Rowe Woods, with more than 16 miles of trails, winding up and around 1,025 lush acres, is part of the Cincinnati Nature Center group that also includes Long Branch Farm & Trails in Goshen, Ohio.

The history of the nature center is fascinating. Carl Krippendorf was born in 1875 to German immigrant parents living in Cincinnati. Carl wasn’t a healthy child and was sent to live in the country, to breathe fresh clean air. Staying with a doctor in the Perintown area, Carl fell in love with the outdoors: the woods, the flowers, woodland creatures.

You can read more at www.cincynature.org. They beautifully explain how Carl purchased the land, built his home for his bride, and lived happily ever after.

The Cincinnati Nature Center was founded in 1965 by Stanley Rowe and 12 other environmentalists, anchored in the firm belief that “All people, especially children, benefit physically, emotionally and intellectually from frequent contact with nature.”

Named for Mr. Rowe, The Stanley Rowe All Persons path is a level, paved path that allows all visitors to get out and enjoy the center.

Krippendorf Lodge, built in 1899, welcomes visitors with its large, covered, wraparound porch and stone terrace.

Celebration Garden, located near the Krippendorf Lodge, is a lovely place to stroll. You can remember loved ones through donations to the Nature Center. A bench, a plaque, or some other marker can be placed on the CNC gardens. Look at their site for details.

The Nature Shop has fun & educational items like birdfeeders, children’s books, field guides, binoculars…and plenty more.
There are nature camps, stream exploration programs, and bird walks.  Excellent school programs give school aged kids the opportunity to get out and learn.
Be sure to visit the Abner Hollow cabin, and remember to count your blessings….like indoor plumbing and central air!
Turtle and fish feeding is allowed at Powel Crosley Lake. If the bullfrogs are singing when I pass Lotus Pond, they just make me grin. 

The membership fee is reasonable. It’s just $50 for two adults in the same household.  Other rates are available for families, or singles. Check out www.cincynature.org  for details.  It’s a pretty good way to get the kids out to play!
My favorite thing to do is just hike the trails. I like to go out there and “get lost”. The stress just melts away.  I think more clearly, and relax. With over 16 miles of trail, I like combining different trails for a change of scenery. It’s absolutely breathtaking in the fall colors. Equally spectacular after the long, gray winter when the spring annuals take bloom.

Huffing and puffing the trails, I can just visualize Carl and Mary living in their cabin, and enjoying 999 acres of land.
In the spring and fall months I see plenty of deer every time I go out.
I once walked right past a huge barn owl perched on a fence. So, get out there and leave behind the phones, the computers, the T.V., the stress!

More Cincinnati real estate information can be found at RealCincy.com