Nature is still open for business, and there is no better time for you to get out of doors than the Autumn season. The Great Miami Riverway has some of Ohio’s best fall foliage. This fall, you might be looking for fewer crowds or somewhere new to explore. We offer four places for you to visit. Let us know on social media your favorite place in the Riverway to see the leaves while they show their colors. #GreatMiamiRiverway
You can walk, bike, run, or hike at the easy trails of Crain’s Run Nature Park
With wide scenic views, this 34 acre forested park borders the Great Miami River and the Great Miami Recreation Trail. Most of the park is forested, and includes hiking trails that wind through the woods while the remainder is mown parkland. There are several shelter houses for picnics, and a four acre pond where you can fish. Adjoining the park property, just across the road at the south end of the park, is a restored canal lock that was built in 1829 as part of the Miami-Erie Canal system.
Hike the trails at Shawnee Lookout to take in the amazing scenic vistas of the Great Miami River valley.
Shawnee Lookout, located in Hamilton County, is a great place to take in nature any time of year. The park is well known for its historical Springhouse School and Log Cabin as well as its Native American archaeological earthworks. The park’s nature trails, including the 1.3-mile Blue Jacket, 2.0-mile Little Turtle and the 1.4-mile Miami Fort trail, offer spectacular views of the Ohio River and Great Miami River valleys. The 4.3 miles of former golf cart paths are also open for biking, hiking, rolling or strolling. The park also features picnic areas, a playground and boat access to the Great Miami River. The new Riverway poster features the view from Shawnee Lookout.
Grab your hiking shoes and climb to the top of the Miamisburg Mound – one of two tallest adena mounds in the US
Miamisburg Mound offers an easy 30-minute visit and the opportunity to see one of the two largest conical mounds in eastern North America. The mound is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is 65 feet tall and 800 feet in circumference, containing 54,000 cubic yards of earth. The mound is visible from several miles away because it stands atop a 100-foot high ridge above the Great Miami River. Steps have been built to the top observation platform, where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the area.
Photo by TripAdvisor/Sibylle B
Hike Charleston Falls Nature Preserve to see beautiful waterfalls and wildflowers.
Any time of year is a good time to visit Charleston Falls. As summer fades into fall, watch the lush green forest explode with color. The Falls at Charleston Falls can rightly be called a “Miniature Niagara” because its rock strata is the same as Niagara Falls. Charleston Falls Preserve is the most visited Park District property in Miami County with more than 216 acres of prairie and forests. This picturesque park is the perfect place to hike and view wildlife or seek out uncommon plants such as wild columbine, walking fern, purple cliff break and rock honeysuckle grace the limestone faces of the surrounding gorge.
Find Your Way – to the beautiful fall colors of the Great Miami Riverway!
