SUNDAYS ARE FOR HIKING! I have had the opportunity to hike through Germantown Metro Park twice, and I am a fan! If you are looking for an easy or intermediate hiking trail outside of the Cincinnati area, Germantown Metro Park is a great option. The park views change based on the season--but if you value well-maintained trails paired with fresh air and small adventures, add this park to your list.
PARK LOCATION & OVERVIEW: Germantown Metro Park is a part of the Five Metro Park System, located in between Cincinnati and Dayton. Check out their website and all the parks within their system here. There are lots of things to do at this park, including over 15 miles of trails through wooded scenery. Loop trails are color-coded, with intersections marked by a number. A favorite of many hikers is the 9.3-mile orange trail, which begins at the Twin Valley Welcome Center. It offers rolling hills and travels along the Twin Creek, through mature and old-growth woodlands where you can spot orchids, wildflowers and wild turkeys.
TRAIL OPTION #1: Park at Conservancy Trailhead For an easy 6 mile hike with inclines and views, take the orange trail to the pink loop.
You can easily add on mileage by continuing on the orange trail before repeating your tracks and heading back to the pink loop.
The trail is marked, but I would navigate using the All Trails App, as it could be a bit tricky to find the pink loop off of the perimeter trail.
TIPS: If it’s your first time to the park, I’d recommend picking up the trails at the main entrance. They have nice facilities at the welcome center and boardwalk. Most trails start at this point, although you can pick them up at various points along the trail. Want a big adventure?? You can do the entire perimeter trail (including the prairie) for a total of 9.2 miles.
TRAIL OPTION #2: Park at the Welcome Center
If you want a short hike with options, park at the main entrance at the Welcome Center. You can easily pick up a few trails from this starting point. My favorite is the yellow trail, which is a 3 mile loop. When you get to the beginning of the loop, go left at the start to have more downhill views.
TRAIL OPTION #3: Prairie Views
This metro park recently added on to their park: they call it the expansion.
Drive past the entrance on your right. About a half-mile down, there is a turn-off on the left. You can catch a trail that ropes through the prairie, and it’s gorgeous!
Take the brown trail to the purple trail for a short hike that does a loop back to the parking lot—or take the purple to the orange for a bit longer.
For this section of the park, you can follow these trail lengths: Brown Trail: .7 miles; Purple Trail: 2 miles; Orange Trail: 2.3 miles.
The perimeter trail is marked as the orange trail, and it’s about 9 miles. You can pick it up here in the prairie and continue through the whole park or do a chunk of it in the prairie.
TIPS: There is a small parking lot but no facilities. If you need to use the restroom or to re-fill your water bottle, head back to the main entrance and visit the welcome center before you begin your hike.
Today is a great day to get out and explore!
//Cindy
