History of Five Rivers MetroParks

Protecting the region's natural heritage for more than 60 years

In 1963, Dayton was growing … quickly. A group of local citizens became concerned about the pace of this growth and how “urban sprawl” had found its way to our region, threatening the balance of developed versus natural areas. These committed individuals fought to preserve our natural areas by establishing a county-wide park district to acquire and manage open space for the recreation and enjoyment of people in the metropolitan region. Thanks to their early efforts, Five Rivers MetroParks has been able to maintain forests, prairies, wetlands and other native habitat where wildlife thrives and people can make personal connections with nature for more than 60 years.

To learn more about the history of Five Rivers MetroParks:

View the interactive timeline below.
View a list of people who shaped the organization.
View individual park histories.
Download our complete history.

Interactive Timeline

There are many “hidden” events and significant milestones that helped shape your MetroParks as you know them today.

*Note: Best viewed in Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Decoding Nature

Are you ready for an adventure? MetroParks has teamed up with the awesome folks who create Decoding Dayton for a look at the past, present and future of your MetroParks, and the role access to nature has played in the Dayton region’s development. From traveling the trails to searching for wildlife, join us to discover all the elements that make Dayton the outdoor adventure capital of the Midwest.

Episode 1 — 1913 flood, Arthur Morgan’s open space vision, the Miami Conservancy District’s role and why your MetroParks are located where they are
Episode 2 — The birth of MetroParks and its conservation mission
Episode 3 — The different habitats MetroParks conserves and protects
Episode 4 — How the public appreciates and uses natural surface trails
Episode 5 — The vision for regional paved trails, Horace Huffman and Huffy, and how the paved trails connect the community and region
Episode 6 — Creating urban parks for everyone focused along our rivers
Episode 7 — The future: outdoor recreation, connecting people with nature, the Dayton Riverfront Plan, health benefits of nature, accessibility

Brief History of Funding

In 1965, voters passed the original 0.3 mill, 10-year levy.
In 1974, voters renewed the existing levy with an addition of 0.2 mills. The majority of this money was used for land acquisition.
In May 1984, voters renewed the 0.5 mill levy for another 10 years.
In 1988, voters passed a 0.7 mill, 10-year increase levy, canceling the then-current 0.5 mill levy.
In 1994, voters approved a 10-year, 1.2 mill levy to provide additional funds needed to implement a plan to protect and enhance the area’s major river corridors.
In 2000, voters passed a new 1.8 mill, 10-year levy (to replace the 1.2 mill levy) with a 65 percent vote in favor of the levy.
In 2009, citizens passed a replacement 1.8 mill, 10-year levy with a 71 percent vote in favor of the levy.
In 2018, Montgomery County residents voted yes on Issue 6, a 10-year replacement levy of 1.8 mills, with a slight increase of 0.2 mills

History of Five Rivers MetroParks

Interactive Timeline

Decoding Nature

Brief History of Funding

Our cultural heritage

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