Grand Valley

The Grand Valley Preserve, a former gravel excavation site, was acquired by the Village of Indian Hill in 2002. Located in Camp Dennison, the 379 acre site has been the focus of a reclamation project to restore wildlife and the Preserve's natural beauty. Due to the restoration, a few miles of beautiful walking trails have been created, and the previous separate lakes have been combined to form one large lake, great for canoeing and fishing. Bring your binoculars and camera, there are many species of birds, waterfowl, and wildlife for you to observe. Come and enjoy the beauty of nature, and the serenity that Grand Valley has to offer. As the restoration continues, the results will be presented on this website.

GRAND VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT AND OBJECTIVES:

1. Develop a master plan for the property that will insure the highest level of benefits to a broad range of users while restoring Grand Valley to a pristine natural area.

2. Protect unique and important wildlife species through meaningful use restrictions and responsible site design criteria.

3. Provide for the construction of necessary recreation facilities and other low impact uses which comply with the mission statement.

4. Employ very strict standards for effluent discharge to insure the maintenance of a high quality water system.

5. Retain ownership of the property and provide for the continued operation of the facilities and uses to insure that the property remains a beneficial asset to the Indian Hill residential water customers.

Note: Only certain activities are permitted at Grand Valley Preserve. Any activity, at the discretion of the Village of Indian Hill, may be suspended at any time, for a specified length of time and/or in a certain area, due to construction activities. For additional information contact Preserve Manager Will McQueen at 513.979.6221 or wmcqueen@ihill.org.

The entrance gate is programmed to allow access to the Grand Valley Preserve only during operating scheduled hours. The schedule does change based on the daylight hours. Access cards will not activate the gate before or after the permitted entrance times to the Preserve.  Current opening time for the gate is 6:30 a.m. Gate will not open after 8:00 p.m. Please do not park your vehicle outside the gate area to enter Grand Valley. Violators will be subject to a citation.

An access cards for the entrance gate is required for the Grand Valley Preserve. Each Indian Hill resident or Indian Hill residential water customer can receive one access card at no charge. One additional card can be purchased for $10.00. There is a limit of 2 cards per household. Access cards are available only at the Indian Hill Administration Building, 6525 Drake Road, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. A Photo ID will be required.

Dogs are permitted to be off the leash on the North Trail and the West Overlook Trail throughout the year. It is mandatory that dogs remain leashed year round on ALL other trails. There is now a section on the North Trail where dogs can access the lake for a swim. Access point is indicated by a sign.  

All fish are catch and release except the following:

Bass:  11 to 13 inches                            No Limit

White Crappie: 10 inch minimum        Limit Four

Black Crappie: 10 inch minimum         Limit Four

Bluegill: 6 inch minimum                      Limit Ten

Common Carp: Any size and no Limit

You can fish from the banks or from a boat. If you do not have your own boat, there are canoes on the property that you can use. Remember, boats equipped with gasoline motors are not permitted to be on the lake, even if the motor is not in use. Electric trolling motors are permissible. A fishing license is not required.

 Grand Valley is experiencing a problem with vehicles speeding. Several ducks and killdeers have been run over. The posted speed limit is 15 mph. Please be mindful of pedestrians and wildlife. The Rangers will be assisting the staff at Grand Valley to enforce the speed limit. Visitors who are caught speeding will be subject to their access card being deactivated. Please slow down and enjoy the beauty Grand Valley has to offer.

Some visitors are discarding their cigarette butts and water bottles on the shoreline of the lakes and on the walking trails. Please do your part to keep Grand Valley beautiful. Use the trash cans that are available, or take home what you bring in. Report anyone you observe littering to the Preserve Manager or a Grand Valley employee that is on-duty. The Indian Hill Rangers are also available at 561-7000. Littering is a crime and anyone caught littering at Grand Valley will be cited. Grand Valley is your Preserve, please keep it clean.  

                                                     "Leave behind nothing but footprints......"