Smale Riverfront Park

Smale Riverfront Park

West Mehring Way Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Official Website
Smale Riverfront Park map

Tips for Birding

At this location, the Ohio-Kentucky state line is near the Ohio side of the river. Birds seen on the other side of the Ohio River are in Kentucky. When reporting birds from the Ohio hotspot use multiple incomplete checklists as described below.

Ohio eBird reviewers ask that birders keep precise state and county lists. When you are at a location where you see birds across a state or county line, we ask that you keep two incomplete birding lists, one for each side of the border.

When keeping separate checklists for different sides of a border, please follow these rules:

  • For both checklists, the answer to “Is this a complete checklist of the birds you were able to identify?” must be “No“, because each list intentionally omits birds in the other geopolitical area.
  • Use your exact location for birds detected on your side of the border; create a personal location directly across from you on the opposite side of the border for the birds you detect on that side. (You can also select an appropriate hotspot for either side of the border, but only if it accurately describes your location on your side or the general vicinity of the birds on the other side.)
  • If you freely crossed back and forth across the border while birding, choose an incomplete Stationary or Traveling protocol for both checklists. If you could not freely cross the border while birding, use the “Incidental” protocol for the checklist on the inaccessible side. Do not use the Stationary or Traveling protocol for any lists plotted to counties, states, or provinces you did not actually bird within.
  • We recommend focusing on one side of the border at a time instead of trying to keep two lists at once (you will not be able to keep simultaneous lists running on eBird Mobile if you are using tracks).

About this Location

The park is intended to reconnect downtown to the river and to link with the existing riverfront parks to the east. It is a place to view the river and river traffic, gather and celebrate as a community, and be inspired.

The park has been built as a series of terraces that accommodate seasonal flooding along the river edge, which includes areas lifted out of the floodplain.

The park is divided into two primary levels. The Schmidlapp Event Lawn is part of the upper level and provides a green roof for the parking garage. The upper level of the park is above the 100-year flood. The rest of the park, the lower level south of Mehring Way, is within the floodplain. Pathways within the park are universally accessible with access to the water’s edge.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

  • Roadside viewing

Content from Official Website

Last updated February 6, 2023