How long is the trail at Withrow Nature Preserve?

The main Trout Lily Trail is 2.4 miles and rated moderate. A family with elementary-age kids should budget roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete it with stops. If your youngest is under 6, do an out-and-back and turn around at the halfway point instead of committing to the full distance.

When is the best time to see wildflowers at Withrow Nature Preserve?

April. Great Parks calls Trout Lily among the trails in the system for viewing a wide range of spring wildflowers, and the spring bloom includes Virginia bluebells, woodland poppy, Jacob's ladder, Solomon's seal, and trillium varieties. Weekday mornings are calmest, since spring weekends draw photographers and the lot can fill.

Is Withrow Nature Preserve stroller friendly?

No. The trails are natural-surface with ravines and elevation change, and there is no paved loop. Bring a carrier if you have a baby or toddler. The preserve is 270 acres of woods with no developed recreation areas, so plan for hiking rather than pushing.

Is there a playground or restrooms at Withrow Nature Preserve?

There is no playground at Withrow Nature Preserve, and restroom facilities are portable toilets rather than a permanent building. Hours are dawn to dusk daily. Many local families hike here in the morning and then stop at Beech Acres Park Children's Playground in Anderson Township so younger kids get playground time.

Withrow Nature Preserve

Name: Withrow Nature Preserve
Address: 7075 Five Mile Rd, Cincinnati, OH, 45230, US
Telephone: (513) 521-7275
Rating: 4.7

Rating

4.7(411)

Family of 4

Effectively $0 to $15 for the day.

Duration

1.5 to 2.5 hours for most families. The full 2.4-mile Trout Lily Trail takes a family with elementary-age kids roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours at a realistic pace with stops, and adding wildflower hunting in April pushes that longer because kids stop constantly. If you only want a taste, plan 45 minutes to an hour on an out-and-back from the trailhead and turn around when energy drops.

Best Ages

Roughly 6 through 12, and honestly this one rewards families who already hike. The signature Trout Lily Trail is 2.4 miles and rated moderate, which is a real hike for short legs, so big kids and tweens are the group that can finish it and enjoy the ravines and wildflowers along the way. Kids 4 and 5 can do a partial out-and-back if you accept turning around early. Toddlers and babies are workable only in a carrier, since there is no paved loop and no playground here. Teens who like hiking will be fine, but a wildflower preserve is not going to sell itself to a teenager who does not already want to be outside.

About

Withrow Nature Preserve is 270 acres of woods off Five Mile Road in Anderson Township, and it is the Great Parks property Cincinnati families go to when they want an actual hike rather than a playground with a trail attached.

The centerpiece is the Trout Lily Trail, 2.4 miles and rated moderate, which Great Parks describes as among the trails in the system for viewing a wide range of spring wildflowers. That is not marketing language. In April the forest floor here fills in with Virginia bluebells, woodland poppy, Jacob's ladder, Solomon's seal, and multiple trillium varieties, and it is one of the better wildflower displays within thirty minutes of downtown.

If you are going to visit once, visit in April.

Be realistic about the trail with young kids. Moderate here means ravines, elevation change, and natural surfaces, and 2.4 miles is a long way for a 5 year old. Big kids and tweens are the sweet spot. Younger kids do fine on an out-and-back if you accept turning around when energy runs out, and babies and toddlers only work in a carrier. There is no paved loop and no stroller route.

The facilities are minimal and you should plan around that. Parking is available at the trailhead, hours are dawn to dusk daily, and restroom facilities are portable toilets rather than a building. There is no concession stand, no visitor center, and critically for families, no playground.

Withrow is a hiking destination, full stop. The standard move among local parents is to hike here in the morning and then drive to Beech Acres Park Children's Playground so younger siblings get their turn.

Cost is close to nothing. There is no admission fee, but a Great Parks of Hamilton County motor vehicle permit is required to enter the parks, and current daily and annual rates are posted at greatparks.org. If you visit more than a couple of Hamilton County parks a year, the annual permit pays for itself.

The honest read: this is a place for roughly ages 6 through 12, best used as a 90-minute to 2.5-hour hike in April or October, with real shoes on everyone and water in your pack. Skip it the day after heavy rain, when the ravine sections get slick. If your family already hikes, Withrow is among the free things you can do with a Cincinnati morning.

If your kids need equipment and structure to enjoy being outside, pick a different park.

