Forest Run Wildlife Preserve Metropark
Managed by MetroParks of Butler County
83 acres2.6 mi of trail
Upper Meadow TrailCreekside TrailLower Meadow TrailWoodland Creek Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nheyob · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Ross Township
Ross Township has 268 acres of parks, 30 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Forest Run Wildlife Preserve Metropark (2.6 mi), Forest Run MetroPark Timberman Ridge Area (2.3 mi), Fernald Preserve (1.1 mi). 44% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Ross Township’s land is conserved, about 719 acres.
Ahead of 53% of U.S. towns · #491 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
719 acres · of 30.2 sq mi of land
Trails
7.7 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
268 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
4
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ross Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ross Township is ahead of 53% of U.S. towns, #491 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ross Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land30 acres of park per 1,000 residents (268 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home44% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 53%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 51%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Forest Run Wildlife Preserve Metropark, with 2.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Forest Run MetroPark Timberman Ridge Area
Managed by MetroParks of Butler County
177 acres2.3 mi of trail
Scenic Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fernald Preserve
Managed by United States Department of Energy
207 acres1.1 mi of trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
719 conserved acres
4% of Ross Township’s land. Who manages Ross Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)423 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land206 ac
County84 ac
Town or city6 ac
Agricultural Easement · 423 acNational Public Lands · 206 acLocal Park · 87 acLocal Conservation Area · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 423 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fernald Preserve National Public Lands | Other or Unknown Federal Land | 206 | Open |
| Fritton Wildlife Preserve Local Park | County | 81 | Open |
| Village Athletic Fields Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Timothy Park Local Conservation Area | County | 2 | Open |
| Venice Gardens Neighborhood Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Ross Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Ross Township
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Upper Meadow Trail0.7 mi
Creekside Trail0.6 mi
Scenic Ridge Trail0.4 mi
Lower Meadow Trail0.4 mi
Woodland Creek Trail0.4 mi
Praire Creek Overlook Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
11Soccer
10Baseball
4Basketball
3Football
3Tennis
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Ross Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 43 | 53 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 86 | 79 | 67 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Ross Township →
Next door
Ross Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fairfield12 miFairfield Township10 miRoss Township7.7 miHanover Township6.8 miSt. Clair Township4.6 miHamilton4.4 miMorgan Township2.6 miRoss1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Township | 4% | 0.3 | 30 | 44% | B− |
| Hamilton | 6% | 0.2 | 18 | 88% | B+ |
| Fairfield Township | 3% | 0.6 | 20 | 52% | B |
| Fairfield | 5% | 0.6 | 15 | 72% | B+ |
| Hanover Township | 1% | 0.2 | 4 | 27% | C− |
| Morgan Township | 8% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | C− |
| St. Clair Township | 4% | 0.2 | 55 | 66% | B |
| Ross | 5% | 0.4 | 1 | 33% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ross Township
Where can I hike in Ross Township?
The longest trail networks: Forest Run Wildlife Preserve Metropark, 2.6 miles; Forest Run MetroPark Timberman Ridge Area, 2.3 miles; Fernald Preserve, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ross Township is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Ohio town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Ross Township’s trails?
Forest Run Wildlife Preserve Metropark and Forest Run MetroPark Timberman Ridge Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ross Township?
15,025 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ross Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 478 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ross Township have?
Ahead of 53% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #491 of 993 in Ohio. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ross Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →