Maud Hughes Incline Park

"★ Popularity: Locally known. ★ Size/Location: Small. ★ Trail difficulty: Easy. ★ Business Hour: Dawn to dusk. ★ Scenery and views: Underside of a highway bridge. ★ Parking: Spacious. ★ Accessibility: None. ★ Amenities: Benches. ★ Condition and cleanliness: Somewhat clean. ★ Safety: Comfortable. ★ Crowd levels: Empty. ★ Reservation: None. ★ Expense: Free. Today I went to check out the Maud Hughes Incline Path since I had heard a lot about it. The trail itself is pretty long, 1.1 miles out and back, to be exact, and is paved all the way through. What makes this trail unique is that it runs alongside a highway and even goes under it at some points! From under the highway, the view is truly breathtaking and it gave me a feeling of awe to be up close and personal with such a giant structure. The trail itself has little elevation except for a few stairs in the middle, but it is designed for biking so it's a pretty easy walk. Along the trail, I saw some residential areas and grasslands, but the highlight for me was definitely the highway view. Although the trail was clean and well-maintained, there were a few branches and some litter from the nearby highway scattered along the side of the trail. There were also some signs of vandalism and disrepair, but nothing too serious that made me feel unsafe or uncomfortable. There were a few benches along the trail, but some of them were in pretty bad shape so I decided not to sit on them. Unfortunately, there were no other amenities along the trail, so make sure to bring everything you need before you start your walk. Overall, I thought that the Maud Hughes Incline Path was a nice trail to visit, especially if you're looking for a unique view and location. However, if you're looking for more amenities or things to do, this might not be the best trail for you."

"I only use this park when I want to incorporate the stairs into a leg workout. The trail itself is not too bad but be aware that it runs parallel to 129 and is pretty loud. From the parking lot off of Maud-Hughes to the circular turn around is probably a little less than 1 mile. Round trip is probably 1¾ mile(ish) ±. Someone or multiple people often visit the park and they sit on the bench at the bottom of the steps and smoke cigarettes. When they're done they litter the ground wit cigarette butts. When will smokers come to the realization that the world is not their ashtray? Vandalism is also an issue. The bench that is at the bottom of the steps was built by someone for an Eagle Scout project. Someone thought it would be okay to put graffiti on it. The last time I was there it looks as if someone broke some of the wood. There is also a large amount of graffiti on the towering 129 bridge abutments. All of this graffiti, the cigarette butts, and the vandalism makes it a bit unsightly. I would like some of the vandals to be caught and made to clean up and pay for damages. This trail was originally conceptualized to be a bike path that linked with other paths. The end goal was to link the Loveland (Little Miami) Bike Trail with the bike trail in Hamilton (Greater Miami). The issue of easements and other governmental bureaucracy leaves me less than optimistic that the idea will come to fruition. Overall this is an ok place for a quick workout or walk but it is definitely not my first choice for a scenic outing. The picture is the vandalized bench."

"Cute park. Small, no playground or anything, but nice for a walk or a picnic. A little overgrown by the stairs, and the bench nearby is also in disrepair, but the art on the southern bridge pillar is a nice community addition."

"it's ok. It's basically just a strip of asphalt, some stairs, and another strip of asphalt. Nice use for an otherwise vacant bit of land but could use some amenities to be called a "park""

"The entrance to the park may be a little difficult to find. Be careful on Mauds Hughes, it is narrow, curvy, and difficult to see ahead. Once in the park, the entrance area is pretty nice, having some nice views and being along a thick treeline and babbling creek. Beyond the highway above and up the stairs, the park is not much more than a walking path. It is pretty close to the highway, and isn't the best of paths. Stairs limit handicap accessibility to the entrance area, but personally, the entrance area is the best part of the park anyways. There are better parks nearby, but this one is still pretty nice to just enjoy being outside."