From I-75 in downtown Cincinnati, drive northwest on I-75 for 3.5 miles. Take the I-74 Exit and continue on I-74 for .8 mile. Take Exit 18 for US-27. Continue onto US-27 for 1.7 miles. Turn left onto Blue Spruce Road and then turn right onto Arboretum Road. The Mount Airy Forest Arboretum is on the right in .4 mile.

There are many trails you can explore in the Mount Airy Forest.

At almost 1,500 acres, Mount Airy Forest is Cincinnati’s largest park. It was established in 1911 out of several unproductive farms and was the first municipal reforestation in America. A crew of young African Americans was employed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (a federal jobs program during the Great Depression) to build service roads, the large check dams in West Fork Creek and—along with more skilled laborers working for the Works Progress Administration—most of the shelter, service and restroom buildings. They also planted more than one million trees! Each recreational area typically included a shelter, comfort station, picnic tables and a water source, either a fountain or a pump.

From Mount Airy Forest Arboretum drive east on Arboretum Drive for .4 mile. Turn left onto Blue Spruce Road. Turn left onto Colerain Avenue and go .8 mile. Turn right onto West North Bend Road and go .8 mile. Turn right onto Belmont Avenue and go .8 mile. Turn left onto Larch Avenue and go .3 mile. Turn left onto Hamilton Avenue. Turn right onto Groesbeck Road and go .7 mile. Groesbeck Road turns slightly left and becomes Gray Road. Arrive at Spring Grove Cemetery on the right in .3 mile.

In 1845, members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society created The Cemetery of Spring Grove with the hopes “that the natural setting would be a contemplative atmosphere conducive to consolation, commemoration, and education.” More than 160 years later, the marvelous grounds of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum would undoubtedly exceed what the founding fathers intended.

What began as a 200-acre tract of farmland is now a unique 733-acre combination cemetery, park, outdoor museum, and arboretum that welcomes visitors and guests to experience over 44 miles of winding roads, 15 serene lakes, a 10-acre woodland preserve, and an amazing collection of architecture, sculpture, and horticulture.

Serving as a living horticultural laboratory, Spring Grove’s Arboretum boasts a remarkable 1,200 species with over 1,000 labeled for study and research purposes for universities, nurseries, and growers. The Arboretum is dedicated to the protection and stewardship of the cemetery’s heritage and to the promotion of environmental sustainability while increasing the beauty of the garden.

Visitors may also enjoy over 140 labeled trees and shrubs at another beautifully maintained historic property founded in 1910, Oak Hill Cemetery. Managed by Spring Grove since 1989, Oak Hill is located in the quaint village of Glendale, Ohio.

From Spring Grove Cemetery turn right onto Gray Road and go .4 mile. Turn right on Winton Road and go .8 mile. Use the right lane to turn left onto Spring Grove Avenue. Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto Clifton Avenue and drive 1.8 miles. Turn left onto Burnet Woods Drive and arrive at Burnet Woods.

This 90-acre park near the University of Cincinnati sports hiking trails, a fishing lake, a historic bandstand, playgrounds, shelters, picnic areas, and a disc golf course. The Audubon Society named the park an Important Birding Area.

The park’s Trailside Nature Center, located next to the lake, has a nature library, crafts room, meeting space, exhibits and the Wolff Planetarium, which is the oldest planetarium west of the Allegheny Mountains. Twenty people can sit under its intimate dome to view the stars in all seasons and all latitudes. The planetarium may also be reserved for private functions or school groups.

From Burnet Woods turn left onto Martin Luther King Drive and go .2 mile. Turn right onto Jefferson Avenue and drive .5 mile. Jefferson Avenue turns slightly right and becomes Vine Street. Turn left onto East McMillan Street and go .4 mile. Turn right onto Highland Avenue. Turn left onto Kinsey Avenue. Turn right onto Reading Road and go .5 mile. Turn left onto Eden Park Drive and arrive at Eden Park.

Home to the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and the Krohn Conservatory, Eden Park is one of the most popular of the Cincinnati Parks. Landmarks within the park include Hinkle Magnolia Garden, which features a picturesque gazebo, memorial tree groves and paths, Mirror Lake, and the Bettman Fountain.

Twin Lakes, once an old quarry, features two lakes, a footbridge and walking paths, an impressive view of the Ohio River and Kentucky, several sculptures and a playground. It’s a great spot for chess or launching model boats. Nearby is a 172-foot high Water Tower from 1894 and now used by the City of Cincinnati as a communications facility.