The Sierra Club Hiker's Guide to the Tri-State Region3rd Edition - November 2020 |
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The Sierra Club's Northern Kentucky Group has investigated area hiking opportunities and recommends these trails in Northern Kentucky, Southwest Ohio & Southeast Indiana area. Estimated hiking distances and brief driving instructions are given so readers can decide how much time they need for hiking and travel. A roadmap or GPS is recommended to verify best routes for each reader. All hikes are in the 12 county territory of Northern Kentucky Group and adjacent counties in northern Kentucky, southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana. Each destination includes a map of the hiking trails. A short description of each hike’s area is also included so readers have some idea about the character of the destination. An effort has been made to note unique and interesting aspects of many places, often centering on ecology or geology, but also historical aspects when known. These details are intended to give readers an appreciation for what makes the area special. It is also our goal that some readers will be intrigued enough to learn more from park offices, visitors centers and other related resources. The sites in this guide serve as examples why preservation and conservation of natural landscapes are important. If visiting or just reading about the places described in this guide creates interest in getting involved in a local organization dedicated to protecting such natural resources, the Sierra Club welcomes your participation and membership. Indeed, some hikes in this guide are destinations for group “outings” led by local Sierra Club leaders. |
Tri-State Hikes
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Evolution of the Sierra Club Tri-State Hiking Guide
The idea for this guide began at a Northern Kentucky Sierra Club group meeting when one of the members mentioned that he was new to the area and was looking for places to hike. Members suggested various places, and many soon realized that almost no one had a comprehensive knowledge of trail systems in the Northern Kentucky - Greater Cincinnati Area. It was proposed that some kind of “Where to go guide” be established so that the collective knowledge of group members could be shared.
The result was the 1st Edition of this guide, designed and assembled by Mike Becher. This 2nd edition resulted from brainstorming sessions by a new hiking guide committee formed in 2013 and led by John Robbins with the assistance of Karen Upton. Several NKY Group members including Robbins and Upton hiked and gathered information to describe and verify information presented on all the trails in this guide. It does not contain every trail in the area but we feel we have included the best ones. Several trails in the original guide were deleted because of issues like only paved paths, poor trail conditions or long driving distance from Northern Kentucky. Some trails were added because they are new or were missing from the original guide.
We apologize if we have inadvertently omitted anyone’s favorite hiking trails. If a reader notices a hike is missing but needs inclusion, let us know. If a reader feels information in the guide is inaccurate, misleading, or simply not as good as it could be, share corrected information with us. This is a work in progress, expected to be revised again in the future. Hopefully it will be a valuable resource that contains and shares the collective knowledge of many of our region’s most avid hikers and naturalists.
Direct comments & questions about this guide to:
859-363-0376 - john@johnfrobbins.com