Great Parks of Hamilton County facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Parks of Hamilton County |
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|---|---|
| Type | Public county park district |
| Location | Hamilton County, Ohio, United States |
| Created | 1930 |
| Operated by | Hamilton County Park Board |
| Open | All year |
Imagine a huge outdoor playground with lots of green spaces! That's what the Great Parks of Hamilton County is all about. It's the official park system for Hamilton County, Ohio, in the United States.
This park system started way back in 1930. For many years, it was called the Hamilton County Park District. In 2014, its name changed to Great Parks of Hamilton County.
Today, this amazing system includes 17 different parks. It also has 4 special conservation areas. These areas help protect nature and wildlife. A group of park commissioners manages all the parks. The main office is located in Winton Woods, which is the second-biggest park. The county park system also works with the Cincinnati Park Board to offer even more fun.
Fun Things to Do in the Parks
The Great Parks are open every single day of the year. You can visit them from when the sun comes up until it goes down. Some places, like boathouses and golf courses, have different hours depending on the season.
To enter the parks with a car, you need a special pass. You can buy a daily pass or an annual pass. It costs a bit less if you live in Hamilton County.
These parks offer many cool things to do:
- Camping: You can camp overnight at Miami Whitewater Forest and Winton Woods.
- Hiking: Explore nature on many different trails. Some are paved, and some are just for walking in the woods.
- Picnics: Find a perfect spot to have a picnic with friends and family.
- Boating: Enjoy paddle boating on the lakes.
- Biking: Ride your bike on special paths.
- Horse Riding: Some parks have trails for horses.
- Playgrounds: Kids can have a blast on the playgrounds.
- Golfing: Play a round of golf at parks like Shawnee Lookout and Sharon Woods.
- Sports: Many parks have open spaces for playing different sports.
- Nature Centers: Learn about local plants and animals at visitor centers.
- Dog Parks: Some parks even have special areas for your furry friends to run and play.
You can also rent places for parties, weddings, or other events.
Parks and Nature Spots
The Great Parks system includes many different places to explore. Here is a list of the parks and conservation areas:
- Parks
- Campbell Lakes Preserve
- Embshoff Woods
- Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve
- Fernbank Park*Francis RecreAcres
- Glenwood Gardens
- Lake Isabella
- Little Miami Golf Center (including the southern end of the Little Miami Scenic Trail)
- Miami Whitewater Forest
- Mitchell Memorial Forest
- Otto Armleder Memorial Park & Recreation Complex*Sharon Woods
- Shawnee Lookout
- Triple Creek
- Winton Woods
- Withrow Nature Preserve
- Woodland Mound
- Conservation Areas
- Kroger Hills
- Newberry Wildlife Sanctuary
- Oak Glen Nature Preserve
- Richardson Forest Preserve
An asterisk (*) next to a park name means it's a place that the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County work on together.
Images for kids
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Shawnee Lookout
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Cabin at Shawnee Lookout
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Shawnee Lookout
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Shawnee Lookout
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Shawnee Lookout fort
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Milk house at Shawnee Lookout
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Fernbank Park
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Playground at Fernbank Park
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Miami Whitewater
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Miami Whitewater
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Shaker Trace trail, at Miami Whitewater Forest.
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Pedestrian bridge at Winton Woods
