Road trips and food always make a good combination. Many communities have found the ideal way to combine them - local food trails. There are wine trails and BBQ trails; heck, the state of Kentucky has two bourbon trails. If your travels take you to the Buckeye State of Ohio, you can indulge your sweet tooth along a donut trail.
Started in 2016, the Butler County Donut Trail runs 80 miles through the countryside north of Cincinnati, putting you tastebuds to treat at 12 donut shops in the area. According to Food and Wine, Butler County came up with the trail idea to celebrate the County’s fame of having more donut shops per-capita than almost anywhere in the country. I spoke with Tracy Kocher, Marketing Director for Visit Butler County who said, “Over the four years, the trail has been gaining in popularity. Word of mouth plays a big role. One person experiences the trail then tells people they know.”
If donut Nirvana isn’t enough on its own, there’s a fun twist to the trail - it’s the Donut Trail official passport. It’s a small brochure that you can get stamped at each location. Ms. Kocher noted, “We’ve had over 22,000 people from all 50 states and 21 countries finish the passport.” While that in itself is a feat, she pointed to just how popular the trail is: “We’ve distributed over 200,000 passports.”
The passport can be downloaded, picked up from the Butler County Visitors Bureau, or snagged from one of the participating donut shops. Once you’ve gotten stamps from each stop on the trail you can claim a Donut Trail t-shirt as a reward (supplies are limited). Discounts are available at other participating Butler County businesses if you enter wearing the T-shirt. Participating merchants include eateries, breweries, farm markets, and art venues. You can get your passport stamped without buying a pastry, but it’s beyond a double-dog-dare to forego any of the delicious temptations!
During the Donut Trail Experience [Photo/Visit Butler County]
The donut trail is a self-guided and a map is available. You can start wherever you like and head to shops in any order. Ms. Kocher said, “The optimal route depends on a number of factors like where someone is arriving from and what days of the week they’re driving the trail.” She added, “If someone wants to plan a route, we’re happy to help.”
The current roster of shops sits in five Butler County towns:
Each shop has a unique pastry they’re known for. Ms. Kocher said that many people focus on those. So, what will you find? How about a Lucky Charms donut at Holtman’s in West Chester, a Girl Scout Cookie donut at the Oxford Donut Shoppe, S’mores donuts at Kelly’s Bakery, or even a fried cheesecake donut at Milton’s in Middletown? There’s even something called a Klunker at the Ross bakery; you get to discover that one for yourself! Specialties are not designated on donut trail literature but shops often post signs and you can always ask at each shop what their specialty items are.
Because of the trail’s popularity, Ms. Kocher said, “We always encourage people to get an early start because shops can sell out early, particularly the specialty items.” Plus, each shop on the trail has varying days and hours of operation. Many are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Check individual websites for details. “Many shops will close for the day once they sell out,” she added. A visitor from Michigan commenting on Yelp echoes those suggestions, “One tip - if you do not live in the area, spend the night before you do the trail. You have to start early to get to all the stores before they start running low on selections.”
Many visitors suggest doing the trail over two days. After all, there are a dozen stops - that’s a lot of donuts to try! Or, take others’ suggestions and sample and share donuts rather than trying to “down” a whole donut at each location.
While traveling the trail, be sure to enjoy all that Butler County has to offer. The picturesque county, located between Cincinnati and Dayton, offers more than just great donuts. Oxford is on the Presidential Pathways Scenic Byway and home to Ohio’s Miami University. While in Fairfield be sure to stop by Jungle Jim’s International Market where you’ll be wowed by six acres of food from around the world.
A handful of other Butler County communities not currently on the trail route and worth exploring include: Liberty Township, known for the Liberty Center shopping destination; Monroe, a small city founded in 1817, full of local shopping and dining; and, West Chester, ranked as one of the “Top 50 Best Places to Live” by Money Magazine.
Just south of Butler County, not far from Jungle Jim’s, is popular Swedish retailer IKEA with 10,000 unique items for the home. If you aren’t full from donuts, you can grab a plate of IKEA’s famous Swedish meatballs.
About 30-40 forty minutes from the donut trail route is the Lebanon/Cincinnati NE KOA. The 30-acre park has over 100 sites and can accommodate rigs up to 75-feet in pull-through sites. There are full hookup and electric-only sites with 20/30/50 amp electric and cable TV. There is a seasonal pool, a jump pad for the kids, and park Wi-Fi.
Just south of Butler County, in Winton Woods Park in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati is the Winton Woods Campground with 25 back-in and 12 pull-through sites, some big-rig friendly.
Also south of Butler County, in the northern reaches of Cincinnati is Hidden Valley with 27 sites. Olive Branch Campground can be found approximately 18 miles northeast of West Chester. Enjoy full hookup with dump station, electric, propane, water, Wi-Fi and other amenities. Nearby to Olive Branch, you’ll fins Kings Island Amusement Park, The Cincinnati Zoo, and The Beach Waterpark.
Destinations, Entertainment, Hiking Trails, Ohio, Outdoors, Travel