Glen Helen Nature Preserve

Glen Helen Nature Preserve

Glen Helen Nature Preserve
4.5
About
1000-acre nature preserve with 25 miles of trails. The "Yellow Spring" of which the town takes it's name can be found here.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles219 reviews
Excellent
156
Very good
46
Average
15
Poor
2
Terrible
0

MorwensCat
Lancaster, PA204 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
This is a gem of a nature preserve. I have been here every time I visit the Dayton/Springfield area, which has been many, many times over the years. It never disappoints, never loses its charm, never loses its ability to engage my interest.
This is not a manicured park. The paths are often rough, interrupted by tree roots and rocks, sometimes going up or down. There are two ways in: one via a very long set of stone steps (without railing) and one via a winding path. Both go down into the gorge.
Over the decades I have been visiting Glen Helen changes have been made. It is gratifying to see that these changes have been without negatively impacting the integrity of the environment.
One of the additions, and I have no idea when it was created, is the wooden walkway through the wetland/marsh area. If you walk quietly and pay attention to the water & the plant life on either side you can see fish, frogs, and a multitude of flyers in the dragonfly family.
In the woods you may see deer and woodpeckers.
There are a number of waterfalls, the most notable are from the springs that tint the rocks yellow-orange.
This is a woodland you can visit over and over again, choosing a short walk or spending hours.
There is a fee to park.
Written August 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MNDoodles
Stillwater, MN679 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
We paid the $5 parking fee and downloaded the park trail map from a qr code at the parking area kiosk. The attendant told us it was an easy 2 mile round trip walk to see the Yellow Springs, waterfalls, burial mound and raptor center. The area is lush and very beautiful. There are many stone steps down and up at the start. We saw the largest beaver dam we’ve ever seen along the way. Sadly, almost no signage is offered along the trail and we got lost trying to find the raptor center, likely adding another half mile to the walk. There are many side trails, almost as wide as the main trail and it’s very easy to get lost even with a map. While we were lost, a car came down the trail. The driver was also lost trying to find the Outdoor Education center. Much more signage along the trail is essential if visitors are to remain safe and enjoy their experience. Also, the porta-potty in the parking area was overflowing onto the unit’s floor. It’s a beautiful spot in dire need of proper signage to improve visitor safety and enjoyment.
Written May 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Holly H
Powell, OH208 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
This was a day trip from Columbus for us. It is about an hour away. Paid the 10$ to park which helps them keep up the nature preserve since it does not get any tax money. We chose to to the The Grotto vis Oak Triangle, School Forest and birch Creek Loop from All Trails which is a 4 mile( ish) loop trail that took us appx 2 hours. It was a wonderful hike that took us past waterfalls, boardwalks, through a pine forest, and more. The end of the trail had us cross the river and the trail ended up a bit difficult to find. I was glad we had down loaded the trail and there were many trails that wove through the area. On our way back, we stopp at Young's Dairy Barn for lunch and ice cream.
Written August 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lotsagoldens
Surprise, AZ940 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
I had not been here in years, and much has changed. The beavers have been busy with dam-building, so the terrain at the bottom is different. There are walkways through this. Several foot bridges have been built. Some parts of the paths are rocky and steep, so it is not particularly friendly for the handicapped. However, it is a beautiful park with a waterfall and a spring. We also visited the raptor center!
Written May 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lisa renee
Grove City, OH102 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
This is a great place to hike - the Yellow Spring is absolutely beautifuI. I recommend using the public bathroom at the Yellow Springs Station on Railroad Street as the restrooms here are closed due to COVID-19. Parking here is $5.00. I stayed at the Arthur Morgan House Bed and Breakfast which is very close to here. I walked down the bike path after my hike so that I could explore the Womens' Park and Antioch College.
Written October 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wohdonkey
Newark, OH2,223 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Couples
This was our first time visiting Yellow Springs. We parked at the Quarry Street parking lot which was $5 to park. The Ecological Center as well as bathrooms were closed at the the time due to COVID. So you will need to go into town to use the bathroom (we just went to Young’s Dairy Farm). You are asked to wear your mask when passing others on the path and people were good about doing so. You can download a map once you get there. Signs are posted along the trail saying one way or two way so make sure you are going the correct direction. We didn’t have any issues getting around. We wore hiking boots which made it easy to hike the trails. We loved it and would love to go back again to hike more of Glen Helen. On this trip we got to see the The Grotto, The Old Dam Bridge, The Yellow Spring, Helen’s Stone, The Cascade’s, and Pompey’s Pillar. Would recommend for a fun day of hiking!
Written September 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ChemTeacherTraveller
Ypsilanti, MI741 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
I arrived late in the day (after 4 pm), paid the $5 parking fee, and headed off to hike. I met people right at the start who said the mosquitoes were bad, so I went back to my car and put on repellant. I had printed out the trail map before coming, and that helped (but I still got lost several times). The gorge scenery is beautiful, and I saw at least 4 waterfalls! It is just the type of hiking I enjoy.
Written July 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

turneygene
Nashville, TN15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
We gladly paid the five dollars to park and support this beautiful preserve. Before we headed out on our hike, we met Robert. He asked me if he could recite a poem and I said, "Yes". I was able to select the one I wanted to hear him recite. It was brief and it was perfect.
Written September 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Don N
Park City, UT27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Had this little over night trip planned for several weeks. As the date arrived it was cold and rainy east of Columbus at our home. By the time we got to Yellow Springs, well west of Columbus, it was a beautiful sunshiny day. We did a bike ride on Saturday, but planed to hike on Sunday. We parked in town right at a walk in entrance to the preserve. Yes, just walk in a little dirt path and we were on the way.

Trails were well marked with numbered positions that referred to the trail map. (Make sure you print one out before you start the hike.)

Streams, the eponymous "Yellow Springs", hills and valleys to walk around. We did almost 4 miles before we exited to head home. A special treat is a new (about a year old) beaver dam that you could walk almost right up to on a boardwalk..

We had a great time. Good hiking, not to strenuous for us old-timers, but still great exercise in the beautiful forest.

People of all types were there, including families with small kids just doing a bit of a walk. Highly Recommend Glen Helen!
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FlyingHistory
Dayton, OH321 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Family
Enjoyed a nice hike on a cooler day in this beautiful, well maintained preserve. Aside from encountering a few hikers who were sorely lacking in trail etiquette, a pleasant afternoon in the woods. $5 parking fee.
Written July 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Glen Helen Nature Preserve - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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