Age Suitability

Infants (0-1)Toddlers (1-3)Little Kids (4-6)Big Kids (7-9)Tweens (10-12)Teens (13-17)

Parent Logistics

Stroller-Friendly

Nursing / Changing

Unknown

Kid Meals

N/A

Setting

Outdoor

Rainy Day

Not ideal

Plan Your Visit

Best Time to Visit

April is the reason this preserve exists on most Cincinnati hiking lists. Great Parks calls Trout Lily among the trails in the system for viewing spring wildflowers, and Virginia bluebells, woodland poppy, Jacob's ladder, Solomon's seal, and trillium all show in the spring window. Go on a weekday morning in April if you can, because spring weekends here draw wildflower photographers. Fall is the quiet second choice for color and cooler hiking. Skip it for a day or two after heavy rain, since the ravine sections get slick. Hours are dawn to dusk daily.

Wait Times

No lines and no gate. The only wait you will encounter is for a parking spot on peak April weekends, when the lot can fill and you may circle for 5 to 10 minutes. Weekdays and off-season, expect to park immediately.

Nearby Food

Nothing on site, so pack food or plan a stop. Clough Crossings American Bistro is the closest listed sit-down restaurant, and the Anderson Township corridor along Beechmont Avenue a short drive north has a broad mix of casual family restaurants, fast food, coffee, and ice cream. A common pattern is to hike in the morning, then eat and hit Beech Acres Park Children's Playground on the way home. Confirm current hours before you count on any specific spot.

Why Kids Love It

The draw is that it feels like real woods instead of a park, with ravines to look down into and a narrow dirt trail that winds instead of loops. In April the forest floor turns blue and yellow with bluebells and woodland poppy, and kids who would normally complain about a hike will spend twenty minutes hunting for trillium once you turn it into a scavenger hunt. It is quiet enough that you actually hear birds and running water, which is rare this close to the city.

Pro Tips from Parents

Go in April if you can pick your month. Great Parks specifically calls Trout Lily among the trails in the system for spring wildflowers, and Virginia bluebells, woodland poppy, Jacob's ladder, Solomon's seal, and trillium are all in play.
Know that restroom facilities here are portable toilets, not a building. Handle bathrooms before you arrive and bring your own hand sanitizer and wipes.
The full Trout Lily Trail is 2.4 miles and rated moderate. If your youngest is under 6, plan an out-and-back and turn around at the halfway point rather than committing to the full loop.
Give every kid a job. A printed wildflower list or a phone camera turns a 2.4-mile hike from an endurance test into a hunt, and it is the difference between finishing and carrying someone.
Pair it with Beech Acres Park Children's Playground in Anderson Township. Withrow has no playground at all, and a stop there afterward buys a lot of goodwill from younger siblings.
Avoid the day after heavy rain. The ravine sections get slick and muddy, and this is not a trail where a fall is trivial.

What to Bring

Your Great Parks motor vehicle permit
Hiking shoes or boots with real tread, for everyone including adults
Water bottles and packed snacks, since there is nothing for sale on site
Hand sanitizer and wipes, because facilities are portable toilets
A carrier if you are bringing a baby or toddler, as strollers do not work here
Bug spray from late spring through early fall, and tick checks after you leave
A wildflower ID guide or app for the April bloom, plus a phone camera for the kids

Cost Info

Partially free — some areas or times are free

Estimated Cost (Family of 4)

Effectively $0 to $15 for the day.

There is no admission fee at Withrow Nature Preserve, so your only required cost is a Great Parks of Hamilton County motor vehicle permit, which is required to enter the parks and whose current daily and annual rates are posted at greatparks.

org.

Parking is included.

There is no concession stand, so if you pack water and lunch you are done.

If you stop for a meal afterward in Anderson Township, add roughly $40 to $70 for a family of four.

Tips to Save

This is already one of the cheapest family outings in Cincinnati, so the only real lever is the permit.
Buy the annual Great Parks motor vehicle permit rather than repeat daily permits if you plan to visit any Hamilton County park more than a couple of times a year, since one permit covers Withrow, Winton Woods, and the rest of the system.
Confirm current rates at greatparks.
org.
Pack lunch and eat at the preserve or at nearby Beech Acres Park instead of stopping at a restaurant.
Stack the trip with Beech Acres Park Children's Playground on the same day so younger siblings get their payoff without a second outing, and check greatparks.
org for free naturalist-led hikes during spring wildflower season, which are the single best value here.

Hours & Contact

Contact

7075 Five Mile Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45230

(513) 521-7275

greatparks.org/parks/withrow-nature-preserve

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