Parks and Recreation

The Bryan Center is a multiuse facility that provides space for Village government offices, conference and meeting rooms, and a number of recreational and educational areas. The center is accessible to all citizens. Facilities for tennis and basketball as well as a pottery shop, toddler playground and the Skate Park are located at the rear of the center.

Gaunt Park, located on West South College Street, is the Village's largest park and is home to the public swimming pool. The two softball diamonds at Gaunt Park are used by men's and women's leagues and Perry League, the local tee-ball program. The Yellow Springs Youth Baseball Program also plays at Gaunt Park every summer.

Six miles of railroad right-of-way, acquired by the Village, are now part of the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail. The local bikepath, popular with bicyclists, skaters and walkers, links Yellow Springs with Springfield to the north and Loveland to the south. The Yellow Springs Train Station is located next to the bikepath and provides trail support, including public restrooms. The facility also houses the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce.

The Village also owns Ellis Park, on Polecat Road, just north of the Village limits, which has a pond and a picnic area. Several small neighborhood park areas are located throughout town.

Nearby Parks

Glen Helen Nature Reserve

Glen Helen is a 1000-acre nature preserve and environmental education facility which is safeguarded as a place for the observation, study, and enjoyment of natural ecological processes.

Scenic features include valleys, ledges, potholes, the Cascades, and the Yellow Spring, from which the village gets its name. A 250-acre parcel within the Glen has been designated as a "National Natural Landmark" by the National Park Service. The State and National Scenic Little Miami River flows through the southern area of Glen Helen.

Hiking trails in Glen Helen are open to the public year round from dawn until dusk.

John Bryan State Park

John Bryan is the most scenic state park in western Ohio. The park contains a remarkable limestone gorge cut by the Little Miami River which is designated as a state and national scenic river. A portion of the gorge itself is designated as a national natural landmark.

Little Miami Scenic Trail

Greene County manages 15 miles of this 70 mile trail, which extends from Milford to Springfield. From Xenia Station, the county manages 3 miles south to Hedges Road, and 12 miles north to Jackson Road in Clark County. Portions of the trail parallel the Little Miami State and National Scenic River and winds serenely through the beautiful countryside of Greene County.

Clifton Gorge

This 269-acre preserve protects one of the most spectacular dolomite and limestone gorges in the state. Registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1968, Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve encompasses a two-mile stretch of the Little Miami State and National Scenic River, just east of John Bryan State Park.