Butler County MetroParks continues to expand
Sunday, March 09, 2008
BUTLER COUNTY — As the winter chill dissipated at Voice of America Park, a sense of change permeated the air.
The park is set to grow to more than 400 acres when West Chester Twp. hands control of most of the park to Butler County MetroParks this year.
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Get latest headlines via RSS feedsMetroParks — with its new director, Jonathan Granville, at the helm — is working on a plan to improve the park, adding playing fields, hiking trails and more.
As Granville toured the park, he pointed out existing and planned amenities.
At the park's entrance he noted its most popular winter draw: A 65-foot-high sledding hill.
Granville stopped briefly at a maple-lined tree grove, dedicated to peace and community in honor of Bhuddist leader Daisaku Ikeda.
Beyond that, soccer goal posts and baseball diamonds dotted open fields once adorned with radio antennas. The park was a relay station for the Voice of America broadcasts through the Cold War, before the federal government decommissioned it in 2000. The former broadcasting station now houses a museum.
Gesturing at the sports fields, Granville said, "This is the side of the park that is currently, and will probably continue, as active use."
But when paved paths and hiking trails are built in coming years, the park will have a place for naturalists as well. "It's going to be a fun place to be no matter what your orientation toward the outdoor world," he said.
Not far from the playing fields, natural meadows are beginning to re-emerge.
"Meadow habitat, from a naturalist point of view, is disappearing globally," he said, lamenting that Ohio is losing its meadows to home lawns.
"A great amount of wildlife can't reproduce and go through their life cycle with just lawn," he said.
But other animals just come to the park to play.
This includes Abby, a terrier, and her new friend Gunner. The two dogs romped at Wiggly Field, a 3-acre dog park.
"I come here all the time with her," said Natalie Goetz, Abby's owner.
And all of this is on the mostly undeveloped side of the park.
On the other side is a stocked, 35-acre lake boasting plenty of fishing and paddle boats for rent. But most people stop by to jog or peruse the 1.4-mile path around it or hold an event at the adjoining banquet hall.
Voice of America is more diverse than most people realize, Granville noted. Its topography varies as much as its visitors.
"There's a new vista depending on where you are and which way you're facing at the time," he said. And the landscape is continuing to change.
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Butler County Metroparks
Indian Creek Church and Burial Ground
Location: 3000 Indian Creek Road, Oxford (Reily Twp.)
Park Facts: The historic cemetery, dating back to 1810, includes the gravesites of some of the area's earliest settlers, including Daniel Boone's cousin Thomas and members of his family, and Pliny Barnum, relative of early showman P.T. Barnum.
Hours: Daily from mid-May to mid-October from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the grounds open daily and the church building by appointment.
Park features:
* Church building can be reserved for weddings for a $100 fee.
* Historic site
* Natural area
* Site of Annual Salute to the Pioneers hosted by the Restoration Committee
Indian Creek Preserve
Location: 1899 Oxford-Reily Road, Oxford
Park facts: The park's varied landscape is covered by 26 species of native trees and a wide variety of wildflowers in season, while offering opportunities for fossil hunting and other nature study activities.
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to dark.
Park Features:
* Picnic sites
* Reservable picnic shelter
* Playground
* Nature trails
* Restrooms
* Fishing permitted in creek
Bunker Hill Pioneer Cemetery
Location: 5351 Reily-Millville Road, Reily Twp.
Park Facts: About 60 pioneers are known to be buried in the cemetery, including veterans from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, and the Civil War.
Hours: Open daily 8 a.m. until dark.
Pater Park Wildlife Area
Location: 5351 Reily-Millville Road, Reily Twp.
Park Facts: This 34-acre property, leased from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is part of the ODNR Division of Wildlife 192-acre Pater Wildlife Area.
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. until dark.
Park features:
* Picnic area
* Hunting
* Fishing
* Wildlife area
Gov. Bebb Preserve
Location: 1979 Bebb Park Lane, Okeana
Park facts: This 264-acre preserve appeals to nature lovers, history buffs, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Acres of woods, meadows, fields, and streams provide ample habitat for wildlife observation and nature study while the park's Pioneer Village provides a glimpse of earlier times in Butler County and the region.
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. until dark.
Park Features:
* Covered Bridge
* Pioneer Village
* Picnic sites
* Reservable picnic shelter
* Restrooms
* Playgrounds
* Nature trails
* Family camping
* Reservable group camping
* Reservable youth group cabin
* Fishing
* Wildlife preserve
Forest Run Wildlife Preserve
Location: 1810 New London Road, Hamilton
Park Facts: This 82-acre scenic preserve includes a creek, woods, a prairie, meadows, and a wetland, all of which provide diverse habitat for the variety of area wildlife found here.
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. until dark.
Park features:
* Nature trails
* Observation deck
Monument Cabin
Location: Downtown Hamilton
Park Facts: The Monument Cabin was built in 1804 along what is now Park Avenue on Hamilton's west side. The Monument Cabin was rededicated in 2004, upon its 200th birthday, to serve as a reminder of Hamilton's and Butler County's pioneer roots. The cabin houses a display to illustrate what life might have been like for the earliest settlers of the area.
