Do you need something new to do this spring and summer? My significant other and I are newcomers to the city and are challenging ourselves to get out and explore Greater Cincinnati by going on a new hike every month. I’ll share our experiences in a series of posts called, Hiking the Tri-State.
First up was Mt. Airy Forest.
A little muddy, but a great choice
We are both relatively inexperienced hikers, although he has been a few times, and being in good shape myself, I thought we’d be okay starting with a “moderate hike.” The hike is estimated as 2-mile loop, with a suggested hiking time of 45-60 minutes.
We had a blast, but also didn’t take the term “moderate” as seriously as we should. I can now say with certainty, “moderate” does not equal “easy.”
When we arrived at Mt. Airy Forest, we parked at a small lot on the left between the two stone bridges (on West Fork Road). We walked toward the second bridge until we saw a trail sign marked with an E.
The hike itself was extremely hilly. It was also muddy, so real hiking boots would have been useful (and I wouldn’t have had to scrub my tennis shoes when we got home). A lot of the surrounding foliage was still brown from winter, but I imagine the whole trail will be much more scenic in a few short weeks.
This trail earned a B+ in my book ““ it was short and sweet, but going in April meant mud and lots of brown. I recommend trying it out in the summer. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
A few weeks ago, we equipped ourselves with 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Cincinnati by Tamara York. All of the hikes we’re planning are included in this book, along with other valuable resources for first-time and advanced hikers alike. I would recommend it to anyone planning to do some serious hiking this summer around Cincinnati ““ it includes Southeastern Indiana and Northern Kentucky.
