Great Parks completed its first Comprehensive Master Plan in 2019, setting the organization’s vision over the next 10 years. As part of the process, Park and Facility Master Plans (PFMP) are being finalized, looking at each of the Great Parks in further detail, following recommendations from the public on further improvements to amenities, facilities, habitats and programming.

Great Parks made significant progress with the PFMP in 2020, gathering important public input and hitting major milestones. To gather feedback, the county was divided into west, central and east regions to focus on specific needs for parks and preserves in those areas. The following is a summary of the milestones:

*Note: Due to the impacts of COVID-19, most of the initial engagement was conducted online. However, Great Parks was able to conduct some additional, socially distanced engagement events outdoors in the parks during the summer. 

East Region:

• 775 park users engaged
• Respondents top activities: hiking, walking/jogging, biking, nature observation, canoeing/kayaking
• Respondents most wanted improvements include:  hiking trails, biking trails, paved trails, canoe/kayak facilities, nature observation facilities

Central Region:

• 951 park users engaged
• Respondents top activities: hiking, walking/jogging, nature observation, biking, canoeing/kayaking
• Respondents most wanted improvements include: hiking trails, paved trails, biking trails, nature observation facilities

West Region:

• 567 park users engaged
• Respondents top activities: hiking, walking/jogging, biking, nature observation, disc golfing
• Respondents most wanted improvements include: hiking trails, biking trails, paved trails, camping facilities, splash grounds

Milestones reached:

• Analysis of parks, facilities and programming throughout the district
• Draft of a Natural Resources Management Framework Plan
• Initial draft concept plans completed for each park and preserve
• Completion of 12 months of public input that resulted in 40+ events and 2,293 survey responses

The Great Parks team is working on incorporating the input received into plans for the various parks. Another round of engagement will be conducted in the spring of 2021 to gather final input on the plans. To learn more about the process, visit mygreatparks.com.

Great Parks of Hamilton County’s mission is to preserve and protect natural resources and to provide outdoor recreation and education in order to enhance the quality of life for present and future generations. For additional information, visit greatparks.org or call 513-521-7275. Great Parks Forever, the philanthropic partner of Great Parks of Hamilton County, translates an early conservation promise into everyday experiences and lasting legacies. For additional information, please visit GreatParksForever.org.