By Abbey Roy
Posted On: Sep 30, 2020
If there’s one thing our family of five has learned during years of hiking in Ohio, it’s that kids are never too young (or too old!) to start exploring.
Whether your little ones are in backpack carriers or teenagers whose phones you’re confiscating for an hour or two, take advantage of this gorgeous fall season to experience the outdoors first-hand.
Here are a few favorite spots:
Mount Air Forest in Cincinnati
Our family recently had a great opportunity to try out the woodsy trail in Cincinnati Parks' Mt. Airy Forest. The girls had fun making their way to the easily accessible Everybody’s Treehouse; we followed it up with a gentle descent that followed a creek bed through the woods.
Salt Fork, Blue Rock, Deer Creek and Pymatuning State Parks are among our favorites. Make a weekend of it by staying in a lodge, cabin or campground.
Dawes Arboretum in Newark
Make your hiking trip educational by learning about different types of trees in this nearly 2,000-acre gem of nature. Don’t forget to take your little ones through each page of the Dawes Story Trail.
Also in Licking County, Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve boasts a rich natural history with stunning views; nearby, a vast network of metroparks in the Columbus area mean numerous options for an afternoon in nature, just minutes from the metropolis.
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Winding from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, this 85-mile trail is both scenic and family-friendly. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop for pictures and pumpkins as Szalay’s Farm Market, where fall produce and photo-ops abound.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Peninsula
More than 30,000 acres of rivers, falls, forests and rocks -- all in one park. Whether you have a weekend or a couple hours, add this to your list of fall must-sees!
For more fall hikes and outdoor adventures this #FallinOhio, check out #OhioFindItHere at Ohio.org.
