She said, “The goal is to encourage residents to explore a park they’ve maybe never known, to foster camaraderie and to get that much-needed mental health boost during those short, cold days of winter. If you’re dressed for it, hiking in the winter can be quite invigorating.”
Running every Saturday morning from Jan. 6-Feb. 3, these guided hikes will highlight Butler County’s winter beauty at a new park each week. All hikes start at 10 a.m., and all ages are welcome. Cost is $10 per person per hike, children under 5 years of age are free. Registration in advance is required at yourmetroparks.net.
“We are moving around to all the different regions of MetroParks of Butler County, so the first one will start at Voice of America Metro Park, and that’s the east part of the county,” Roth said. “Then, we’ll hike at Rentschler Forest MetroPark, which is more south. Elk Creek MetroPark- Meadow Ridge Area is in the north part of the county, Forest Run MetroPark- Timberman Ridge Area is more central, and we will wrap up at Governor Bebb MetroPark, which is the farthest west part of our county,” Roth said.
Hikes will average about 3 miles and will end with a hot beverage and a bowl of soup. Families are welcome to participate. Guides leading the hikes are interpretive naturalists, who will highlight the cultural and natural history of each park.
“Every Saturday morning, we will meet at the designated park for that week, and it is an event, so we will gather everyone, and after a quick welcome and introduction to the space, participants will select a guide, and people will disperse into their hiking groups, and then we will step off, hiking in different directions,” said Roth.
There are multiple benefits of being involved in a winter hiking program, including the social aspect, exercise, and mental well-being.
“When the holidays are over, you might need to get out because you miss all that social time, or maybe, you’ve overindulged in the holiday food, so spending time outdoors gives us a natural boost of serotonin, and that leads to improved mood, positive social interactions, and a sense of purpose. It’s just a really great way to beat the winter blues, and obviously, physical activity is always a wonderful thing, too,” Roth said.
MetroParks of Butler County offer residents some beautiful natural resources. Voice of America MetroPark is an open space, and it’s a great spot for birding, for example. Rentschler Forest MetroPark- Regiart Road Area is along the river, so that’s a nice natural feature as well.
“We are excited to see our parks active in the winter and to share the beauty of this area with our residents. Our goal is to connect people with each other and the resource,” Roth said.
Hike dates
Jan. 6: Voice of America MetroPark, 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester Twp.
Jan. 13: Rentschler Forest MetroPark- Regiart Road Area, 5701 Reigart Road, Hamilton
Jan. 20: Elk Creek MetroPark- Meadow Ridge Area, 5101 Circle Pkwy., Middletown
Jan. 27: Forest Run MetroPark-Timberman Ridge Area, 1976 Timberman Road, Hamilton
Feb. 3: Governor Bebb MetroPark, 1979 Bebb Park Lane, Okeana
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