As summer rolls on, so too do my weekly columns on the various parks around Clermont County.
This week’s focus takes us to Sycamore Park in Batavia Township, just north of the village of Batavia. The largest park in the Clermont Park District provides a couple of avenues to walk around, a relaxing riverside balcony and a 145-acre nature preserve that includes plenty of tree coverage and a peaceful walk.
SYCAMORE PARK & WILSON NATURE PRESERVE
Sycamore Park and Wilson Nature Preserve sit in a valley off State Route 132 and run along the East Fork branch of the Little Miami River.
Along with its four shelters and paved trails, the park features a tennis court, a pickleball court, an accessible playground and updated restrooms.
The James L and Frances Wilson Nature Preserve is adjacent to Sycamore Park, encompassing 145 acres along the East Fork branch, including a 25-acre island in the river. The large forests, fields and abundant wildflowers provide habitat for a variety of wildlife, according to the Clermont Park District website. More than 3 miles of trails provide options for a short and peaceful riverside walk or a steeper ascent that leads to a scenic view of the East Fork River Valley.
Wilson Nature Preserve also features a suspension bridge, a project completed in 2025, that connects the Oak Ridge Loop trail to a 25-acre island in the East Fork River. Visitors can hike along the mile-long Pawpaw Crossing Trail that loops around the outside of the island.
As for the walking aspect of the park, let’s start with what Sycamore Park has to offer.
The park’s paved loop is about 0.6 miles. Lucy and I usually start at the newly constructed patio looking over the river. The first quarter-mile walk features plenty of tree coverage and serves as a beautiful tunnel-like walk during the autumn season. The first quarter-mile or so also includes various miniature hiking paths that lead you closer to the river. Eventually, those paths branch back to the paved path. Watch out for any poison ivy — not saying there indeed is any at the park — and other skin-irritating plants.
The top of the path also can branch off to a small dirt trail that provides a perfect look at the river before looping back onto the paved path. The path eventually gives way to an opening, with walkers seeing the rest of the park, including the tennis court, shelters and the playground. A tree line flanks the right side of the path and concludes by the parking lot near the park’s entrance.
As a walker, the real attraction is the Wilson Nature Preserve.
Lucy and I last took a walk in May. Giving myself a refresher of the park using the Clermont Park District’s online map, it looks like the preserve got an update. The preserve now includes five trails — before there were only three shown on the map at the entrance of the preserve.
The largest path is 2.2 miles, called the Oak Ridge Loop. The majority of that path is crushed stone, but I think it branches off to a dirt path — Lucy and I continued to the Back Forty Loop. The trail is 0.9 miles, with a part of it running along State Route 222 before circling back into the preserve. Lucy and I took part in this loop in May, but instead crossed a small creek and ran into a dead end at SR 222.
The preserve also features the Vista Detour, a .3-mile loop, Wildflower Loop, a distance of 0.2 miles, and the Pawpaw Crossing. The crossing begins by crossing the new suspension bridge, which actually had a ribbon-cutting ceremony during our walk and is a 0.8-mile loop.
Walkers can now cross the East Fork Little Miami River, connecting the Oak Ridge Loop trail to a 25-acre island, according to an expert from the district’s website. That’s a path I would love to take Lucy on someday soon.
The walking path at Sycamore Park is definitely the most scenic of the parks that I have written about so far. If you enjoy the autumn colors and a picture-perfect scene of the river, this is definitely a path you want to take.
The Wilson Nature Preserve is top-notch for walkers looking for a quiet getaway or a somewhat challenging journey. I’m excited to walk the different paths that Lucy and I haven’t taken yet.
Sycamore Park and Wilson Nature Preserve is another favorite of ours and receives a 3.7 out of 4 stars.