blankets, lay in the sun, and watch the clouds while you listen to the carillon. Behind the playground is a ravine and a hiking trail. Take the stairs down to the old boat house. This seems to be a popular spot to take engagement pictures and senior pictures. From there follow the trail into the woods and along the creek. It's a great place to take your kids to learn about trees, bugs, and other outdoorsy things. The trail does not go very far before the creek makes a sharp left turn and it becomes difficult to go further. We wandered around for a while trying to find the continuation of the trail, but it seems that it ends at the bend in the creek. From there you backtrack to the park. This park is within walking distance of our house, so on our way home we pass through the Mariemont square and always get some ice cream from Graeters. A great way to end any afternoon. It can be hard to find this park, but Mariemont has put a sign pointing the way in the median on Wooster Pike.