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.

A truly beautiful Ohio state park. It is 260+ acres and backs up to another park- the John Bryan…read morePark. You can take trails between both parks - so you can hike for miles! The little Miami river runs through it. We hiked a loop. Starting by at the North Rim trail by the nature center and taking it to its end, which actually is in the John Bryan state park. We then looped over to the John Rich trail and hiked back. The total hike approximately 4.3 miles. But of course, there are multiple trails and options for length of hike. What made this hike absolutely beautiful was the deep gorge and valley into the river. The northern rim is on top of the gorge and the John Rich trail follows at the base of the gorge alongthe river. There are stunning views from the top of the gorge looking down, as well as numerous places with bolts for rock climbing. It is heavily wooded and provides for nice shade in the warm weather months. Along the lower trail you can experience river up close. The views are stunning. We saw a large Great Blue Heron on the bank looking eagerly for its next meal. The heavily wooded area provides for a wealth of plant life including beautiful ferns and in the sunny spots, wildflowers. There are picnic areas located along the trails as well as benches and overlooks. There are no entrance fees.

Hadn't been here in years. They now charge for parking. I found free parking across the street…read more The building at the entrance was open and has one bathroom and water fountain but can't count on it being open. I went down the stone stairs ... they were slippery but was glad i still could manage them. They have changed things ... added wooden pathways and more water at the bottom of the stairs. I'd hoped walk to both waterfalls. But wearing new shoes and saw it was muddy. So just headed back up the stairs to the car. They have bird feeders at the buildings. Nice place to hike. Parking is 10 bucks.

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.

A beautiful state park just outside of Yellow Springs Ohio. The park has hiking trails, mounts…read morebike trails, camping all along portions of the of the Little Miami. The park also has a disc golf course. The trails are well groomed but trail markings could by improved.The park had their wild flowers blooming now ... late March , early April.

John Bryan State Park is a beautiful 750 acre park near Yellow Springs, Ohio. It's a great place…read moreto take a nature hike, especially during the fall when the leaves are changing. The trails are clean and well kept. If hiking isn't your thing, there are lots of areas to play frisbee, let your kids run around, or have a picnic in the shade. It's about a 45 minute drive for us, so we don't go often but when we do go once or twice a year, we always enjoy this beautiful park.

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.

1st time here, when you drove uphill, at the lake, the view is spectacular! There is plenty…read moreparking. We walked half or maybe 1/3of the trail beside the lake, very nice trail, and excellent view. There is creek running through several area through the trail, but the time we were here in Autumn, it's mostly dry. We didn't finished the whole trail, will definitely come again to try the trail from the other side.

I love coming here to hike and fish! In an unexpected spot and people do a great job with social…read moredistancing right now. Also lots of room to park and 1 minute away from a bait shop/gas station.

Nice little park that provides easy access and parking for the Little Miami Rail-to-Trail. And was…read moresurprised to seeing the historical marker for the birth place of Tecumseh. Small so no real amenities but nice.

I have been on kick this year of going to nature parks and covered bridges. The great thing about…read moreboth of them is that there are some real hidden gems out there. The difficult part is being able to do a review on them since they are difficult to find on the computer. This one of the few I have found. It is easy to get to and has a large gravel parking area. The trails are well maintained with nice views. Some unique tree formations (spikes). There is no difficult hiking here. There are no restrooms. If you are looking for a quiet afternoon with small group or with family, try this park out.

This is a great nature preserve for this area. It has an excellent trail that is about 2.25 miles…read morelong and is not very difficult. The first 0.25 miles are handicap accessible. The remainder of the trail is a hiking trail through grass plains and woods. It crosses the headwaters stream a few times and ends at an overlook that gives a nice view of the headwaters stream. This is a great place to take a relaxing walk. You can take your dog too. There is parking available. There is no great place for a picnic. The place is around 800 acres and the hike goes through only a small portion of it. There are great opportunities to see wildlife. They have done a great job preserving the grounds and the water. We have taken our dog several times, she has gone into some taller grass and we have found a couple ticks on her, so be sure to check yourself and pets after you go.

As of late October the bathrooms are still open. Had a nice…read morehike over mostly flat terrain with lots of views of the river. A few small benches are along the way.

I went today for a field trip and i had ms emily! it was awesome and i got to hold a cockroach and…read morepet a turtle along with a toad. Its awesome

We was planning to go to the middle creek park, but GPS lead us to this park. Strange! There is one…read moretrail beside the parking lot. It's a loop and quite nice walk. The first half is mostly uphill, will be a little exhausting, but the 2nd half is much easier. There is an overlook area, but not much view.

I went looking for this site, and almost turned back when I saw a sign stating the road was Posted…read moreNo Trespassing. I stopped to ask a nearby homeowner, who promised the trailhead was just beyond the outdated sign. It was, all official with signage and a parking area. It's a nice trail, clearly marked and with several benches along the way. It's a loop of about a mile and a half, which ends by the creek. There's no real vista while the leaves are still on the trees, perhaps in winter? Maybe I'll make it back to find out!