The Narrows Reserve Nature Center — Attraction in Beavercreek Township

The Narrows is beautiful and there are about 5 miles of trails to follow. I advise going early in the morning before the commercial kayak companies start dumping their clients into the river. The hordes of commercial kayaks and canoes sadly frequently have little regard for the peace and quiet of the river and take no notice of this being a nature reserve. I’ve witnessed countless occasions of crude language, loud music, screaming and shouting all the way down the river, and empty beer cans being tossed into the river or riverbank. I’ve given up reporting these instances to the park ranger and Beavercreek city; no one has ever acknowledged or replied to any email or telephone message about my concerns. I guess they, like the commercial kayakers, don’t care. It’s a pity, because when it’s quiet, it’s a beautiful reserve, full of deer, birds and critters. The spring bloom of flowers is...

I've been going to The Narrows for many years, mostly to run. The trails are a lot of fun. A couple years ago they did dump a lot of gravel on the trails, so they are less rugged now. There's also a housing development nearby, which has thinned out the treeline on the upper trails. Still, this is a nice park where you can get in a run, launch a boat, or take the dog for a walk. Because it is located next to the river, it will flood after raining and the river trail will likely be muddy.

While you're out on the trails, swing by the raptor center, where they have some owls, a hawk,...

Apparently the nature center closes in the winter, which is a shame. The trails are easy to follow and there’s several miles worth, making for a solid few hours you can spend here. Typical vault restrooms at the parking lot, which has plenty of spaces. Okay, the bald eagle, I only saw one and it was on the river trail towards the end furthest away from the parking lot where other trail heads are at. Coming in the winter greatly increases your chances of seeing it with the leaves gone. It was across the river up in the the nearby trees looking for fish...