Image taken from the Frogman Festival website.

Last weekend was that most wonderful time of year, the annual Loveland Frogman Festival 2025! Not to be confused with the Loveland Return of the Frogman event that is sponsored by city and held in downtown Loveland. This is a separate event (Loveland really loves their Frogman festivals!).

This is a convention for all who love criptids, especially the Frogman. A little backstory, “the Loveland Frogman, or Loveland Lizard, is a legendary creature said to inhabit the area near Loveland, Ohio. The first reported sighting dates back to 1955, when a businessman claimed to have encountered three bipedal, frog-like creatures along the Little Miami River, each standing roughly three to four feet tall. According to the account, the creatures had leathery skin and webbed hands and feet. One even held a wand-like object that emitted sparks. The tale of the Frogman resurfaced in 1972 when a police officer reported seeing an unidentified animal, which he described as having similar features to the Frogman.” [1]

Also, please see my earlier post on the Return of the Frogman event from 2024.

The Festival seems to get bigger each year. It is filled with entertainment, vendors, speakers and even a parade! Everyone is happy, welcoming, and having a good time.

[1] Text generated by Copilot, Microsoft, March 2, 2025, and summarized for clarity

After the festival I was inspired to go look for the Frogman myself! I found a hiking trail that runs right a long the Little Miami River; the perfect place to go looking for a four-foot-tall frogman! I chose the Carter Park Loop since it was on my way back home to Columbus.  This is a 1.7 mile paved and dirt trail loop near Kings Mills, Ohio. Take the King’s Island exit off of I71). Take the turn at the school, then head for the quilter’s barn; that is where you park.

And best of all, there is a bathroom at the trailhead!

The trail starts out as a paved road that takes you through the park area, then it changes to a gravel trail.

Shortly after leaving the park area I came across a set of stairs, and I immediately thought of “the stairs to nowhere in the woods” lore. This is when you find a set of stairs in a forested area that seemingly lead to no destination, appearing as a standalone structure with no obvious purpose. The folklore speculate these stairs are forgotten structures to supernatural occurrences. I was so excited to find my first set! The lore says you should not go anywhere near them (unless you want to be sucked into another dimension). I decided to play it safe and kept on walking. 

The trail takes you down the hill and it eventually turns to run alongside the Little Miami River. There is a tall mound between the trail and river, presumably to contain flooding, so you only catch glimpses of the river. But you can leave the trail and cross over to see the river if you want to search more closely for the Frogman.

This trail is marked “moderate,” and I did not understand why until I got to about the ¾ mark. At this point, the trail narrows down to a dirt path, and it takes a sharp turn to take you straight up the hill you came down earlier. But there is no fancy gravel road on this end of the trail! It starts out with a steep set of stairs (these stairs definitely had a purpose, so I was not worried about dimension jumping if I took these).

After the stairs, you are on your own to scramble up a steep rocky incline using tree roots for handholds!

But once you make it to the top, you are met with a nice gravel trail again that takes you back to the paved park trail.

Overall I enjoyed this trail quite a bit. I especially liked the little bit of a climbing challenge at the end. I met a couple of hikes and some cyclists on the first part of the trial, but I was alone on the back side. I did not feel unsafe, just a little isolated.

As you can see from the pictures, the winter landscape was a little brutal, but I bet this is a pretty trail in the summertime. And if you are traveling between Cincinnati and Columbus and are looking for a place to get out and stretch your legs, this is the perfect spot, right off the freeway.

Here is my itinerary for the trip.

Let me know if you decide to take this trip for yourself!