Building Trails to Foster Community

Contributors: Claire Carlson, Jaki Howser

Situated on the southern edge of Dayton, Kentucky, this greenspace has been transformed into a multi-purpose, natural-use trail system for the community.

Join the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA) and Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance for the Meet A Greenspace Hike with CORA on Friday, June 20th, from 3:00-4:30 PM.

Sargeant Park: A Brief History

For a number of years, Sargeant Park in southern Dayton, Kentucky was reclaimed by nature. Plants, invasive and otherwise, grew tall and thick, overtaking much of the forest floor. Woodland creatures made homes in the 40 acres of overgrown trees and plentiful vegetation. Some species, however, did not thrive. As the Emerald Ash Borer beetle left a trail of destruction in its sweep across the country, the once-plentiful ash tree deteriorated, died, and fell in Sargeant Park. Beginning in the early 2020s, the City of Dayton and its Park Board began the process of restoring this park to breathe new life into it. This work has continued over the past four years, with the park recently being reopened for public use and enjoyment.

Reimagining Trails

A main partner in this work to reinvigorate and reimagine a community with an accessible and usable Sargeant Park is the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA). CORA is a non-profit organization focused on building and advocating for more miles of sustainable, off-road trails.

Today, CORA maintains over 115 miles of multi-use natural surface trails throughout the region, including those at Sargeant Park. They began trail construction at the park in the fall of 2024 and wrapped up construction in the spring of 2025. CORA and its partners at the City of Dayton, the Dayton Park Board, Groundwork Ohio River Valley, Northern Kentucky University, and countless volunteers have poured hours of labor and dedication into transforming this once forgotten and neglected space into a place to be enjoyed by the community.

Explore Sargeant Park!

CORA’s dedication to providing accessible and sustainable trails for all is truly exemplified by its work in Sargeant Park. We hope you will be able to join us in celebrating their hard work by getting out and exploring the newly developed trail system! The hike will take place on Friday, June 20, from 3:00-4:30 PM at the Sargeant Park and will be guided by CORA staff. We will meet in the parking lot at 999 Covert Run Pike, Dayton, KY, 41074.

This hike is part of our monthly Meet a Greenspace Hiking series. We hope these hikes will provide those who join the time and space they need to reconnect with nature. If you have any questions, contact Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance Manager Claire Carlson at claire@greenumbrella.org.