Ohio River Trail (Downtown Cincinnati) Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park: 1135 Riverside Drive, East End; Smale Riverfront Park: 166 W. Mehring Way, Downtown For an easygoing urban hike, you can’t beat the couple-mile stretch of the Ohio River Trail between Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park in the East End and Smale Riverfront Park downtown. Start your journey at either end and meander along the river, enjoying the views of the Roebling Bridge and Northern Kentucky. On the way, you’ll also pass through Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove, which offers plenty of relaxing spots to rest. Or, you can go off-trail and onto the Purple People Bridge, which will take you over the river to Newport on the Levee where you can refuel with a drink or snack from Bridgeview Box Park. Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Smale Riverfront Park Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Cincinnati has one of the best river walks in the nation, according to USA Today readers.

“10 Best,” USA Today’s travel information hub that frequently relies on reader input, puts Cincinnati’s Smale Riverfront Park among the country’s top ten for 2021. Readers voted for Smale and 19 other nominees in February after a panel of judges had culled the initial nominee list.

Smale lands at No. 5 on USA Today’s list, edging out Waterfront Park in Louisville, Chicago Riverwalk in Chicago, and Charles River Esplanade in Boston, among others.

Detroit International RiverWalk tops the USA Today reader picks for 2021.

Smale Riverfront Park connects downtown from Paul Brown Stadium to Great American Ball Park with 45 acres of greenway. Operated by the Cincinnati Park Board, the park opened in 2012 and features public art, interactive fountains, playgrounds and a giant swing set that gives a hell of a view of the Ohio River.

“At Smale Riverfront Park in Cincinnati, visitors can watch the river traffic float by, cycle along the Ohio River Trail, buy fresh produce at the Castellini Esplanade farmers market, cool off in the Fath Fountain or stop to smell the flowers in the Gardner Family Grove and Rose Garden,” USA Today said in February.

See USA Today’s full list of top river walks here.

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This article appears in Best Of Cincinnati 2021.