Dayton, Ohio

The Dayton area is home to many major technological advances, including the cash register, the Bombe code-breaking machine, plutonium triggers for early atomic bombs, car self-starters, self-cooled refrigerators, and so much more. Probably most well known is the Wright airplane, which was develop...

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, these massive water fountains operate several times each day according to a rigid schedule: 10-minute intervals at the top of the hour, Mon.-Fri., 6:55 AM-9:55 PM and weekends 10:55 AM-9:55 PM. The five fountains shoot 2,500 gallons of water per minute 200 feet...

Hills & Dales MetroPark is surprisingly large, spanning 63 acres and nestled between two golf courses. When hiking here, it is quite easy to forget that it is surrounded by a city and is just a couple miles south of Dayton. The Adirondack Trail is the most prominent trail in the park, winding...

The main attraction at the park is of course the large pond, with paved walking trails leading around it. Jutting out into the middle is a covered fishing pavilion, and you're likely to see several people casting rods there and along the southern banks. This metro park also has high quality sand ...

The best part about this adventure? It is FREE!  Free parking, free WiFi, and yes, you can see all sorts of planes from the SR-71 Blackbird to past Air Force Ones, all without paying a dime. Some planes you are even able to walk through to get a good look of the interiors! This is one of the best...

Like forests? Like fields? How bout running in them? If so, this is the park for you! There's a map at the parking lot to help you navigate each trail and plan your route. The parking lot also has plenty of space and a porta-john. Trails are short, but you can mix and match them to create the dis...

Take the whole family out on an afternoon adventure to Bill Yeck Park!  This park has over 6 miles of hiking trails, spanning all levels of difficulty and terrain, including pavement, crushed gravel, mowed grass, and dirt paths. They range from 0.5 miles (red trail) to 3.0 miles (yellow trail), w...

This adventure begins at a parking lot within the Englewood East MetroPark, right at the trailhead for the white trail. Begin the hike into the woods, following the well-marked path through points 1 and 2. Continue straight on the white path until you hit point 7, where you will switch over to th...

This course has some tough points, especially with some water hazards, but for the most part is very forgiving. In many places you can retrieve any discs you lose to the creek, and there aren't any areas of dense thicket or tall grasses that are prone to hide discs so well. Most of the holes are ...

Glen Helen is located just next to downtown Yellow Springs, a small but well-known town popular for its eclectic and artistic community. This preserve was set to close permanently in 2020 due to lack of funding, but the former owner Antioch College sold the preserve to the Glen Helen Association ...

If you're driving along US 68 towards Yellow Springs, Ohio in early September, you just may be lucky enough to come upon the Tecumseh Sunflower Field in full bloom!  You only have about two-three weeks where the flowers will be bright, happy and alive, so make plans to hit it in time.  There is f...

Starting at the lower parking lot, follow the signs that direct you to the trails near the shelterhouse. Within 0.2 of a mile the trail forks; follow the left fork heading east along the Little Miami River. This is the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati Stagecoach Trail, which for 1.3 miles winds its way alon...

This section is perfect for the beginner river adventurer or a family with little ones. It is only 2.5 miles long, and is extremely calm and pretty. Depending on river levels and speed, it should take around 60-90 minutes to complete (kayak/canoe). There are also several shores along the way for ...

If you are new to climbing, someone who really enjoys toprope climbing or if you live in west central Ohio and are looking to climb somewhere within a reasonable driving distance, John Bryan State Park is a great option. Equipment is not provided and all climbers are encouraged to use safe climbi...

The George Rogers Clark Park has over 6 miles of nature hiking trails as well as a fishing pond. There are large A-frames at several points in the park to set up for the afternoon and grill some hotdogs, and plenty of field space to lay out some blankets and break out the picnic basket. The bigge...

The location of the fossil hunt is within the emergency spillway of the Caesar Creek Dam. Once there, simply look at the ground and at any rocks in the vicinity. It won't take long to find a variety of Ordovician fossils; Trilobites (Ohio's State Fossil), Horn Coral, Gastropods, Brachiopods, and ...