Experience autumn in the region from a new perspective: See it on horseback, by rail, from a bicycle

The “Sunday drive” in a car seems wasteful and mundane by modern standards. Sure, you could pass by a lot of fall foliage, but would you really experience fall? Part of fall is the smell and feel of it. You miss that in a car. It’s also not the best for pictures, and we know that’s important to some people.

Walking or hiking can seem limiting for time and effort expended. You could see some color. You can stop for pictures. But you might always wonder what was around the bend or hill that was too far that you didn’t see.

Getting some assistance down a trail on a saddle of one kind or another might well be the perfect answer for southwest Ohio. If you’re looking for a different perspective this fall, southwest Ohio has several options.

Horseback riding

Letting something else do the walking while you take in the views from a higher perspective might be the most relaxing way to see the changing colors. And historic. It would be hard to not imagine that you’re back in time and seeing the same scenes as others have centuries before. You don’t have to own a horse to do it.

Carriage Hill Metro Parks just north of Dayton and Interstate 70 has horseback riding available. Check their website for details. Additionally, several private outfitters in the area offer rental trail and horseback riding.

Mountain bike

Flash forward, and modern mountain bikes are probably the futuristic opposite of horseback riding down a single-track trail. With shocks front and back and pedal gear ratios to suit any terrain, it’s a great way to get off the beaten and pathed path and away from it all.

Whether you tool along comfortably or push the limits is up to you. The pace is up to you. But built for the task, mountain bikes are a great way to explore the fall landscape. There are several off-road trail areas and opportunities available locally.

Where to go

John Bryan State Park — Located just outside of Yellow Springs, the park provides 14 miles of interconnected trails.

Hueston Woods State Park — In College Corner near Oxford, Hueston Woods offers 22 miles of trails with varying difficulty.

Caesar Creek State Park — Seems like I mention Caesar Creek every week, but there are a lot of options for activities there. The 13 miles of mountain bike track there might be the shortest, but according to website reports, offers some of the most technical and challenging trails in the area.

Note that not all trails are open to mountain bike use. Make sure you check rules, regulations, and conditions before you go.

Rail trails

If you want to get out of the car, but not too far from the road, the collection of bikeways in the area are an easy way to do it. The rail trails (old railroads converted to bike trails) offer minimal grade and smooth surfaces that are excellent anytime, but especially in the fall. You don’t need anything fancy or a new bike to enjoy it.

You can set your own pace and direction.

The trails also connect many points of interest in the area, whether your tastes run from breweries to historic to something in between.

Saddle up, fall is great in Ohio. Get out and enjoy it.

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