I recently cancelled my gym membership. With Miami Whitewater Park so close I can maintain my health by utilizing their facilities. The wintertime offers its limitations, however there are still plenty of nice days to bundle up and go walking. During the warm weather I'd love to walk the Outer Loop. Every once in awhile I do a little of the parcours that are along the way.See more..
I am a born and raised Ohio proud. I have hiked and backpacked hundreds of miles of trails all over the US. When I want to get away from C-Bus, I head to Zaleski to backpack their awesome trail system. One huge reason I continually have hiked Zaleski are good, consistent water sources at the camps. I have hiked Zaleski in all four seasons, and only had one pump issue. One thing though, the last two trips out there has been a detour in the first leg of the hike. Unexpected and sucks. Otherwise, an excellent time. Don't underestimate it! It isn't car camping folks.See more..
4.5Collier (Howard) State Nature Preserve(20 reviews) - Nice place to walk and get ate up by mosquitoes Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Forests
We walked the mile loop trail while we were In Tiffin, OH for a few days. The trail was nice. A lot of steps on one end. Don’t even consider the .2 mile trail to the bridge. Nothing to see there. When we were there the mosquitoes were out in droves and constantly bitting us. All around it’s a nice one mile loop trail with steps going down on one end and going up the trail on the other end. We choose to walk up the abandoned road instead of the trail to get out of the woods and quit getting bit by mosquitoes.See more..
4.0Furnace Run Metro Park(18 reviews) - Lovely local park Spent 1-2 hours State Parks • Hiking Trails • Forests
Walked several short trails & around part of lake/pond. Grounds were immaculately groomed, public restroom was clean and nicer than most hotels!See more..
Spectacular riding roads with places to take hikes, eat great food and get away from it all. Check out the Windy 9 map of motorcycle routes.See more..
5.0Licking county Bike trails(12 reviews) - Great Ride Spent 2-3 hours Biking Trails • Hiking Trails • Forests
Part of the Licking County bike trails, TJ Evans is a great ride. Mostly flat which is great for runners and bike beginners. The trail travels from Johnstown to Newark passing through Alexandria and Granville. It’s about 14 miles one way. TJ Evans does connect to other trails that are a part of the county trail system. There is a place to park before arriving at one of the trail entrances in Granville. Couple of issues is lack of signage. At several intersections there were no signs telling you which way to go. Additionally some of the locals don’t understand trail etiquette. The trail is wide enough to allow one person/biker to travel in opposite directions and pass each other. However local walkers tend to walk in large groups blocking the path which prevented bikers and runners to pass on their left. I personally had to use my brakes several times to avoid a collision despite yelling “on your left”See more..
4.5Eagle Creek Nature Preserve(4 reviews) - Garrettsville Relaxation Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests
We had a great time! We were looking for a very low-key experience where hubby and I could unwind! We rented a very cool air bnb and enjoyed the food at Two Travelers and Garrett’s Mill! We also loved the coffee and breakfast at Cellar Door Coffee! We also visited Nelson Ledges State Park! Trails were short but WOW the views were awesome!See more..
4.5Denison Nature Preserve(4 reviews) - Great trails, beautiful area Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Forests Do yourself a favor and take a hike through Denison's Bio-preserve! Beautiful natural area and nicely maintained trailsSee more..
4.5Sunnybrook Preserve(4 reviews) - Great little park Sunday: 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Parks • Forests
Great little park, nice trails. There is a pond and in the spring you can hear the frogs long before you see the pond.See more..
4.0Pizzurro Park(4 reviews) - Warm and dry enough to take dog to dog park Spent 1-2 hours Forests
This park is well maintained and people spread themselves out well. Lots of fenced room for dog to roam. Everyone cleans up after their dogs well. We try to go every day it is dry, wonderful park!See more..
5.0Brown Family Environmental Center(3 reviews) - Great trails for multiple abilities Sunday: Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Forests
Beautiful place to visit. I stopped after dropping my son at Kenyon College for a high school event. I wanted to fill some time before bad weather hit. An employee saw me looking at the map and gave me multiple options to enjoy the area. I walked up the ridge to the pine trail and really enjoyed the views. There is a lot more trails to explore and I’ll definitely head back.See more..
I've been to this woods many times as it is the largest public woods in the area besides the State Parks at the lake. The woods is teeming with wildlife. The pictures are from two different visits but present the woods beauty. I have also seen many kinds of birds, and small mammals and deer.See more..
5.0Eldon Russell Park(3 reviews) - A surprise good time! Spent 1-2 hours Parks • Forests
I drove through the park in my car as the weather was sunny and clear. I got out a few times to take closer looks at things that caught my eye. I did hike a trail or two and remarked to myself what a great place to preserve and some people were smart enough to save this space from development. Nature was alive and thriving here. i wished I lived closer to Eldon Russell Park so I could enjoy it more often. There is so much to see there.See more..
4.0Dysart Woods(2 reviews) - Spectacular- if you are ready to hike Spent 1-2 hours Parks • Forests
We took the red trail. A lot of hills and rough terrain but well worth every step. The old, huge trees were a spectacular sight and we were so glad we visited Dysart Woods. See attached photos.See more..
