Located in Sharonville, Sharon Woods is a member of Hamilton County’s Great Parks and is considered by many to be one of Cincinnati’s premier parks.
Covering over 730 total acres, the park offers multiple play areas for children, a paved trail that wraps around the 35-acre Sharon Lake, a fitness trail, a Gorge nature trail, and dozens of picnic areas with shelters and volleyball courts.
The park also has a boathouse that offers petal boats and pontoon boats for rental that guests can take out on the lake, weather permitting.
In addition, Sharon Woods also has a golf course, a historic Heritage Village museum, a two-story indoor play area for children, and a wildlife gift shop.
Whether you’re looking to do some hiking, host a private event, enjoy a day on the lake, or take your kids to a fun place to play, Sharon Woods truly has something for everyone.
In this post, we share some of our favorite aspects of Sharon Woods and explain why it’s considered to be one of the best parks in all of Cincinnati.
A Variety of Hiking Trails
Arguably the most popular reason to visit Sharon Woods is to do some walking or hiking. The park offers three different trails:
Multi-purpose Lake Trail: A 2.6-mile paved trail that wraps around the 35-acre Sharon Lake, offering excellent views of the lake and some great opportunities for bird watching. This trail is used by joggers, hikers, dog-walkers, and cyclists alike.
Fitness Trail: A 1.0-mile paved trail that offers several places to stop and doing various exercises including ab-crunches, squats, and pull-ups.
Gorge Nature Trail: A 0.7-mile trail that offers views of the gorge connected to Sharon Lake, several spots that overlook the creek that runs through the park, multiple wooden bridges, and some excellent bird watching opportunities. You only have to walk for a couple minutes on this trail before you’re completely immersed in the forest and begin to feel like you’ve entered a different world entirely.
A Boathouse with Lake Activities
Along with the variety of trails, another reason people love to visit Sharon Woods is to hang out on Sharon Lake. Covering over 35 acres, the lake offers plenty of space to explore. The boathouse located along the shore of the lake offers petal boats and pontoon boats for rental along with stand-up paddleboards for those seeking more of a thrill.
The lake is an excellent place to do some bird watching and it’s one of the most peaceful places in the entire park to spend a lazy afternoon or evening.
A Golf Course
Opened by legendary golfer Bobby Jones in 1938, the Sharon Woods golf course is the oldest of the seven courses operated by the Great Parks of Hamilton County.
The course offers a full round of championship golf with 18 holes that will challenge even professionals. The Cincinnati Enquirer calls the course the “Best Bang For The Buck” and Golf Digest gives the course a highly respectable four-star rating.
With beginner 6-hole leagues, private outings, instructional programs, family events, and public competitions, the course offers something for everyone.
You can find more information about the course including rates, hours, and contact info at Great Parks of Hamilton County.
Several Play Areas
For families with young kids, Sharon Woods offers a wide variety of playgrounds and recreational areas that kids can explore.
One of the most popular spots in the park is an area known as the Adventure Station, a two-story indoor play area for children ages 2 to 12.
In addition, the park has an outdoor play area that features a playground, swings, and various water splash pads.
Picnic Areas, Shelters, and Volleyball Courts
Another popular reason that people visit Sharon Woods is to host a party, family gathering, or other event at one of the many picnic areas.
There are shelters throughout the park that have benches, volleyball courts, and open spaces that serve as perfect places to host an event of nearly any size. Most of these shelters can be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Visit Sharon Woods
For all of the reasons we shared here, Sharon Woods is truly one of Cincinnati’s premier parks and it has something to offer to all guests.
You can visit the park located at 11450 Lebanon Rd, Sharonville, OH 45241 and you can find more information about the park including events going on at various times throughout the year at Great Parks of Hamilton County.
