Glen Helen Association — Attraction in Miami Township

When I thought about leaving a review, I was initially going to leave 5 stars. Aside from the fact that parking was $5 (who does that?), we were impressed during our first few hours of hiking. However, we got lost. It doesn't matter that we used the map, gps and Google maps, the park is so poorly marked it doesn't take much to make a wrong turn. Then, the trails get quite ominous, narrow and somewhat dangerous... especially for little ones. Random "bridges" made of logs, trails that end for no apparent reason, trails that cannot be traversed and so much more dropped the ratings quickly.

We ended up having to call for a ride 6 miles from our car because our normally energized children couldn't walk anymore and we were walking alongside a road with no sidewalk with cars going 60+ mph.

The park, at least the red trail, is great. Avoid the black "trail" if you don't like dead ends, water-logged sections and a...

The trails need to be marked better but other than that it's a great place. There are 2 main trails and several side trails. I can't wait to hike them all! Parking is $5 but worth it. There is a nice little gift shop with all kinds of souvenirs to buy. Staff was very nice. The bird exibit could have been nicer but I imagine it is in the warmer months. I can't wait to go back again when it's warmer out and there are leaves on the trees. The waterfalls are amazing! We see lots of trails that don't allow dogs. We must have seen 50 dogs on trail! Only 1 owner didn't have theirs on a leash. I didn't see any no smoking signs but if you do this (or any other) hike please be aware of one of the main reason why people hike and don't smoke. The stink travels farther than you realize....

Please note the Glen Helen itself deserves FIVE STARS. The loss of one star is due to a staff member. She was our contact for a group event. Her communications with us were terrible, and not timely at all. She gave us explicit instructions of what to do, and then didn't show up, or have someone else there at the appointed time. We arrived to a dark, locked up building, didn't get the required talk, sign the required waiver, and we didn't pay the $5/each, which meant a loss of revenue to them. The kicker was when I emailed her about it, she said she was there and "must have just missed each other." If she was there, she certainly wasn't where she told us to meet. We went ahead and had a wonderful walk, through a beautiful preserve. We will go there again, but will not book...