A new 168-acre park holding some of Butler County’s remaining old-growth forest opens to the public this week in Hanover Township. Davidson Woods MetroPark, at 1200 Hogue Road between Hamilton and Oxford, will open at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, MetroParks of Butler County said. After the opening, the park will be open daily from 8 a.m. until dusk, and admission is free.
The park has three walking trails and connects to Four Mile Creek. One trail is ADA-accessible and leads to a bluff overlooking the creek. MetroParks communications manager Katie Ely-Wood said Davidson Woods has been largely untouched by modern agriculture, and that it contains some of the largest old-growth forest left in Butler County, with a feel she compared to stepping into land at an Ohio state park.
MetroParks first acquired the Hanover Township land in 2007 and held the undeveloped property until funding was available to create the park, Ely-Wood said. The agency received $450,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars for the project, along with a $369,839 Clean Ohio grant. MetroParks is also using state and federal funds to upgrade three of its other parks.
Davidson Woods is the agency’s first park in Hanover Township, located about 38 miles north of Cincinnati at the midpoint between Hamilton and Oxford. Ely-Wood said it will have a very different feel from any of MetroParks’ other parks, in part because the forest was left largely undisturbed while the surrounding area was farmed and developed.
Visitors will be able to fish, kayak and paddle on Four Mile Creek, although they must bring their own equipment because there is no rental operation at the park. Ely-Wood said visitors can also birdwatch at Davidson Woods, calling it a great place to spot bald eagles. A small parking lot is located at the Hogue Road entrance.
The park’s trails are not paved, and MetroParks advises visitors to bring hiking boots and poles and to be prepared for mud. Visitors should also bring water, because the park does not have a drinking fountain. Those practical details reflect the park’s intentionally natural character, with the creek, bluff and old-growth trees as the main attractions rather than built amenities.
The Thursday evening opening gives Southwest Ohio residents a new close-to-home option for hiking, paddling and wildlife watching heading into the fall season. Residents planning a first visit can find the park at 1200 Hogue Road in Hanover Township, with daily hours of 8 a.m. to dusk following the Oct. 22 grand opening.
Photo: Jim Vajda, CC BY