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Outdoor recreation provides shared space for people to meet, form new relationships and foster a sense of community.
As a whole, Northern Kentucky provides outdoor recreation enthusiasts with an increasing number of outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and much more. The region is home to several state and county parks where people can get out and enjoy the region’s natural beauty.
Outdoor recreation is a growing area of focus for regional political and economic leaders because those types of amenities draw younger crowds of potential workers into the area. Due to this, millions of dollars of capital have poured in from public, private and nonprofit investors looking to diversify Northern Kentucky’s outdoor recreation space.
On the hiking side, Northern Kentucky boasts several parks and trails, including the Big Bone Lick State Historic Site in Boone County, Devou Park in Covington, and the growing Riverfront Commons trail network. These green spaces allow newcomers to explore the outdoors at their own pace.
Christy Noll, director of the Boone Conservancy, has seen firsthand how local trails serve as gateways to community building. The Boone Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that acts as a caretaker, landowner, and conservation entity that preserves natural areas and increases recreational opportunities.
Noll emphasized that many of the region’s trails are designed with accessibility in mind, making them great for people of all fitness levels.
Currently, Noll and the Boone Conservancy are working to expand access to outdoor recreation in Boone County. The organization wants to use over 350 acres of Boone County land along the Ohio River to install hiking trails and provide access to kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding launches. With outdoor recreation becoming a pivotal tool to fuel regional tourism, Boone Conservancy is looking to add to the region’s offerings.
“The 1.3 miles of gradual sloping shoreline combined with hundreds of acres of high-quality forest and streams, make the property ideal for river access for paddling, fishing, hiking and bird-watching,” she said.
For those drawn to water-based activities, the Ohio River offers an entirely different kind of outdoor experience. Canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding have grown increasingly popular, with enthusiasts trekking across the country to find new areas.
Brewster Rhoads, a representative of the Ohio River Way, highlights how this waterway has become a hub for community-focused recreation. Ohio River Way is a nonprofit that promotes outdoor recreation, tourism, and community engagement along the Ohio River, particularly in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region.
“People to see that there are all these amenities that are attractive and interesting and compelling, then that’s yet another reason to come to the area,” Rhoads told LINK nky in November.
Local organizations such as the Kentucky Waterways Alliance and Paddlefest Cincinnati also host events that draw participants from across the region. These gatherings not only promote the health of the river but also strengthen the community around it.
Cycling is another growing outdoor activity in Northern Kentucky; from casual family rides to more strenuous road cycling groups, the region has a growing biking scene. Northern Kentucky’s largest cities are backdrops for urbanist cycling groups that organize weekly rides. Moreover, the rural part of the region allows for scenic rides through rolling hills and picturesque farmland.
Jay Hissett, an organizer with the Cincinnati Cycle Club, told LINK nky that cycling is a way to build community. Hissett helps organize Northern Kentucky Cluster Bike Rides, a cycling group that rides bikes in both rural and urban parts of the region.
Hissett noted that group rides cater to all levels, making it a compelling entry point for beginners. The various groups meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on a weekly basis. Each day features a different ride with varying lengths and difficulty levels.
“The cycle club rides are social with people who are interested in cycling,” Hissett said. “Having that common interest, there tends to be a mixture of people with great experience, and then people who kind of wander in who are newbies.”
For Hissett, the connections formed during rides often extend beyond the bike. Cycling provides him with a new community.
“That’s one of the things that people get when they show up, they keep coming back, and all of a sudden, years go by, and they’ve been part of it for years,” Hissett said.
Besides riding groups, small businesses explicitly tailored to the local cycling community, such as Reser’s Cycling in Newport, help enthusiasts and beginners meet other people interested in the hobby.
Community leaders are also investing more time and money into developing more outdoor recreation areas. Take the Eons Adventure Park project in Erlanger, which will feature over 1,000 acres of urban woodland, 20 miles of mountain biking trails, a network of tree canopy trails and other amenities.
Whatever the particular interest may be, Northern Kentucky has a plethora of offerings that are continuing to grow in popularity and scope.
Learn more about the organizations featured in this story here:
