|
|
Miami County offers many opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. The facilities listed below offer opportunities to experience many different kinds of settings as well as creatures big and small. Miami County's rivers, and beautiful waterfalls are also well represented here. The rolling terrain at several of these sites will premaritally change the minds of those who think that Ohio is a flat state. Most cities in Miami County also operate their own parks. Information about those facilities can be accessed from the specific city pages.
Miami County Park
District The Miami County Park District features a number of natural areas, and it's growing: recent donations of land ensure that the district will grow in the years to come. Thomas and Rosemarie Timmer of Tipp City donated 95 acres of property in Bethel Township to the park district in 1994. The board purchased 10 acres adjacent to the donation, providing a 105-acre site that touches the Miami River. Much of the area presently is cultivated, and it will be allowed to return to a natural state. In 1996, Mark Knoop donated 239 acres east of Troy to the park district. The area, known as Lost Creek Reserve, eventually will become a nature area with working farm to be used in the district's educational programs. The most recent donation of land is the Hobart family's donation of 80 acres located between Dorset Road and Ridge Avenue in the city of Troy. The area will be developed as an urban nature preserve. The Miami Park district administers all of the of the sites listed below with the exception of the Brukner Nature Center. Contact the Park District office for information on specific programs and seasonal hours. Brukner
Nature Center This nature area was developed on property once owned by Clayton Brukner, who was well-known in Miami County and across the country for his pioneering aviation firm, the WACO Aircraft Co. Brukner was also a naturalist and the land he left has become a 165-acre nature preserve. Attractions include miles of hiking trails, educational programs for students and adults, a wildlife rehabilitation center, an interpretive center and the Iddings Log House, a restored 1804 log home built by one of the county's earliest settlers. The center is located on Horseshoe Bend Road, five miles west of Interstate 75 off Route 55. Trails are open year-round during daylight hours. F.L. Blankenship
Riverside Sanctuary This five-acre tract in Newton Township(south of Covington is used for access to the Stillwater River and includes native grassland. Garbry's Big Woods
Reserve and Sanctuary The sanctuary is a special purpose facility of the 272-acre Big Woods Reserve and is located between Union-Shelby and Casstown-Sidney roads. The 100-acre site exhibits outstanding plant and animal habitats typical of that which existed in abundance prior to settlement but now quite rare throughout the state. The Sanctuary comprises the largest stand of upland woodland in Miami County and is a unique example of an undisturbed wet beech-maple forest. A 42 inch wide boardwalk, nearly seven-tenths of a mile long, guides the visitor through varied woodland scenes and protects the site from undesirable "wanderings" through sensitive plant areas. Goode Prairie Charleston Falls
Preserve Gaining its name from nearby community of West Charleston, Charleston Falls Preserve consists of 169-acre park features a 37-foot waterfall, miles of hiking trails, and a variety of topography. The park district makes its headquarters at this park and is located in Bethel Township on Ross Road between State Route 202 and the Great Miami River. Originating from small underground springs several miles to the east, the stream creating the Falls plummets 37 feet on its meandering journey to the Great Miami River, one mile to the west. In concert with the natural setting, land management is geared toward maintaining a diversity of plant and animal life. Nearly two miles of trails pass through varied landscapes, such as Redbud Valley and the Thorny Badlands, offering explosions of color and evidence of man's impact upon the land. A small pond, a planted Tall Grass Prairie, and an observation tower add interest to the remaining portions of the preserve. Stillwater Prairie
Reserve Located along the Stillwater River in Newberry Township, this park features a native Ohio prairie. Its 217 acres include two miles of trails, fishing ponds, and a picnic area.
Copyright © 2000-2001 by
TDN-NET.
All Rights Reserved. |
