Griffin Family Nature Preserve
Rating
Price
Free
Duration
45 minutes to an hour covers the full trail network at a kid's pace, including the stop at the pond and the detour to the wildlife blind. Families who bring a snack and sit by the water stretch it to 90 minutes. There is not enough here to fill a half day on its own, which is why most people pair it with Summit Park a few minutes away.
Best Ages
Roughly 2 through 10. The whole trail system here runs under a mile, which is exactly the scale where a toddler can walk the loop themselves and feel like they conquered something, and the pond with its fountain gives little kids a target to walk toward. Visitors describe short but varied terrain with some gentle sections, some steeper climbs, and rocky stretches, so preschoolers may want a hand in a couple of spots. Tweens and teens will find it pleasant but small, since there is no mileage to chew through and no play equipment. Bring a carrier rather than a stroller for babies.
About
Griffin Family Nature Preserve is the kind of small, quiet green space that works precisely because it is small. The Village of Evendale maintains it on Wyscarver Road just north of Glendale-Milford Road, and the entire trail network runs under a mile, which is the ideal distance for a three year old who wants to walk the whole thing without being carried at the end. It carries a 5.
0 rating on Google across 22 reviews, which tells you two things: people who find it like it a lot, and almost nobody knows it is here.
The centerpiece is Griffin Pond, complete with a fountain and stocked with bluegill and bass. Kids gravitate straight to the water's edge, where tadpoles and frogs are the usual haul, and the fountain gives even the youngest walkers something to aim for. Trails loop around the pond and into the woods, and while they are well kept and clearly marked, hikers describe a mix of gentle stretches, a few steeper climbs, and some rocky footing, so this is not a smooth paved loop.
A carrier beats a stroller here.
The second draw is the wildlife blind, a small structure with a bench reached by a rougher spur trail. Whether or not you actually see anything from it, kids treat it as a fort, and it is the spot that turns a 20 minute walk into a 45 minute one. Parking is a designated lot with an information kiosk that has held a hand-drawn trail map, which is worth photographing on your phone since there is no printed handout waiting for you.
One important caveat before you load the car. Signage at the preserve has stated that the park is for the use of Evendale residents, and visitors have reported that notice for years. Village-owned property rules do change, and enforcement on a lightly used preserve is another question entirely, but the honest move is a quick call to the Village of Evendale at 513-563-2244 to confirm current public access before making the drive.
Come expecting a nature walk, not a park day. No restrooms are listed on the property, there is no play equipment, and there is nothing to buy, so handle bathrooms before you arrive and bring your own water. The natural pairing is Summit Park in Blue Ash, a few minutes away, which has the playground and the food this preserve deliberately does not.
Do the trail first while everyone is fresh, then let them run at the playground and eat. That combination turns a 45 minute preserve visit into a full free morning on Cincinnati's north side.
Age Suitability
Parent Logistics
Stroller-Friendly
Limited
Nursing / Changing
Unknown
Kid Meals
N/A
Setting
Outdoor
Rainy Day
Not ideal
Plan Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
Early on a dry weekday morning or a late spring evening. The pond is the main event, and morning is when frogs, birds, and the water itself are most active, which is also the best window for the wildlife blind. Skip it right after heavy rain, since the trail has rocky and steeper sections that get slick. Fall is a good bet too, when the pond and the surrounding woods are at their best and mosquitoes have backed off.
Wait Times
No wait, ever. There is no gate, no ticket booth, and no staff on site, and with only 22 Google reviews this is one of the least trafficked green spaces in the Evendale and Sharonville area. Expect to have the trail more or less to yourselves on a weekday.
Nearby Food
There is no food at the preserve, so plan to eat before or after. Sammy's Craft Burgers and Beers is the closest listed restaurant and is a straightforward family lunch stop. Beyond that, the Reading Road corridor through Evendale and Sharonville has the widest mix within a five to ten minute drive, from fast food and pizza to sit-down chains, and Summit Park in Blue Ash adds more options along with a large playground. Packing a picnic and eating at Summit Park Playground is the easiest and cheapest pairing, since the preserve itself has no picnic infrastructure listed.
Why Kids Love It
The pond is what sells it. There is a fountain in the middle, bluegill and bass in the water, and a soft muddy edge where kids can hunt for tadpoles and frogs, which is roughly the perfect ratio of looking to poking for a five year old. The wildlife blind is the other hit, a small structure with a bench that turns into a hideout, a lookout, or a fort depending on which kid gets there first.
The trails are short enough that little legs actually finish them, and steep enough in spots that finishing feels earned.
Pro Tips from Parents
- Call the Village of Evendale at 513 to 563-2244 before you go. Signage at the preserve has stated the park is for the use of Evendale residents, and residency policies at village-owned properties change, so confirm current public access rather than driving out on assumption.
- Start at the kiosk in the parking area. It has held a hand-drawn trail map, which is the only map you will get here, so take a photo of it with your phone before you head out.
- Use the bathroom before you arrive. No restrooms are listed at the preserve, and the closest reliable options are back toward the Reading Road and Glendale-Milford commercial strip.
- Budget a few minutes for the wildlife blind detour. The spur trail to it is rougher than the main path, but the bench inside is the single most kid-loved spot on the property.
- Do not fish without checking first. The pond has been stocked with bluegill and bass, but village ponds often carry permit or resident-only rules, so ask Evendale before your kid packs a rod.
What to Bring
- Water for everyone, since there is no fountain or concession on site
- A carrier instead of a stroller for babies, because of the rocky and steeper sections
- Closed-toe shoes that can handle mud along the pond edge
- Binoculars for the wildlife blind and the birds around the water
- Bug spray from late spring through early fall, since you are walking beside a pond
- A small trash bag to pack out snack wrappers
Cost Info
Free Admission
Estimated Cost (Family of 4)
About $0 for the preserve itself.
There is no admission fee and no parking charge published for the property, so the visit costs a family of four nothing beyond gas.
Because there is nothing to buy on site, your only real spend is food.
Add lunch afterward at a casual spot along Reading Road and a family of four typically lands in the $45 to $75 range for the whole outing.
Tips to Save
- This one is already free, so use it to replace a paid outing rather than add to one.
- Pack a picnic and eat at Summit Park nearby, which turns a short trail walk into a full free morning with a playground attached.
- Bring your own water, because there is nothing to buy here.
- If your kids are into the pond and the wildlife blind, borrow binoculars from a library branch that lends them instead of buying a pair.
- And group it with another north-side stop so one drive covers two activities.
Hours & Contact
Contact
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