Fall in Southwest Ohio means crunching through leaves, chasing a color-changing forest canopy, and figuring out where to take the kids before the trees go bare. Cincinnati and Dayton both sit inside some of the best leaf-peeping territory in the Midwest, and you don’t have to drive far to find it.

Here are 11 one-tank trips for fall foliage viewing across the region, all family-friendly.Rocky Fork State Park sits in the foothills of Appalachia around a 2,080-acre lake with a 31-mile shoreline. The hills ringing the water turn shades of yellow, orange and red, and the park is home to an eagle family, herons, osprey, bass and turkeys. While you’re there, it’s a 10-minute drive to Amish country for fall treats.
9800 North Shore Drive, Hillsboro, OH 45133Cincinnati Nature Center spans 1,800 acres and 20 miles of trails across two locations, Rowe Woods and Long Branch Farm & Trails. For kids, the main draw is the Nature PlayScape, where plants, soil and water can be touched and manipulated and creeks stomped in. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 65 and older and active military, $8 for children ages 4 to 12, and free for kids three and younger. Members get in free.
Cincinnati Nature Center, 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150This Great Parks property covers 338 acres of formal gardens, prairies, forests and wetlands, plus a one-mile paved trail and the 1.6-mile Wetland Loop nature trail. For kids, the draw is Highfield Discovery Garden, a 12-acre children’s garden with a 25-foot Discovery Tree and seven smaller theme gardens. A Great Parks Motor Vehicle Permit is required to enter: $5 daily or $10 annually for Hamilton County residents, $8 daily or $16 annually for non-residents. Highfield Discovery Garden admission is separate, $7 per person.
Glenwood Gardens, 10397 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45215