Item #34 on our Fall Bucket List is to visit one of Hamilton County’s Great Parks. As you know, I love, love, love our Great Parks:
- Sharon Woods has a sprayground, playground and beautiful harbor for pedal boating,
- Winton Woods has the educational, kid-friendly and very fun Parky’s Farm, and
- Glenwood Gardens has an outdoor discovery center (and model train) at Highfield Discovery Gardens!
This week, we stopped by a park I’ve passed a million times, but never been to: Lake Isabella.
This 77-acre park is located just off 1-275’s Loveland/Indian Hill exit, and features a 28-acre pay lake that is stocked weekly March through October and offers fishing from the bank, dock or rental boat (personal water vehicles, such as canoes and kayaks, are not permitted). Lake Isabella also has a full-service boathouse and reservable Chart Room, Riverside Lodge and Shady Elm Shelter for group events.
Julian is fascinated with fishing (he pretends to “fish” with sticks at the creek near our house and we have a miniature fishing pole with hook-able fish for bath time), so I figured Lake Isabella would be a fun adventure. If your kids like fishing — definitely take them to Lake Isabella!
We started by exploring the Boathouse, which had a covered area for outdoor dining that overlooked the lake. The kids were fascinated by the fish and ducks swimming in the water, as well as the boats out on the lake. We’d already eaten — but this would be a beautiful spot to have a picnic!
If you’re interested in fishing, you can purchase day or season passes at the boathouse. An Ohio State Fishing License is not required to fish at Lake Isabella. Kids 12 and under can fish for $1 a day (adults are $10.50 per day). The fishing season runs until Nov. 15.
After exploring, we ventured over to the playground (but, truth be told — my kids were having lots of fun running around the fields and woods surrounding the lake).
This playground was new and had all the things my kids look for in a playground: spinning rides, things to climb on, giant slides and swings! There were lots of things for all three of my kids — plus the cushy playground turf that every parent loves.
There’s an upcoming opportunity to do some volunteer work at Lake Isabella for the park’s Make A Difference Day on Oct. 24. Make a positive difference in the environment by planting trees at Lake Isabella. This opportunity is open to kids of all ages and would be a great activity to do as a family!
Lake Isabella is located at 10174 Loveland-Madeira Road, Symmes Township, OH 45140. Entrance is included with your Great Parks automobile pass ($10/calendar year). Fishing and boat rentals are extra; and the fishing season runs until Nov. 15.