5.0Swine Creek Reservation(2 reviews) - Great park for hiking Spent 1-2 hours Parks • Forests
I went to The Swine Creek Reservation late in the morning on a sunny Monday in mid-October. The leaves were beginning to change, but still a little way from peak color. I have been to almost all the Geauga County parks, but this was my first time here. I think this is the best park to get in a good hike. My plan was to hike three or 4 miles, but due to some trail confusion ended up doing more like 5 miles. The wagon trail is a nice walk with crushed gravel and only some up and down. The meadowlark trail is fairly flat on a grass path through an old farm field that now has lots of wildflowers and ends up at a pond…while I did not see a meadowlark, I did see a female pheasant. Most of the rest of the trails are rough and unimproved. There are steep climbs and descents and many creek crossings…so wear proper footwear after rains…I did not have any problem staying dry. My favorite trail was the Grey Fox trail as it was a good walk, well-marked and varied habitat along the way. I do wish the trails were a little better marked. I have the trail map on my phone and still found it hard to go where I intended…there are some mystery trails that are not on the map. The are also a disappointing number of trail marker posts in place, but the directions or trail names have fallen off. The back trails are particularly hard to follow when the leaves are on the ground…They are narrow and easily covered. I highly recommend this park for hiking.See more..
3.5Tar Hollow State Forest(2 reviews) - Winter Hike Forests Hiked Tar Hollow in July of 2018 after the fresh bulldozer cut. The trail has recovered! The cut was terrible last July. Very muddy, ruts and rocks. Now the trail is recovering, ruts padded down, and no mud. Very enjoyable to hike again!See more..
4.0Whitlam Woods(2 reviews) - Hidden gem for a quiet walk Parks • Forests
I went to Whitlam Woods Park on a Wednesday afternoon in late September. My goal was to get in a brisk walk for at least two miles, but this park only has about a mile of trails. This is a nice quiet walk in the woods with a little up and down. I was the only car in the parking lot and I never saw another person. I would come here again.See more..
4.0Vinton Furnace State Forest(1 review) - Perfect for a romantic ride State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests Drive your 4x4 and go for a fun ride through vinton furnace Beautiful scenery and views. Places to park and hike. Great little area for a private cruise.See more..
4.0Campbell Lakes Preserve(1 review) - Mostly for anglers, but also nice nature preserve Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests This 183 acre park with four lakes (totaling 57 acres) along the Whitewater River may have limited facilities, but if you like to fish or observe nature, it may just be the spot for you. Fishing here requires no license, but you do have to pay a $2 day fishing fee. You can fish from the bank or use licensed car top boats such as canoes, kayaks and jon boats, but motors are not allowed. If fishing isn't your thing (yeah, not for us either), you can do some hiking and watch the wild critters - lots of birds (including hawks and the occasional bald eagle), small animals, and even the occasional deer (on our visit, we didn't actually spot any deer, but there were fresh tracks everywhere so they're here). We walked from the parking area out to the far end of the south lake on a fairly rough dirt trail that took us out to a clearing on the tip of the lake that also overlooked the river - about 30 minutes round trip. The trail was fairly overgrown and somewhat muddy, but we could still follow it. There appear to be a couple of equally long trails that head off to the western boundary of the park, although we saw signs saying that they were currently impassable due to high water. There is a porta toilet in the parking area, but no other facilities here. We saw two or three other vehicles in the lot, but didn't come across anyone, so it was nice and quiet.See more..
5.0Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary(1 review) - Back into the woods Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Forests This acenic 100 acre Miami County Park borders the nearby Garbry Big Woods Reserve (apparently Mr. Garbry donated both tracts) although the road and trail sysems do not connect. There are no facilities at the paved parking lot at the end of the lane at the park entrance. A simple four plank boardwalk quickly takes you out of sight of the car, back into the woods, and seemingly back in time when most of the state was covered in woodlands and wetlands. The county advertizes the boardwalk as handicapped accessible, but I have found over the years that means different things to different people, most of whom don't have a clue. In this case, it most definitely does not mean ADA compliant. There are no kick rails or hand rails and I nearly fell myself several times on the slick planks (four laid side by side vertically). There is a lot of warping, protuding nails, and huge gaps between the planks. A baby in a backpack would be fine but it would be a major ordeal to take a wheelchair or stroller the entire one mile loop. Save the frustration and explore the more accessible Reserve instead. If you are fully mobie, it is two tenths of a mile to the beginning of the half mile loop which you can take in either direction then take the same two tenths walk back to the parking lot. There is a monument at the trail junction honoring Mr. Garbry who owned the land. I don't know if he is actualy bureid there or not but my son referred to the monument as Dead Fred. He didn't mean any disrespect just likes to make up rhymes to describe things. Not much of a botanist, but saw lots of hornbeam and all kinds of endangered plant species. Had the whole palce to ourselves on a winter week day.See more..
4.0Garbry Big Woods Reserve(1 review) - Into the Woods Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks • Forests
Saw the sign on hwy 36 on our way back home and decided to make a quick detour to see a new place and stretch our legs. We were the only people in the 172 acre park on a winter week day. Stopped to use (clean) restroms by picnic area parking lot. Started towards trails but signs were posted saying trails were closed (ice, flooding from Lost Creek) and the way was barred by traffic cones and caution tape. I thought about taking the trail anyway but didn't because with my luck I would run into the only park ranger on duty in the entire Miami County park system and get hit with a heavy fine. Not wanting to take that risk, we drove around to the Burr Oak shelter to try our luck on the other side of the park. Wandered across an extensive archery range. How many parks have that? Tried to hike out through the prairie to the native trees arboretum but it was too wet and muddy. Same thing around the pond. Interesting park- will have to come back when it's warmer and drier. Trails are grass and dirt, not multisurface but I have pushed a wheelchair through worse terrain. Strollers shoud do fine.See more..
