Deep Space, Land Preservation, and…Orienteering?! Find them all in Warren County, Ohio!

Contributors: Claire Carlson

Known as the “jewel of the Little Miami River Valley”, Hisey park is an oasis in southwest Ohio. Full of history, hiking trails, and even a Rocketry Association, this park has it all!

Join the Warren County Park District and Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance for the Meet A Greenspace Hike at Hisey Park on Friday, July 18 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Enjoy a meandering hike and an opportunity for solar viewing with the Warren County Astronomical Society at the Fred Bay Observatory in Hisey Park!

The Journey West

Like many families who came to America in the 17th century, the Hiseys traveled far and wide before settling in the Little Miami River Valley. Their journey began out east in Truro, Massachusetts, with stops in North Carolina and Kentucky, before moving to the new state of Ohio in the early 1800s. From 1809 to 1988, generations of the Hisey family farmed the land that would one day become Hisey Park. They planted corn, wheat, and soybeans, and raised livestock, including horses, sheep, hogs, and cattle. As the family grew, so did the farmhouse. It started as a small home made of logs and expanded into a two-story building where the last generations of the Hisey family lived before moving to a larger farm in Greenfield, Ohio in 1998.

To this day, the farmhouse remains on the property. Its simple frame and exterior is an ode to a different time; a time when cultivating the land and cultivating one’s family was of the utmost importance. While the house is not open to the public, the Warren County Park District uses it for various programs and events.

The Legacy of the Hisey Name

If the original members of the Hisey family were still alive today, their legacy might suprise them. Not only is the land they stewarded permanently protected, it is also home to and used by a number of organizations within Warren County.

Located near the house is a cylindrical structure appearing to stick out of the ground. Its silver color and corrugated surface looks like a standard grain silo – a typical feature of a farmyard. However, this structure holds no grain and is a special silo known as the Fred Bay Observatory. The Observatory features a 9-inch refracting telescope that allows visitors to view the solar system’s planets and deep-space phenomena like galaxies, nebulas, clusters, and stars. During the hike on July 18, the Warren County Astronomical Society (WCAS) will open the Observatory and provide solar viewing to hike participants!

In addition to WCAS, representatives from Friends of Warren County Park District and Orienteering Cincinnati will be joining us for the hike! Meet A Greenspace Hikes are designed with this type of connection-building in mind, and hiking with us will help you learn more about what each of these organizations do and how you can get involved!

Explore Hisey Park!

Join us for this unique outdoor experience with the Warren County Park District! The hike will take place on Friday, July 18 from 3:00-4:30 pm at Hisey Park and will be guided by Warren County Park District Staff. We will meet at the picnic shelter off of the parking lot at 5443 Middletown Road, Corwin, OH 45068.

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.