Five Rivers MetroParks invites you to take an outdoor family adventure this fall with a little help from its new mobile app powered by OuterSpatial. The app allows visitors to access information about parks and trails from mobile devices, discover new places, navigate the trails, plan visits and more.
Perhaps most exciting for families are the self-guided tours, or “outings,” featured in the app. During times when people must be diligent about being socially distant, these self-guided outings allow families to tour MetroParks’ points of interest on their own time and at their own pace.
Featured Self-guided Tours
Carriage Hill MetroPark Historical Farm: This farm celebrates the Miami Valley’s agricultural heritage. Visitors can see a 19th century farm and remnants from a time when sustainable farm and home practices were simply practical.
Currently, the Carriage Hill Historical Farm buildings are closed to slow the spread of COVID-19, but families can explore the grounds of the farm. Heritage farm animals — including horses, sheep and goats — call the Carriage Hill Historical Farm home. Though the barn isn’t open to visitors, the animals often graze in the fields and sometimes enjoy saying “hello” to visitors.
Dayton Inventors River Walk: Dayton has a rich history of innovation, which you can learn about by talking a stroll at RiverScape MetroPark. As far back as the 1880s, innovation was happening in Dayton, producing more patents per capita than any other place in the United States. The Dayton Inventors River Walk highlights many Dayton inventions that make our lives better, from powered flight to the search engine. As you explore, think about how many of these inventions you use today.
There are seven invention stations represented by large works of art. They are:
- Automobile Self Starter (Charles Kettering)
- LexisNexis Search Engine
- Hydraulic Jump Fountain (Arthur Morgan)
- Wright Flyer (Wright brothers)
- Pop-Top Can (Ermal Fraze)
- Cash Register (John Patterson)
- Ice Cube Trays (Vincent Apple)
Create Your Own Adventure
A seasonal family-friendly favorite is finding fall color. This activity can be done independently with help from MetroParks’ mobile app. While you can find beautiful fall color at all the parks, MetroParks’ outdoor recreation specialists offered these specific must-sees:
Bike: Jordan Hart suggested grabbing your bikes to experience fall color.
“Fall is my favorite time of the year to get out and ride because of the cooler weather,” he says.
Find fall color at the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area (MoMBA) along the Creekside Trail and at Taylorsville MetroPark on the paved Great Miami River Trail.
Hike: Kelly Kingery suggested heading to Possum Creek MetroPark for a fall stroll. Admire the color while relaxing to fish, find turtles and listen to owls.
Hills & Dales MetroPark is also a must for leaf peeping. The warm fall colors complement the beautiful Adirondack structures. The Adirondack Trail is a shorter, mostly paved trail, making it an easy walk for kids and older adults.
Paddle: Hart is also fond of a relaxing fall paddle at the Eastwood MetroPark Lagoon to check out changing leaves. If you’re interested in a fall family river adventure, put in at Aullwood Garden MetroPark and paddle the Stillwater River to Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark.
Download the Five Rivers MetroParks Mobile App powered by OuterSpatial for free on Apple and Android by visiting metroparks.org/mobile.