Published September 19, 2022
Searching for fall color? Check out these MetroParks this season
Heads up! This article was published 2 years ago.
Warm displays of beautiful color, the distinct earthy autumn smell and the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet – fall is perhaps one of the best seasons to explore trees in your MetroParks and neighborhood.
Crucial to the environment, trees – especially those native to Ohio – play a critical role in creating habitats for wildlife, removing carbon from the air and producing oxygen to increase air quality. During the fall, the changes in length of daylight and temperature stop the leaves from creating food. Chlorophyll – which gives leaves its distinct green color – breaks down and disappears, which then causes leaves to change color.
Though fall begins on Sept. 22, fall color may peak well into the season. Color is often dependent on the weather. For example, red hues are produces by warm, sunny fall days with cooler nights.
Those interested in taking to the trails to experience truly beautiful colorful views should make a point to stop at the following MetroParks destinations:
- Eastwood MetroPark (1385 Harshman Rd., Dayton): Paddle and color peep at the Eastwood Lagoon or take a 4-mile paddle from Eastwood to RiverScape MetroParks.
- Possum Creek MetroPark (4790 Frytown Rd., Dayton): Hike the 3.5-mile orange trail that loops through Possum Creek’s forests, prairies and ponds, allowing you to see fall views in a variety of habitats.
- Hills & Dales MetroPark (2740 S. Patterson Blvd, Kettering): Just short of 1.5 miles, the Adirondack Trail is filled with warm fall colors that complement the Adirondack structures in the park.
- Carriage Hill MetroPark (7891 E. Shull Rd., Huber Heights): Hike the 1.8-mile yellow trail that takes you around Cedar Lake, which boasts beautiful tree lines.
- High View at Twin Creek MetroPark (9688 Eby Rd., Germantown): After parking, venture a short distance to the picnic area to discover a spectacular view of the wooded Twin Valley.
- The Tree Tower at Cox Arboretum MetroPark (6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton): Take the paved trails past the ponds toward the 65-foot-tall Tree Tower. Climb the 81 steps to the top for sweeping views of the Miami Valley’s fall color.
- Prairie platform at Germantown MetroPark (6401 Boomershine Rd., Germantown): Take the 0.7-mile brown trail to the intersection of the purple trail, where you’ll find a platform that allows you to look out across the prairie and view the beautiful woods that hug the trails.
- Huffman MetroPark (4485 Union Rd., Dayton): Mountain bike the 2.6-mile section of the Creekside Trail that runs through the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area (MoMBA), which allows you to enjoy beautiful views while you get your heart pumping.
New for 2022! Check out MetroParks staff favorites below:
- Outdoor recreation specialist Chelsea Raterman: My favorite is Germantown MetroPark because the density of the woods create draping canopies that feel like a warm hug. I imagine it’s like diving into a mug of apple cider.
- Outdoor recreation coordinator Derrick Keating: My favorite trail to hike during the Fall is the Orange Trail at Germantown MetroPark. It’s one that I use to go out-and-back, and it’s long enough to give me a few distinct/easily recognizable options for places to turn around and head back depending upon how much time I have. I enjoy going on Fall Sundays before NFL games start, and get a cool morning hike in before coming back home to settle in and rest.
- Outdoor recreation events specialist Angela Moore: Twin Creek MetroPark because of the view of fall foliage as you hike down from the High View parking area. Then you can continue to enjoy the trees along the wooded trails and Twin Creek.
- Outdoor recreation specialist Kelly Kingery: Sometimes I don’t really feel like hitting the trail for a hike to enjoy the fall colors but want to take them in just the same, so I head to my favorite spot: the Highview Shelter area at Twin Creek MetroPark. It sits on top of the most beautiful view of the valley and you have such a picturesque and wide expanse laid out before you. If you know where to look, you can see all the way over to Medlar Conservation Area – a 7 mile drive, but probably around 5 miles as the crow flies. Five miles of the fall color palate in a swath of oak, maple, sycamore, beech and oh so many more trees and shrubs catching the sun and doing the chlorophyll exchange. Sometimes it’s good to check out for a bit and just sit and enjoy not doing anything – just be still. This is a great place to do that and have a connection to the natural beauty that quietly surrounds each one of us, every day, if we just slow down and take a moment to be still and notice.
- Conservation technician, Megan Rude:
- Sugarcreek MetroPark orange trail because the osage orange tunnel is beautiful in the fall.
- Dull Woods Conservation Area off the Wolf Creek Bikeway because of the mature oak trees and gorgeous yellow leaved maples and spice bushes.
- MetroParks outdoor recreation specialist Taylor Williams and marketing and public engagement specialist Lauren Lemons agree that Englewood MetroPark is a destination for beautiful fall color. The view of the waterfalls as leaves start to change color and drop is amazing. Also, the Pumpkin Ash and Swamp Forest boardwalk is really impressive, as there ae so many different large species of trees, which make for really beautiful photos.
Navigate your leaf peeping adventures using MetroParks mobile app, powered by OuterSpatial. Download the free app for Apple and Android devices by visiting metroparks.org/mobile.
