Pedal... East Fork State Park

EFSP in the fall.

One of the longer and more established mountain bike trails in the area, East Fork State Park has what you are looking for. Smooth lines, tight twisty single track, a few surprising climbs, and even a couple rock gardens. East Fork definitely deserves to be on your short list of trails to ride.

The trail is split into three sections, the South, Middle, and North trails, with the North also being called the "Tec Trail." The North section has a bit more climbing, and a few other more technical features, but nothing over the level of a novice cyclist. Always remember when riding, if you do not think you can ride a section, walk it. No shame in that.

Total miles for all three trails ends up around 7.5 miles. Ride the whole system as an out and back style ride and you end up around 15 miles. Not bad at all. Word on the street is, there will be more trails added this year. Definitely something to look forward to on an already great trail system.

Not too far outside of Cincinnati, around 20-25 minutes from the Interstate 275. The trail head is off of State Route 125. Coming from Cincinnati, turn left off of SR 125, following the signs for East Fork State Park. Parking is across the street from the park office.

Address:
3294 Elklick Road
Bethel, OH 45106

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Pedal... Mitchell Memorial Forest.

Sitting on a ridge above the Great Miami river, this is one park that you might not knew existed, even though it is not too far away from Interstate 74. On the west side of town, Mitchell Memorial Forest was the first legal mountain bike trail in the Hamiliton County Park District. First opening with a 3.9 mile loop, this season will bring around 8 miles of trail after some serious work by volunteers in the off season. That is a serious upgrade to an already great trail. The trail was already enjoyable at the previous length, now the extra miles will make it even more worth the drive to the West side.

Trail reopens this spring! Be sure to check the HCPD site here for updates.

Directions:
-From Interstate 74, exit at Harrison Pike/Rybolt Rd. (Exit 11)
-Turn left onto Harrison.
-Turn right onto Rybolt.
-Turn right onto Wesselman Rd.
-Turn left onto E Zion Hill Rd.
Park entrance on the left.

Address:
5401 Zion Rd.
Cleves OH 45002

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Pedal... Little Miami State Park.

On a camping trip, somewhere in the vicinity of Oregonia.

Although there are many paved, multi-use trails in the greater Cincinnati area, none are more prominent than the Little Miami State Park. Running along the former railroad line beside the State and National scenic river of the same name, this paved trail runs from the small town of Newtown, all the way to the town of Springfield totaling 78 miles in all. This mileage makes it one of the longer paved trails in the country, right here in the tri-state area!

Over the Little Miami river, half way from Milford to Loveland.

A large portion of the trail is operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, under the name the Little Miami State Park. Not a park in the traditional sense, but more of a park "corridor." Other county parks maintain the remainder of the trail, but they all share the common goal. This trail is also used for a small section by the Buckeye Trail, which loops around the entire state of Ohio!

Over the Little Miami river in Newtown.

This trail is very accessible, and a great place to introduce youngsters to cycling, or to load up your touring bike and head up to the Springfield area to camp for a quick overnighter. Lots of opportunities for viewing wildlife, and many canoe/kayak access points as well. A huge assest to the area, if you would like to get involved volunteering be sure to check out the Friends of the Little Miami state park.

Many trailheads in the Cincinnati area:
-Little Miami Golf Center in Newtown
-Avoca Park off of US HWY 50 East of Mariemont
-Milford Trailhead at the intersection of US HWY 50 and State RT. 126
-Loveland trailhead in Historic Downtown Loveland

Near Camp Dennison.

A great trail for all ages, skill levels and all activites.

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Hike... Valley View Nature Preserve.

Another local gem in the greater Cincinnati area is Valley View. Located on the fringe of Milford in Clermont county, this 130 acre preserve started out with a very interesting history.

Originally farmland, this area was slated to become a housing development at one time, then in 2002 the preserve was established to save this area from concrete purgatory. Now, one can find around 5 miles or so of trails that crisscross the entire property, traversing overgrown farmland, wetlands, and riparian habitats. Mostly flat, but with enough trails and wildlife to keep you busy. This is a great place to pack a picnic and introduce your family to the great outdoors. Also a great spot for trail running, which in 2010 Valley View started the Milford Invitational Cross Country event, bringing in schools from the greater Cincinnati area to participate.

To get to Valley View:
From Downtown, take US HWY 50 east into Milford. After crossing the Little Miami river, stay straight onto Mill St. At the first stop sign, turn onto Cleveland Avenue, which will turn into South Milford Rd. Valley View will be on your left, just behind Pattison Elementary.

Address:
5330 S. Milford Rd.
Milford OH 45150

Be sure to check out their website here.

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