Projects

Severe sediment accumulation, harmful increases in nutrient values and aggressive aquatic vegetation is threatening the health of the 35-acre lake. The solution is to remove the excess sediment from the lake via dredging. Dredging Sharon Lake will not only let park guests continue to enjoy all recreation opportunities at Sharon Woods, but also will improve water quality and restore aquatic habitat.

This 3.6-mile trail will connect two major Great Parks and extend the existing West Fork Mill Creek Greenway Trail to 9 miles of continuous trail. The project also includes improving access to an adjacent bus stop. The project is currently in design with trail construction expected to begin in spring 2025.

Shaker Trace Nursery in Miami Whitewater Forest is one of few places in our region that grows native plants for ecological restoration projects. Needed improvements to the facility will increase seed production capacity and expand the role the nursery fulfills in educating the community about native plants, ecology and restoration.

The 1.6-mile Columbia Connector trail will tie the Little Miami Scenic Trail to other segments of the 34-mile CROWN regional trail loop, including Wasson Way. Phases 1 and 2 were completed in 2020, and construction of the final Phase 3 is expected to begin in spring 2026.

Design has begun on the development of a master plan for the West Region Blueway and Trails System. The system will include both land and water-based trails along the Great Miami and Whitewater rivers, and will link communities and parks extending from the Butler/Hamilton county border to the Ohio River.

Already a popular destination for mountain bikers in the region, Mitchell Memorial Forest is gaining a new mountain bike skills course and quarter-mile skills loop trail that will add more trail mileage while providing a safe place for beginners to try out this exciting sport. Great Parks secured a $68,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to help support this $160,000 project. Planning is currently underway, with new amenities expected to be open to the public in spring 2025.

Great Parks is excited to be a partner in the Mill Creek Triangle Trail Feasibility Study, a multi-jurisdictional effort to develop a 40+ mile regional trail network in central and northern Hamilton County. The vision of this project includes connecting people to each other and to local amenities, including Winton Woods, Glenwood Gardens and Sharon Woods parks.

Before it was a park or golf course, Shawnee Lookout was an area continuously inhabited for 10,000 years by several groups of indigenous people. This archeological district is undergoing a stream restoration where the golf course construction had previously buried streams and added culverts. Restoration will begin in spring 2025 and includes: daylighting of headwater streams, removal of culverts and asphalt, removal of invasive plants, reconnecting the stream to the floodplain, and planting the riparian buffer with native plants and seeds. This project is funded and managed in part, by The Nature Conservancy through their in-lieu fee mitigation program. Other partners include the Ohio History Connection and tribal members advising on preservation of the cultural aspects of the site.

A new, approximately 2-mile natural surface trail at Avoca Trailhead will allow both walkers and bikers to explore the forested floodplain adjacent to the National Scenic River. The trail is part of a proposed, multi-agency, braided network of natural surface trails along the Little Miami Scenic Trail that will offer opportunities for mini excursions off of the paved trail. Construction is expected to begin in August, with the trail open for use in late fall 2024.

Improvements to the existing river access site at Bass Island in Anderson Township will provide an enhanced experience for paddlers entering and exiting the Little Miami State and National Scenic River. The improved site will include expanded parking, restroom facilities, a vehicle drop loop, a designated walkway to the riverbank and a new ramp to the river’s edge that will serve to improve river access and protect the riverbank. Construction begins in Fall 2024, with the goal to reopen in Fall 2025.

The harbor at Sharon Woods serves as major center of activity in one of our most-visited parks. Input and ideas from the community will help reimagine this space with better boating, fishing and play experiences and enhanced gathering spaces. The project is expected to kick off in spring 2024, with design occurring during construction of the Sharon Lake Improvement Project.

Opened in Fall 2024, this new outdoor playground at Sharon Woods offers an upgraded and welcoming play experience for all users.

The Beechmont Bridge Connector Trail opened to the public on September 21, 2022. This critical connector ties the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail into the Lunken Airport trail and Ohio River Trail to downtown Cincinnati.

New tee pads, baskets and signage – as well as realigned holes and new landscaping – at Woodland Mound disc golf course allow for better play for both new and veteran players. The full course re-opened to the public on September 16, 2022, with landscaping and signage improvements scheduled to wrap up later in the fall.

This project included demolishing the park’s failing wastewater treatment facility and connecting restrooms into the nearby MSD sewer line. It was done to reduce future maintenance costs and provide a more reliable and environmentally sound sanitary system for park staff and guests. The project was completed in August 2022.

Located in the Highfield Discovery Garden in Glenwood Gardens, construction began in August 2022 with a formal grand opening on June 8, 2023.

Planning for Great Parks’ newest park, located in Westwood, included extensive public engagement to ensure this greenspace is a true community asset. A concept master plan was approved in October 2023 that establishes a long-range vision for the 23-acre property.

Versatile equipment and an accessible quarter-mile path were designed with input from a local outdoor fitness class. The final phase of this new amenity was completed in November 2023 and allows park users to come up with creative exercises that will challenge the body and mind.

After outreach to several historical organization contacts and carefully considering safety and cost factors, Great Parks deconstructed and removed the log cabin located at Shawnee Lookout.

This popular 1.4-mile trail at Miami Whitewater Forest was impacted by safety issues caused by flooding from a nearby creek. Design of an upgraded section of paved trail began in early 2023 and the trail reopened in Fall 2023.