Bill Yeck Park
About
Bill Yeck Park is a 194-acre natural area along 1.75 miles of Sugar Creek. The park is treasured by hikers, bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. It harbors many rare species of plant life, providing a home to a variety of animals in every season. Fossils from the Ordovician period can be found in Sugar Creek which flows through the park. The park connects with other parks and wildlife areas creating a large corridor of green space that extends from St. Leonard Center to the Little Miami River. This unbroken wooded area makes the park's wildlife abundant and varied.
Another feature of the park is the Tri-centennial Time Trail. Established during the Centerville-Washington Township bi-centennial in 1996, the time trail is a tract of land representing 100 years of natural succession. Each year another unmown section is added, creating a trail that shows how a field turns into a forest.
The latest addition to the park is the former Victor and Mary Jane Smith property along Centerville Station Road. The 37-acre site includes a historic home, meadow and woods. The home is now used for programming and summer camps.
The Park District offers environmental education programs for all ages throughout the year at Bill Yeck Park. Parking is available along Rooks Mill Lane, at the Wilmington-Dayton Road entrance, at the Smith entrance on Centerville Station Road and at the adjacent Forest Field Park.
A bench swing and a natural play area are located in the park at the end of Parkhaven Point.
This Fall Here
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Adult Wellness
Campfire Yoga
Thursday, October 8, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
John Meyer II Memorial Fire Circle (Smith House) · Ages 18 and up
10 of 45 spots left
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Preschool Programs
Preschool Nature Series: Seed Search
Thursday, October 15, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Smith House Entrance · Ages 3 – 5 with adult companion · $4 nonresidents
23 of 30 spots left · Register by Tuesday, October 13
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Family Programs
Signs of Fall: ASL Interpreted Hike
Saturday, October 17, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
McGuffey Meadow · All ages (recommended for ages 8 and up)
24 of 30 spots left
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Special Events
Hound Hike
Sunday, October 18, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Smith House Entrance · All ages
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Family Programs
Simply Bat-tastic!
Monday, October 26, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Smith House Entrance · All ages · $4 nonresidents
11 of 30 spots left · Register by Thursday, October 22
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Preschool Programs
Early Adventures: Smith (November)
Tuesday, November 3, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Smith House Entrance · Ages 0 – 5 years with adult companion · $4 nonresidents
7 of 20 spots left · Register by Sunday, November 1
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Adult Programs
Hike with a Naturalist (November: Turkeys)
Thursday, November 12, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Smith House Entrance · Ages 18 and up · $4 nonresidents
2 of 20 spots left · Register by Tuesday, November 10
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Children's Programs
Owlexander's Cinema: Island Adventure Night
Thursday, November 12, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Smith House · Ages 5 – 10 · $5 residents, $7 nonresidents
5 of 16 spots left · Register by Friday, November 6
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Preschool Programs
Preschool Nature Series: Flying Squirrels
Thursday, November 19, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Smith House Entrance · Ages 3 – 5 with adult companion · $4 nonresidents
20 of 30 spots left · Register by Tuesday, November 17
Recent News
Features
- AED (automated external defibrillator) at Smith entrance shelter
- Apiary
- Fire Circle (John Meyer II Memorial Fire Circle)
- Hiking Trails
- Historic Home
- Native Seed Nursery
- Natural Play Area (Parkhaven entrance)
- Owlexander's Tree Trek Nature Literature Trail (Rooks Mill entrance, brown trail)
- Parking Lot
- Picnic Tables
- Portable Restroom (Wilmington entrance)
- Rain Garden
- Restroom (Smith entrance)
- Shelter (large, non-reservable at Smith entrance)
- Sled Hills
- Stream
History
Bill Yeck Park was originally named Sugar Valley Park, the first parcel acquired in 1968. The name was changed in 1996 in honor of William S. Yeck, the Father of the Park District. Bill's main interest was in nature parks and he spent a lot of time in this park.
As you hike through the park, you may find evidence of what this area was like in the 1800's. Standing on the observation deck at Rooks Mill Lane, look across the creek to see the former location of the J. Murphy sawmill which was built around 1830. Look up at the flat area on the other side of the creek to see where the mill race used to power the mill was located. Hike the orange trail and discover the Abner Stevens well and cabin site, once situated by a lost road that ran from Sugar Ridge Lane along the creek to the 1817 Neil-Tucker Grist Mill north of the Park. The well's above-ground wall was rebuilt in 1984. In the far northwest corner of the park is another abandoned well on the Thomas Miller property whose dwelling was located here in 1851.
Note: History courtesy of Pat Aldrich, Centerville-Washington History
Before You Go
- Hours
- The park is open during daylight hours.
- Address
- Rooks Mill Entrance, 8798 Rooks Mill Ln.
Centerville, OH 45459 - Pets
- Domesticated animals are permitted if they are controlled at all times on a visible leash not more than eight feet long.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors and the U.S. Census Bureau
- Woods
- Meadow
- Wetland
- Garden
- Water
- Play area
- Parking
- Buildings and shelters
- Trail
- Paved path
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Maps and Guides
Nearby Parks
- Forest Field Park Community park · 44.27 acres
- Black Oak East Park Nature park · 25.39 acres
- Black Oak Park Nature park · 17.86 acres
- Rooks Ravine Park Nature park · 5.16 acres