Region’s parks remain great thanks to community support

There is something special about visiting a park. We are very fortunate that Cincinnati and Hamilton County provide one of the best parks and greenspace systems in the Midwest. Whether you are hiking a trail, playing a round of golf, paddling on a lake or taking a mental break, the impact of the outdoors is always a special one. We hope that when you visit a Great Park, you feel these connections and are easily reminded the parks are always here for you.

Great Parks works to protect the greenspace you love and makes our community so special. In fact, as the largest landowner in Hamilton County at over 17,700 acres, conservation is our top priority, protecting 83% of your park land as natural space. It was also identified as a top priority to you and your neighbors in our Comprehensive Master Plan, identifying that more access to greenspace is of high importance. Another top priority, in fact it is No. 1, was accessing greenspace via trails. Trail expansions and connections are highly desired to connect people to parks, parks to parks and parks to communities.

Thanks to your support and involvement, these priorities are included in the next step of the future planning process, the Park and Facility Master Plans, focusing on the needs for each of our 21 parks and preserves. Conservation, trails and access to nature are setting the vision for parks, facilities, programming and services over the next 10 years.

We cannot thank you enough for your input, visitation and support as we move forward. It is exciting to hear how each of us appreciates the parks in so many different ways. For families, parks offer a place to come together and share special memories. This could be time around the fire at a campground, sharing laughter during a picnic at one of our many shelters or having your youngest catch their first fish at one of our lakes. For individuals, parks can offer solitude and escape from the stress and pressure of everyday life. The trails can provide a place for exercise to help with our mental and physical wellbeing. Parks also provide us with a place to reconnect with ourselves and to connect with nature. No matter how you enjoy it, there is certainly something for everyone.

As Great Parks looks to the future, we need you to help transform vision into reality. Your experiences and ideas are essential to understanding the needs of our community. Your support helps the continuation of preserving greenspace, connecting more trails and providing so many different ways to enjoy nature. If you are naturally invested in your parks, we invite you to become a Great Parks champion. Learn more at greatparksforever.org.

See you on the trails!

As CEO, Todd Palmeter serves as the chief administrator and executive officer overseeing all operations of Great Parks of Hamilton County, reporting directly to the Board of Park Commissioners. He’s worked with the park system since 2003, taking on roles such as park planner, facility management superintendent, planning director and chief of planning before becoming CEO in 2019.