When the weather is nice out, it’s great to get outside and explore nature with your family. Living in the Deerfield Township-Mason area means your family is surrounded by many amazing parks and nature preserves with plenty of fun activities to keep you busy. That’s why Crème de la Crème of Mason has put together this list of some of the best parks in and around our hometown. Be sure to check out these seven awesome parks near Mason the next time your family needs an outdoorsy adventure.

Carter Park

“The Park Houston” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Vlad Busuioc

Right in Deerfield Township is Carter Park, your family’s new go-to spot for hiking, biking, and nature walks. The entire park is more than 85 acres of naturally wooded landscape. The 3.5 miles of paths curve around tall canopied trees, native plants and wildflowers, and the waterfront, making for a beautiful, lush view during your hike. 

There are 3.1 miles of unpaved trails and some steep elevation gains in a few areas, so everyone on your adventure should wear sturdy shoes. There are a few forks along the path so you can choose your adventure. You can also follow the Carter Park Loop, which is a 1.7-mile trail that gets relatively close to the Little Miami River and brings you back to where you started in about two hours if you really take your time.

In addition to the hiking and biking paths, this park also has a story walk to make a hike with the little ones even more engaging, a community garden, an archery range, and one of the area’s Quilt Barn designs to check out.

Cottell Park

Cottell Park is another fantastic park in Deerfield Township. You can make a whole day out of this park, which offers more than 47 acres of outdoor activities. There’s a walking path around the area, a playground with features for tots and older kids, sports fields, tennis and basketball courts, a fishing pond, and picnic shelters. 

You can visit the flower garden at the Snyder House, a local historical home that’s now a rental facility for special events. Also at Cottell Park is the Deerfield Honors Veterans Memorial, which is a park-within-a-park that pays tribute to past and present members of the military. You can also see another local Quilt Barn design and drop off a book and grab a new one for free at the Little Free Library. 

Kingswood Park

Kingswood Park used to be a local golf course, but now it’s a public park in Deerfield Township with more than 90 acres of nature perfect for a casual stroll with the whole family, including your pup. That’s right, you can put your pooch on a leash and take them along as you explore the more than 3 miles of paved trails that used to be the old golf course paths.

Since Innovation Way runs right through the park, it’s divided into two parts. The northern part is home to most of the walking paths as well as the native prairie, a new feature that diversifies plants and wildlife in the area. The southern side is home to much of the pollinator garden, the community garden, paved walking trails, and the community pavilion, which plays host to a regular farmers market.

Trammel Fossil Park

Travel less than 10 miles southwest to nearby Sharonville to visit Trammel Fossil Park. This unique outdoor retreat has 10 acres of land where your family can play paleontologist and dig for fossils. It’s one of the very few places where it’s safe to fossil hunt in the Cincinnati area. Plus, much of the area was never disturbed, so there are a lot of cool fossils to be found. 

Admission is free, and you get to keep whatever fossils you find. This is a great destination for kids (and parents, too!) who love to play in the dirt and sand as well as those obsessed with dinosaurs and other ancient creatures.

Glenwood Gardens

Located in nearby Woodlawn, Glenwood Gardens is a serene park filled with lush landscaping, well-kept paths, and natural habitats like wetlands, prairies, and forests. The property is enormous, totaling nearly 335 acres, so there’s plenty of room to sprawl out away from crowds. 

The trails are exclusively for hiking and walking, so you don’t have to worry about sharing the path with cyclists. Enjoy peace and quiet on the 1-mile paved trail or the 1.6-mile Wetland Loop nature trail. Keep an eye on the park’s calendar as this spot hosts many events, including fitness and yoga in the park, educational workshops and seminars, and guided nature walks and presentations. 

Forest Run MetroPark – Timberman Ridge Area

 Butler County MetroParks manages Forest Run MetroPark, a massive nature preserve and land conservation area that makes up approximately 342 acres. The area is in active development, creating outdoor recreation areas and opportunities to educate the public on habitat conservation. 

The Timberman Ridge Area of this park features former farmland that the county is restoring to more natural landscapes like grasslands, prairies, woodlands, wetlands, and flood plains. You can now enjoy a stroll along 1.3 miles of paved trail as well as more than 9 miles of natural trails that offer amazing views of the valley and lush landscaping. This area is fantastic for birding, too.

Forest Run MetroPark – Wildlife Preserve Area

Another awesome part of Forest Run MetroPark is the Wildlife Preserve Area, located off New London Road in Hamilton. This area is 82 acres of land that features a creek, woods, a prairie, meadows, and a wetland, all of which are home to some cool native critters. It’s a great spot for wildlife viewing, thanks to trails that take you through these habitats and an observation deck that lets you look out on the prairie. You’ll also find a playground for the little ones to enjoy, too.

So there you have it, seven of the best parks in and around Mason and Deerfield Township. Did we miss any of your family’s favorite outdoor destinations? If so, contact us today, and we’ll be sure to add it to our growing list!