Five Rivers MetroParks

Dayton’s Five Rivers MetroParks is an expansive park system offering nearly 16,000 acres of green space in 25 facilities. Getting back to nature has never been so easy with all the Dayton parks just a short distance from the city — and many accessible by bicycle. Dayton is a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, which — among other things — means every Daytonian lives less than 10 minutes from a bike path. Many locations also offer programming for everything from outdoor recreation to bird watching to photography or children’s activities.

A number of these are free and don’t require registration. Dayton parks are some of the best places to discover the great outdoors.