Hours: Viewing area open to public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Rentschler Forest Preserve
Location: 5701 Reigart Road, Hamilton (Fairfield Twp.)
Park Facts: With almost 400 acres the Rentschler Forest Preserve & Miami-Erie Canal includes about a half-mile frontage along the Great Miami River, acres of woodland, remnants of the old Miami-Erie Canal, a prehistoric Indian earthwork, a reconstructed wetland, and ample opportunities for a wide variety of outdoor recreation activities.
Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to dark.
Park Features:
* Reservable picnic shelters and youth group campsite
* Soccer fields (managed by Fairfield SAY Soccer)
* Playgrounds
* Hiking trails
* Wildlife observation
* Restored wetland
* Bank fishing
* Fitness court
* Timberhill Reservable Area - Organized youth group camping
Gilmore Ponds Interpretive Preserve
Location: 7950 Gilmore Road, Hamilton
Park Facts: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has designated this park as one of its "Watchable Wildlife" viewing sites and Audubon Ohio has named it as an "Important Birding Area."
Hours: Open daily from 8:00 a.m. until dark.
Park Features:
* Nature trails
* Wildlife observation areas
* Interpretive areas
* Remains of historic ice ponds and the Miami Erie Canal
Chrisholm Historic Farmstead
Location: 2070 Woodsdale Road, Trenton
Park Facts: This 17-acre historic property was donated to the park district by Cinergy and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1874 Samuel Augspurger farmhouse is being restored and was the home of the leading family of the Amish-Mennonite settlement which existed in this river valley area in the 19th century.
Hours: The park grounds are open daily from 8:00 a.m. until dark. The Augspurger Home is open at select times throughout the summer months or by appointment.
Park Features:
* Educational programs and groups/school field trips are offered throughout the year
* Reservable picnic shelter
* Reservable indoor meeting facility
Woodsdale Regional Park
Location: 1917 Woodsdale Road, Trenton (Madison Twp.
Park Facts: The 84-acre park features picnic sites and miles of hiking trails through the woods and wetland areas found here. Future plans call for the provision of canoe access to the nearby Great Miami River.
Park Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. until dark.
Park Features:
* Picnic sites
* Hiking trails
* Outdoor education features
Dudley Woods
Location: 5591 Hankins Road, Liberty Twp.
Park Facts: Easy nature trails make this 64-acre wooded park especially attractive to those seeking a peaceful and tranquil natural setting.
Park Hours: Daily from 8:00 a.m. until dark.
Park Features:
* Hiking trails
* Wildlife
* Fishing in Gregory Creek
* Historic Gregory Family cabin
* Picnic areas
* Reservable picnic shelter
Sebald Park
Location: 5580 Elk Creek Road, Middletown
Park Facts: Sebald Park's beautiful natural setting provides views of the wooded hills forming the walls of the creek valley while the open lawn areas of the park serve as recreation space for visitors using the park's 11 covered picnic shelters and three play areas for children. Hiking trails are routed throughout the woods and along Elk Creek, which runs the length of the park.
Hours: 8 a.m. until dark.
Park Features:
* Open field areas
* A running creek for fishing and wading
* Nature trails
* Wildlife
* Reservable picnic shelters
Excello Locks
Location: Just south of Ohio 73 on Hamilton-Middletown Road in Lemon Twp.
Park Facts: This 4-acre historic site preserves the stonework remains of the first locks, built in 1826, for the Miami-Erie Canal system.
Park Hours: 8 a.m. until dark.
Miami River Preserve
Location: Entrance off Ohio 73 between Middletown and Franklin.
Park Facts: This 16-acre park area includes about a one mile frontage along the Great Miami River between Middletown and Franklin.
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. until dark.
Park Features:
* Wildlife
* Bank fishing along the Great Miami River
* Picnic sites
Voice of America Park
Location: 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester
Park Facts: This 178-acre park, originally a part of the Voice of America Bethany Relay Station, was conveyed to MetroParks in 2000 through the Federal Lands-to-Parks Program. The park features a stocked 35-acre lake circled by a 1.4-mile paved multipurpose path. A 65-foot-high sledding hill, created from the spoils of the lake excavation, draws visitors during winter snowfalls.
Hours: The park grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. until dark. Boathouse retail area open April through October weather permitting. For hours call (513) 755-4403.
Park Features:
* 35-acre lake
* Banquet facility
* Reservable gazebo
* Natural areas
* Wildlife
* Hiking trails
* 1.4-mile paved walking/biking path
* Fishing by MetroPark permit only
* Row boat and pedal boat rental
* Personal kayak launching
* Sled riding in season
* Picnic areas
Antenen Nature Preserve
Location: 2385 Treiber Road, Hamilton
Park Facts: This 134-acre scenic natural area is home to an abundant variety of wildlife. Most of the park's acreage is located west of Four Mile Creek. The creek, which flows through the park, reportedly offers some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the area.
Park Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to dark.
Park Features:
* Picnic sites
* Fishing permitted in creek
