The Under-The-Radar Destination In Ohio With The Most Beautiful Fall Foliage In The State
By Sarah McCosham|Published October 10, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Every day, I take my dog for a walk in our neighborhood and there’s a tree that stands as a bellwether for fall foliage. Starting at the end of August, the leaves begin to slowly fade from vibrant green to darker green… and this mossy color somehow fades into a deep, rich plum that blazes into a bold, shocking scarlet come October. The surrounding foliage, of course, changes in step with this humble dogwood tree, and when I’m looking for spectacular symphony of fall foliage in Ohio, there’s an under-the-radar destination that never, ever disappoints.
Ohio's fall foliage comes in waves, with the northern counties generally seeing fall color before their southern siblings. In my corner of the state, just outside Cincinnati, mid-October is when the colors *really* start to change.
And while there are beautiful parks and places near me and also within easy driving distance, one of my favorite spots for fall leaf peeping is basically in my own back yard!
One of Cincinnati's oldest city parks, Burnet Woods is a lovely little oasis full of flora and fauna. It's home to a fishing lake and nature center, planetarium and numerous trails, and lots of native wildlife. The Audubon Society named the park an Important Birding Area, in fact!
What's even more remarkable about Burnet Woods is that it really *is* hiding in plain sight. This city park is surrounded by the University of Cincinnati campus, but it's one of those obvious and widely known places that's also, paradoxically, overlooked.
I know I've overlooked this park -- I attended college at Xavier (the University of Cincinnati's cross-town rival!) and I often found myself on UC's campus and the adjacent Clifton neighborhood.
Since then, I've made a point to visit Burnet Woods at least once each autumn, ideally in mid-October, when fall foliage in Southwest Ohio really ramps up.
There are several trails that traverse this unlikely 90-acre park, a place that somehow feels worlds away from everything, but is literally in the midst of everything!
There are all sorts of festivals and pumpkin patches and state parks and scenic drives in Ohio that make the most of the fleeting fall season. But don't overlook the little neighborhood trees or city parks this season, either -- because these places offer a humble and often breathtaking beauty all their own.
