It’s Day 266 of “365 Things to do in Cincinnati” and today we took a trip north to Hueston Woods State Park.
It might be cold outside but that didn’t stop us from venturing out to experience all that is Hueston Woods. My son goes to Miami University so I picked him up and took him with me to see what was happening today at this HUGE state park.
With over 200 acres of protected forest, this is one park where you could easily spend the day (even in the dead of winter). Whether you’re a spectator or an outdoor enthusiast Hueston Woods has something for you. One of the crown jewels is 625 acre Acton Lake. The park is basically centered around the lake with opportunities for boating and swimming. There wasn’t much of that going on at the lake today though as there’s a bit of ice on top of the water…
Hueston Woods has a few different areas where you can observe wild animals. We stopped by the raptor center and saw the Bald Eagle, a variety of owls, a turkey vulture and the famous Miami Red (tailed) Hawk. They have a few mountain lions there as well. This outdoor caged sanctuary is right behind their Nature Center and is free.
They also have a large fenced area that houses some deer. The animals all appeared to be hurt in some way so I’m assuming this is also a sanctuary. It’s a great way to ensure seeing live deer. This little one walked right up to me at the fence.
We’re looking forward to going back to this spot when it gets warm (below). Follow the signs that say “Quarry”. The stream is pretty shallow and would be a great place to “go creeking” as my nephews would say. Today we just did a little digging for fossils and admired the scenery.
Hueston Woods has a number of winter recreation activities listed on their brochure such as: sledding, ice skating, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and ice boating. Trails are open and it’s a great time to go exploring. You can see all through the woods and you’re not likely to see many other people at this time of year.
Hueston Woods is located in College Corner, Ohio
We love Hueston Woods but haven’t been in quite a while. Your post reminds me that we need to visit again soon. Love the animal sanctuary there. Great pictures too.