At Cincinnati Parks Foundation, we’re about improving Cincinnati Parks and inviting everybody in! That’s a perfect description of our be.well hiking program. Through a partnership with be.well and Luke5 Adventures, everyone can hike through Cincinnati Parks–regardless of ability. This weekend, we kicked off a new season of hiking that will take patients from Cincinnati Children’s Occupational and Physical Therapy departments through different Cincinnati Parks, guided by a naturalist. Some go on foot, and some go on one of Luke5 Adventure’s Rosie chairs, a wheelchair designed so those with physical limitations can still experience a hike.
Each hiker has received a special passport that lists all of the parks they will visit during this hiking season and guides them through all the different senses you can experience during a hike–the sound of the leaves and twigs crunching as hikers pass by, the sight of brightly colored birds, the fragrance of flowers, and the feeling of dappled sunlight through a forest canopy.
This spring, be.well hikers will be exploring Mt. Airy Forest, French Park, Burnet Woods, Ault Park, Alms Park, and Caldwell Nature Preserve.
Hikers are then invited to keep exploring on their own. So many of our parks have features that make them to accessible to everyone.
Accessibility features in Cincinnati Parks include:
- Alms Park: paved walkways, boardwalk
- Ault Park: Benches with accessibility pads in Carter’s Grove, paved walkways, bike path, boardwalk
- Bellevue Hill Park: accessible playground spinner, paved walkways
- Burnet Woods & Trailside Nature Center: paved walkways, disc golf, accessible playground, boardwalk, bus stop
- Caldwell Nature Preserve: Paved walkway, boardwalk
- Eden Park: accessible walkways (Mirror Lake, Tom Jones Commons), accessible swing, bike path, bus stop
- Fernbank Park: Paved walkways, bike path
- Fleishmann Gardens: paved evergreen maze, walkways, bus stop
- Hoffner Park: outdoor gym, bus stop, zero-entry gazebo
- Inwood Park: PNC Grow Up Great All Inclusive playground, bus stop
- Kennedy Heights Park: Soccer field, paved walkways, bus stop
- Mt. Airy Park: Accessible playground spinner, accessible treehouse, paved walkway, disc golf
- Sawyer Point and Yeatsman Cove: paved walkways, roller rink, pickleball and tennis courts, public landing, bike path, bus stop
- Smale Riverfront Park: paved walkways, Barr Labyrinth, Carol Ann’s Carousel, sprayground and waterplay areas, foot piano, bike path, bus stop
- Stanbery: paved walkways, Kyle Plus Pavilion (zero-entry stage), accessible swing
- Washington Park: paved walking loop, sprayground, entertainment porch, bus stop
- Ziegler Park: sprayground, basketball courts, ping pong, chess/checkers, bocce, zero-entry pool, paved walking loop, bus stop
Paved trails in Cincinnati Parks include:
- Mt. Airy: Everybody’s Tree House, .2 miles (out and back)
- Fernbank Park: Fernbank Park Loop, 1.2 miles
- Otto Armleder Memorial Park: Armleer/Lunken Connector Trail, 2.4 miles
- Smale Riverfront: Ohio River Trail, 4.7 miles (out and back)
- Eden Park: Eden Park Pond, .3 miles loop
- Parker Woods: Buttercup Valley and Parker Woods, 2.4 miles out and back
There’s something for everyone in Cincinnati Parks. Get out there and enjoy them!