Ohio's Peaceful City Is A Riverside Hideaway With Forest Hikes, Lazy Paddles, And A Small-Town Stroll Through History

Fancy some woodland hikes, scenic canoe rides, and a dose of Midwestern charm? Bellbrook, Ohio, is a historic town that has all three. It was established in 1816 and achieved city status in 1974. Located 15 miles from the affordable Midwest mecca of Dayton, Bellbrook is a comparatively small and peaceful suburb in Greene County with a population of over 7,000. 

The town's 3 square miles are rich in history and abundant in nature. The Bellbrook Sugarcreek Park District manages nine parks, including Bellbrock Park, where the town's annual festive celebrations and summer festivals take place. Most accommodation options for travelers to Bellbrook are located in nearby Dayton, but there are campsites nearby if you want to fully immerse yourself in nature.

Speaking of nature, Bellbrook is an outdoorsy haven with hikes through forests, beside creeks, and across prairies for the outdoors enthusiasts — and if you fancy something more challenging, Ohio's scenic secret Great Seal State Park is about an hour's drive away, a perfect addition to a weekend itinerary. If you're not interested in hiking, don't worry — there are also highly rated cafes to relax in, pottery classes to try at the local art studio, and a photography gallery to peruse downtown.

Bellbrook was a popular wellness destination in the late Victorian period because of its natural mineral spring water that, legend has it, could cure disease. In 1883, builders discovered a well of magnetic spring water in the basement of a former church. Stories about the springs' alleged healing abilities spread, and people started flocking to Bellbrook.

The Magnetic Springs Hotel was quickly built to accommodate all the pilgrims. The springs became so popular, in fact, that too many people turned up and the village didn't have enough food to feed everyone. Sadly, you can't stay at the hotel, because it was destroyed in a fire in 1893, only 10 years after the spring was discovered. History enthusiasts should make a visit to the Bellbrook Historical Museum — open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. — which contains a range of artifacts and exhibitions exploring not just the Magnetic Springs Hotel, but also the last few hundred years on this land.

Bellbrock Park sets the stage for many community events in town throughout the year, including the spring Sugar Maple Festival where you can sample local foods, from maple-glazed donuts to Ohio's favorite Polish dish, pierogis; witness a maple sap boil; enjoy some live music; watch a dog show and a parade; and win a hot dog eating contest! Morris Reserve and Sweet Arrow Reserve are the places to go in town for forest hiking trails. Bellbrook Canoe Rental, where you can rent a canoe, kayak, or tube for a picturesque paddle down the nearby Little Miami River, is a two-minute drive from the center of town.

Sugarcreek MetroPark is a charming 618-acre spread of rewilded former farmland just 2.7 miles from Bellbrook. It's home to 580-year-old oak trees, and as you enjoy a shaded forest hike along the trails and past the creeks, you will come across the living Osage Orange Tunnel, which was initially a farm fence built to fulfill the "Horse-high, bull-strong, and hog-tight" criteria of the time: tall enough for a horse not to jump over, strong enough to withstand a bull charge, and interwoven tightly enough that even a hog couldn't get through. The tunnel is made by the branches of rows of trees, and it looks like a fairytale-style corridor that you through the woods. And if you want more mystical forest vibes, one of Ohio's enchanting Storybook Trails — the John Bryan State Park Storybook Trail — is just a 30-minute drive away.