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Join us in building trails in Cincinnati
We Need 12 Volunteers!
Come out for a couple of hours on Wednesday to volunteer at Goltra and learn how our crew builds trails!
Join our trail crew to help with:
⛏ Help rake native seed
⛏ Pick Up Trash
⛏ Hand finish the trail with hoes and clip roots
The trails have been prepared with our mini excavator and various trail equipment.
Let's dig in and connect communities together. Join us for a trail day!
Goltra Trail Days | Wednesdays | 5-8 PM
Goltra Preserve Trails - 2379 Montana Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45211
Are you ready to dig in?
Upcoming Goltra Trail Days
By volunteering at Goltra Preserve, you’re helping create safe spaces, improve health, and bring hope to hundreds of families in East Westwood. Your time on the trail makes a lasting difference. Sign up today and be part of the change!
Wednesday, September 10: Goltra Preserve @ 5 PM
📅 RSVP here → Click here
Wednesday, September 17: Goltra Preserve @ 5 PM
📅 RSVP here → Click here
Learn About Goltra Preserve and the Mission To Bring a Community Together:
East Westwood is approximately 3 square miles and is home to 3500 residents. The local elementary school (Roll Hill Elementary) is a 100% Free Lunch School. Per the IRS, the 45225 zip code is the third poorest in the State of Ohio and has an annual household median income of under $14,000. Many East Westwood residents are also recognizing the trauma endured by waves of shootings and homicides in the neighborhood the past several summers. Additionally, the most recent Climate Equity Report for East Westwood conducted by the City of Cincinnati notes that 46% of residents are obese, 43% have high blood pressure, and 20% of residents have diabetes. The report also states that East Westwood ranks second of the neighborhoods in Cincinnati by percentage of tree canopy within its borders.
Putting forward a neighborhood hiking trail with the primary drivers of creating safer recreational spaces, promoting physical and mental health, and finding a way to utilize the abundance of green space has become a priority for The East Westwood Improvement Association (EWIA). While looking at its neighborhood map, the EWIA discovered the 68-acre Goltra Nature Preserve and began a conversation with the Hillside Trust to learn more about the prospect of creating a hiking trail in the community. Focus groups conducted by the EWIA with Roll Hill School, McHenry House (senior-living facility), and with neighbors at family events all received the idea of a hiking trail as a positive asset for the community.
Many older residents remember running, playing, and exploring the woods as a part of their childhood until the woods succumbed to dumping. As conversations began, EWIA recognized that the trail building project had the potential to foster a variety of new partnerships, create jobs, and build an environmental ethic with the next generation of land stewards. EWIA quickly called on experts in trail building to help support the building of the first ever trail in the Goltra Nature Preserve.
The Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA) and Groundwork Ohio River Valley (ORV) helped to map and blaze the area to have an initial goal of creating a 2-mile hiking/mountain biking loop with additional mile connector to Roll Hill Elementary and Cincinnati Park land. The Goltra Nature Preserve abuts Cincinnati Park’s land at Bracken Woods which could ultimately link to the greater Mt. Airy Forest trail system corridor appealing to a regional audience for extended day hikes. The only current mountain biking trail in the City of Cincinnati is also located less than a half-mile away, allowing trail users to connect to both sites.
Upcoming Trail Days
We are seeking a core team of dedicated volunteers in the community to help us move this project forward.
Are you ready to dig in? Join us Wednesdays for Goltra Trail Days!
Wednesday, September 10: Goltra Preserve @ 5 PM
Volunteer → Click here
Wednesday, September 17: Goltra Preserve @ 5 PM
Volunteer → Click here
What Is Goltra Preserve?
Goltra Preserve Trails feature multi-use, bike-optimized trails designed for hiking, mountain biking, running, and commuting. The system is intended to open the woods to East Westwood residents while serving as a key segment in a future trail network connecting Mount Airy to the Mill Creek and south toward Westwood, East Westwood, South Cumminsville, and North Fairmount. The first completed trail is an approachable, natural-surface path that winds along a ridgetop and includes benches, interpretive signage, and a scenic overlook.
The Goltra Project is a community-driven partnership led by the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA), The Hillside Trust, and the East Westwood Improvement Association. This transformative effort will improve greenspace access, community health, and neighborhood connectivity in a historically underserved area.
Download our Goltra Preserve Info Packet below
Why Goltra Trails Matter
The East Westwood Improvement Association (EWIA), with partners like CORA and Groundwork ORV, is transforming the 68-acre Goltra Nature Preserve into a 3-mile hiking and biking trail. The project aims to improve physical and mental health, provide youth jobs, and reclaim green space previously marred by dumping. Phase One is complete. Future phases will expand the loop and connect to Roll Hill School and regional trails. Over 1,000 volunteer hours and 4,000+ lbs. of trash have already been cleared. The initiative is building community pride, outdoor access, and long-term sustainability.
In a neighborhood with limited transit, poor pedestrian infrastructure, and few outdoor recreation options, the trails will offer safe, walkable, and rideable access to nature for residents and visitors. This project will improve connectivity between Mt. Airy Forest, Bracken Woods, and surrounding neighborhoods, while also helping reconnect communities divided by I-74. It will create direct outdoor access for Roll Hill Elementary families, offer environmental education opportunities, and provide a cooling, natural refuge for a community disproportionately affected by rising urban temperatures.
Project Highlights
Goltra Trails will feature professionally designed, sustainable, multi-use trails for walkers, runners, bikers, and nature lovers of all ages and abilities. Built with environmentally sensitive construction along hillside contours, the trails will use durable materials for bridges and infrastructure to ensure long-term resilience. The project will also create opportunities for community mentorship and volunteerism, fostering local pride and stewardship. Designed with inclusivity in mind, the trails will serve children, families, and adaptive cyclists, meeting a critical need for accessible outdoor spaces not currently addressed by most local trails.
Co-Creation Partners
- Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA)
- The Hillside Trust
- Groundwork Ohio River Valley
- East Westwood Improvement Association