Sunrise

Prairie plantings and wildflowers draw in wildlife from the adjacent river habitat and make the park a serene spot for relaxing. Catch a glimpse of the large and graceful blue herons that frequent the area. Watch the Wolf Creek spill into the Great Miami up close from the paved river walkway at the foot of the stairs.

Latest News

5 ways to boost your mental health with help from the great outdoors

Published October 4, 2023

Seeing red for feeling blue? Just step outside! Oct. 10 is World Mental Health Day, designed to raise awareness of mental health challenges around the world and mobilize efforts to support mental health. During these challenging times, those who are feeling stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness and other complicated emotions are not alone. According to Montgomery […]

3 outdoor play dates for you and your best fur friend

Updated August 24th, 2023

Celebrate National Dog Day on Aug. 26 by treating your pooch to some quality time outdoors. Just like humans, dogs need outdoor time and exercise to maximize their happiness and wellbeing, according to Animal Wellness Magazine. Also like humans, spending time outdoors helps your pup with weight control, depression and boredom. Once you review MetroParks’ […]

Spend time in nature during Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Published July 20, 2023

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and the perfect time to check-in with yourself and loved ones, as well as learn about all the ways you can support your mental wellbeing outdoors. One in five American adults live with mental illness, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of those who […]

Park Features

Great Miami River Trail

The park is situated above the Great Miami River Trail, which travels both north and south along the river’s edge. The trails are ideal for walking, skating, running and bike riding.

Learn more about the Great Miami River Trail

Wolf Creek Trail

The Wolf Creek Trail begins at Sunrise MetroPark. A 1-mile stretch links the recreation trail along the Great Miami River to the bikeway that runs along James H. McGee Boulevard.

Learn more about the Wolf Creek Trail.

Planted Prairie Beds

Sunrise features landscape garden beds with native plants such as little bluestem, purple coneflower and oxeye sunflower to attract the birds, butterflies and other urban wildlife.

Friendship Park

The park borders the city of Dayton “Friendship Park,” on the banks of the Great Miami River, which pays homage to the Dayton Sister Cities Program. For visitors, it may be difficult to tell where one park starts and the other ends. Both are worth a visit!

Click to Explore

ADA accessibility is limited to immediate areas of the paved sidewalks. There are no restroom facilities at this location.

MetroParks partnered with the Sinclair Foundation to create a small wildlife observation area in the park, adding interpretive signs to aid visitors in viewing urban plant and animal life.

RTA Bus Route 9

Take Route 9 north on Main Street through downtown to Riverview Avenue and Edwin C. Moses Boulevard. The park is across from this intersection.

The park is accessible by foot or bike on the Great Miami River and Wolf Creek trails.

View more about the paved trails.

The park is situated at the intersection of the Great Miami River and Wolf Creek Trail, which are part of the regions 330-mile paved trail network — the nation’s largest paved trail network.

Learn more about the paved trail network.

The park opened as Sunrise MetroPark in 2001 and is intended to be a Wildlife Observation Area. It is a designated “natural” area planted with native southwestern Ohio trees, shrubs, prairie plants and other perennials. These native plantings draw wildlife for either food or shelter.

The park sits at the confluence of Wolf Creek and the Great Miami River, making it a popular spot for birds to feed as they gather in open water areas.

Sitting on the benches overlooking the river, a visitor could see a large variety of wildlife, birds and fowl, including a preponderance of Canada geese.

Both the Great Miami River and Wolf Creek offer fishing opportunities at Sunrise MetroPark. Bass, bluegill, catfish and carp can be caught in these waterways. An Ohio fishing license is required.

This area supports incredible wildlife diversity, including riverine invertebrates, turtles and the yellow-crowned night heron, which nests in only a few places in Ohio.

It is an excellent place to watch waterfowl, night herons, gulls and sometimes bald eagles and ospreys.

Geocaching is an activity combining technology and nature, using global positioning system (GPS) devices to search for and find “caches” hidden throughout the world. Visit www.geocaching.com and search by location to get started. Then head out on an adventure to find the geocaches hidden in this park.

Private Fair Soldiers Monument, which now sits on an island on Main Street near Monument Avenue in downtown Dayton, was originally set at Monument and Main in 1884, but was moved to Sunrise Park on the west bank of the Miami River from 1948 to 1991. This statue was modeled for Civil War veteran George Washington Fair, a bricklayer born in Dayton in 1834.

View park history.

Located at the juncture of Wolf Creek and the Great Miami River in Dayton, this small park is an excellent place to watch a surprising parade of wildlife including waterfowl, night herons, gulls and sometimes bald eagles and ospreys.

The aging Veteran’s Memorial Bridge over the Wolf Creek was replaced in 2010 as part of the city of Dayton’s citywide bridge replacement project. The new bridge features a span designed by RW Armstrong. Built by the Eagle Bridge Company, it includes an ornamental, neoclassic cable-stayed design with a V-shaped central tower and cables illuminated by LED technology. The new bridge replaces the classic concrete that was demolished in 2008 after 82 years of use. Architectural and historical elements of the old bridge have been saved and moved to the city of Dayton’s Friendship Park, which is adjacent to the south approach of the new bridge. Definitely a work of art in daylight and at night.