Great Parks of Hamilton County is adding a skills course and skills loop to its existing 8-mile mountain bike trail at Mitchell Memorial Forest. This is the first official trail of its kind in Hamilton County. With progressive features for every skill level, the new bike park will give riders a place to build skills, gain confidence, and have fun on two wheels. 

🔗 Learn more in this Local 12 article.

CORA, in collaboration with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation and Cincinnati Parks, is proud to support the construction of the Mount Airy Bike Skills Park. This project is being designed with Progressive Bike Ramps, a national leader in creating inclusive bike facilities.

The new park will feature:

▪️A perimeter flow trail designed for riders of all levels

▪️ A skills area with progressive obstacles to help riders build confidence

▪️ Adaptive-friendly design so riders of all abilities can participate

▪️ An ADA-compliant concrete pathway along the skills area, ensuring accessibility for all riders and visitors

Located centrally in Mount Airy, this urban site offers easy access for residents across the city and presents a unique opportunity to engage an underserved and diverse community.

The project contract with Progressive Bike Ramps is scheduled to be finalized this fall, with groundbreaking planned for next year.

CORA and our partners are grateful for the community’s interest and energy in making this vision a reality. Together, we’re building a new gateway for riders of all ages and abilities to experience the joy of trails.

What’s Coming

▪️ Neighborhood Connectivity: Trails that reconnect neighborhoods divided by I-74 and link to the future CROWN trail network.

▪️Multi-Use Access: Safe, sustainable trails designed for walking, biking, adaptive cycling, and family use.

▪️Community Investment: Training and certification opportunities, mentorship programs, and volunteer pathways to help residents build skills and strengthen resumes.

▪️ Equity & Health: Expanding access to greenspace where it’s most needed, supporting physical activity, mental health, and environmental education.

▪️ Sustainable Design: Durable, low-maintenance trails built with environmentally sensitive methods.

CORA, Groundwork Ohio River Valley, The Hillside Trust, and the East Westwood Improvement Association are partnering to bring over 3 miles of professionally designed natural surface trails to Hillside Trust–preserved property between Brokaw and Montana Avenues. These trails will connect directly into the neighborhood and sit just minutes from the Mt. Airy mountain bike trails. As the Mt. Airy Skills Park moves forward, future connections will make it even easier for families to access both trail systems.

East Westwood is a historically underserved community with limited access to greenspace and safe recreation. The Goltra Trails Project is designed not only to provide trails but also to strengthen the neighborhood by creating pathways to opportunity. Alongside new trails, the project will support training programs that provide certifications in trail building, chainsaw use, and other trades. These are skills that community members can carry into the workforce.

Goltra Trails will transform East Westwood by creating safe, accessible outdoor space and workforce development opportunities in a community with high need and few connected pathways. This project will improve health, expand recreation, and provide skills that help residents find jobs, all while connecting East Westwood to a broader trail network and giving the neighborhood a trail system to call its own.

CORA, in collaboration with Great Parks, Cincinnati Parks, Anderson Township, Anderson Park District, Hillside Trust, City Of Cincinnati Government, and Cardinal Land Conservancy, has partnered with Applied Trails Research to bring the region’s first large-scale, multi-ownership natural surface multi-use trail to life. Led by trail experts Dr. Jeremy Wimpey and Scott Linnenburger, the team has completed an opportunity study for the Little Miami Natural Surface Trail Corridor, bringing world-class, sustainable trail design to our area.

This feasibility study, made possible by The Harold C. Schott Foundation and United Dairy Farmers, outlines some exciting benefits: expanding recreation opportunities in the Little Miami River valley, utilizing the paved greenway system as a backbone to link natural surface trails and river access points, and providing new ways for families and outdoor newcomers to experience our natural assets. Additionally, this project will offer bike-friendly access close to downtown, serving underrepresented communities in Cincinnati.

With plenty of trailhead parking and conserved land connected along the river, this project will significantly boost recreational access across the region, without the need for a car. While it will take a few years to fully implement, partners are already making progress, with initial sections underway and complete at Avoca Preserve, Great Parks, and Columbia Township.

Clear Creek Bike Park, located on the Little Miami Trail Corridor and Route 32 in Anderson Township, will be open to all: toddlers on striders, teens, adults, adaptive athletes, and first-time riders. With progressive features for every ability level, the park breaks down barriers to recreation. It brings youth into nature, offering a healthy path toward belonging, movement, and growth. Phase I ensures access for riders of all ages and abilities. Phase II adds higher-skill jump lines and technical features, an intentional outlet for teens and adults who seek risk and adrenaline.

Bike parks give young people safe, welcoming spaces to explore, take risks, and grow. On two wheels, they build skills, confidence, and resilience. By making outdoor recreation fun and accessible, bike parks help fight inactivity, reduce isolation, and strengthen well-being.

What’s Coming

▪️Progressive Flow Trails: All-weather, low-maintenance paved trails designed for every skill level, inspired by successful bike parks like the Dayton Bike Yard.

