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Recreation

Recreational opportunities in the City of Piqua are among the best in West Central Ohio. From parks and playgrounds to golf courses and bikepaths, the community offers something for everyone. With so many recreational options, residents and visitors alike can enjoy the many events, programs and venues throughout the year.


City of Piqua Parks & Recreation

The City of Piqua's 17 parks cover nearly 275 acres and include neighborhood parks with playgrounds, busy fully-developed parks featuring youth sports fields and other amenities, fishing canals, hiking and biking trails, and undeveloped open space. The system includes the impressive 12.5 mile paved Linear Park for biking, walking and rollerblading. This park is connected to the Great Miami River Recreational Trail, which will soon connect the Trail from Piqua south to the Montgomery County line and Five Rivers Metroparks portion of the bike trail.

Fountain Park is a spectacular 35-acre park divided into Lower Fountain Park and Upper Fountain Park by the historic hydraulic canal. Lower Fountain Park is home to Hance Pavilion, an open-air covered entertainment facility with a large stage and lights and can accomodate up to 1,000 patrons. The park also houses a dining hall, picnic shelters, Hardman Field baseball diamond, tennis courts, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, picnic tables, playground equipment, swinging benches, and grills. Upper Fountain Park offers a picnic shelter, tables, grills, a fishing platform and a boat launch. The hydraulic canal separating the two parks provides a peaceful walking path and provides for excellent fishing.

Another significant park is the Pitsenbarger Sports Complex, a 67 acre park named in honor of local Vietnam War Hero William Pitsenbarger. The facility includes baseball and softball diamonds, soccer fields, football fields, tennis courts, sand volleyball court, playground equipment and grills.

Miami County Parks District

Additionally, the Miami County Parks District has over 1,900 acres of natural and scenic reserves. From waterfalls to scenic rivers, from hiking trails to rolling prairies, the district offers many opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Among the more notable scenic reserves in the Miami County Park District is the Garbry Big Woods Reserve and Sanctuary.  The site became part of the District in 1981 when J. Scott Garbry and his family of Piqua deeded that 100-acre sanctuary to the District. Prior to this time, the "Big Woods" had been under the stewardship of the Garbry family for over 130 years.  The Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary is a 3,500 foot boardwalk loop through an undistrubed wet beech-maple forest. While the 100 acre sanctuary is not connected to the reserve, it can be reached by driving a short distrance north from the reserve entrance and turning west on Statler Road. Plants and trees are labeled, making the hike educational as well as pleasurable. A boardwalk guides the visitors through woodland habitats helping to preserve the sensitive and rare plant community and making the sanctuary handicapped accessible.

Other Recreational Facilities

The community also offers outstanding golf options for amateurs and professionals alike. Echo Hills Golf Course is a Par 72, 6,000 yard, 18-hole golf course with a driving range. It is owned and operated by the City of Piqua. The course is open from March 1 through December 31 for public play, with yearly membership or daily greens fees. In addition, the Piqua Country Club is known to be one of the oldest courses west of the Allegheny Mountains. The 18-hole championship golf course challenges players of all skills levels and offers an unforgettable golf experience with dramatic views, lush fairways and pristine greens.

Another recreational asset in the community is Tecumseh Woods, a private swimming complex nesteled on 16 acres of wooded landscape in the heart of Piqua. The facility is home to many special events throughout the summer season, including swim meets, private parties, holiday celebrations, teen dances and campouts for children. Tecumseh Woods also boasts competitive swim and dive teams for children between 8 and 18 years old. Children that like to swim, but are younger than eight years old may consider Mighty Mites, a program designed to introduce young children to the swim program while allowing them to also participate at league events. Additionally, Tecumseh Woods offers basketball and tennis on their private courts and plenty of open space for a more casual summer experience.

Alexander Stadium, with newly installed athletic turf, is the envy of any high school football team. With all the high-tech amenities found in newly constructed high school and college facilities, the 8,400 seat stadium includes a 30 foot video scoreboard, premium all-weather traffic and a state-of-the-art training facility.