▪️All Wheels Welcome: Built with bikes in mind, the park will also be open to adaptive equipment, one-wheels, skateboards, and other appropriate wheeled uses.

▪️Community Access: Located along the Little Miami Corridor near Route 32, the park will be easily accessible for neighborhood families, youth programs, and regional visitors.

▪️Phased Construction: Environmentally sensitive building methods and durable materials will ensure long-term sustainability, with features added in phases as funding becomes available.

Why It Matters

Bike parks are more than recreation, they shape healthier lifestyles, reduce inactivity, and create welcoming spaces where youth and families can connect. By breaking down barriers to outdoor activity, Clear Creek Bike Park will empower the next generation to move, play, and thrive through transformative outdoor experiences.

What’s Coming

▪️ Regular volunteer trail-days for work like clearing roots, removing blockages, brushing, and tread work.

▪️ Clearer signage, safer trail navigation, and maintenance routines so the experience is reliable and fun.

▪️ Reinforcing trails with sustainable design practices to prevent erosion and ensure long-term access.

These trails have long been a local resource for outdoor recreation, but overgrowth, downed trees, unclear signage, and unsafe features have made parts difficult or frustrating to use. With a community-driven effort and support from CORA and the City of Fairfield, we’re bringing the trails back to life, making them welcoming for all ages and skill levels.

Harbin Park isn’t just about trails, it’s about connection to nature, to neighbors, and to physical and mental health. By improving these trails, we’re making it easier for more people to get outside, breathe fresh air, enjoy exercise, and relieve stress, all close to home. It’s also a chance to build stronger stewardship in Fairfield by engaging volunteers, creating a shared sense of ownership, and ensuring this green space thrives for years to come.

Imagine stepping outside your door in Covington and seamlessly traveling a connected network of trails linking seven cities, three counties, and Northern Kentucky’s most iconic destinations. The NKY Regional Trails Project is turning this vision into reality, building a safe, accessible system of paved and natural-surface trails for residents and visitors alike. 

Trails strengthen communities by connecting people to places and each other. Building on Riverfront Commons as the backbone, the plan will link destinations such as Devou Park, the Purple People Bridge, Fox Run Park, and Eons Park, expanding opportunities for recreation, tourism, and business growth across the region.

What’s Coming

▪️ Initial Buildout: Activate 30 miles of trails within the first 24 months.

▪️ Regional Connectivity: A master plan with 70+ stakeholders is aligning cities and counties to create seamless, cross-boundary trail connections.

▪️ Community Impact: Safer, more accessible pathways for walking, biking, and exploring will improve quality of life, boost local economies, and expand recreational opportunities for all.

▪️ Planning & Initial Buildout: Launch a regional master plan, then connect 30 miles of paved trails, quiet streets, and natural-surface trails within the first 24 months.

Volunteer Momentum: CORA is hosting a campout trail work weekend Friday November 7 - Sunday November 9, 2025, to address priority sections and keep progress moving.

Completing the Stonelick trail system will create new outdoor opportunities, support local businesses, and provide a safe, sustainable trail resource for the entire community. 

CORA began building new trails at Stonelick State Park in 2023 to expand recreation along the campground and lakeside. In spring 2025, progress stopped when the AmeriCorps program was canceled. Although progress was halted, the vision for a sustainable, connected trail system is mapped, designed, and ready for construction.

Stonelick’s trails were originally routed along property lines, which created drainage and erosion challenges. The new design establishes a 9.4-mile sustainable trail around the lake and campground, improving durability, reducing maintenance, and providing long-term stability. These trails will open access for hikers, bikers, and families while strengthening tourism and recreation in underserved Clermont County communities.

The loop will connect campers directly to Edenton. Families will gain safe access to fishing spots, nature exploration, and a healthier campground experience, all while opening new opportunities to revitalize the historic schoolhouse and strengthen Clermont County’s regional appeal.

CORA is shaping the future of trails at East Fork State Park and beyond. These projects will expand adventure opportunities, improve safety, and create a sustainable system that connects people, places, and communities.

Why It Matters

East Fork is one of Ohio’s largest and most beloved state parks. These projects will:

▪️ Boost tourism and local business

▪️ Provide safe, accessible trails for all ages

▪️ Improve community health and well-being

▪️ Strengthen Appalachian Ohio’s outdoor economy

What’s Coming

▪️ Trail Improvements: Upgrading and re-routing trails for sustainability, safety, and easier maintenance.

▪️ Gravity Park: A planned gravity-style park near the campgrounds, offering progressive riding for all levels.

▪️Regional Connections: Safer off-road routes for the North Country, Buckeye, and American Discovery Trails, plus new links to the Williamsburg-Batavia Hike/Bike Trail, campground loops, and a lake trail, building a 74-mile network.

▪️ Equitable Access: Expanded trail access in Amelia, Bethel, Batavia, and Williamsburg will boost tourism, create jobs, and support healthier opportunities for families in communities where over half of households are low-to-moderate income.