Things to do
The Donut Trail — Know Before You Go
Posted on Jun 16
Explore, devour and conquer your way through Ohio’s sweetest trail!
Butler County's Donut Trail makes for a pretty sweet road-trip or weekend getaway. All you need is your passport and an empty stomach. Venture to all 13 of our local Donut Shops, get your passport stamped at each stop, and then redeem your passport for your Donut Trail T-Shirt.
If you want to be a true donut expert... use this as a guide for planning information, Donut Trail tips, other activities along the way, and more.
Top Tips
1. Grab a Passport: You can download your Official Passport and Trail Map online, pick one up at any of the Donut Shops, or pick one up at the Travel Butler County, Ohio office.
2. Planning a Birthday? There are a ton of people who do the Donut Trail as their birthday activity. If you are planning to complete the trail for a birthday celebration, you can print off our special Birthday Passport here!
3. Start Early: Please be sure to check each shop’s website or Facebook page for current days and hours of operation while planning your trip. We always recommend starting as early as possible! Please be aware that some donut shops are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and some shops will close for the day once they sell out, even if it’s before their scheduled closing time. Feel free to call ahead while you travel the trail as well.
4. Make It A Weekend: The Donut Trail is open for travel and can be completed at your own pace. Keep in mind the trail is self-guided, so you can start and finish wherever you'd like. Visiting 13 Donut Shops in one day can be a bit of a sugar-overload, so many Trailers like to make a road-trip or weekend out of it. We recommend planning for at least two days, but it is possible to complete the Trail in one day with a very early start. The Donut Trail typically takes 4-5 hours to complete in one morning if you start before 7AM.
5. Plan Your Route: The Donut Trail has been completed by people all over the country! Often people ask, where is the Donut Trail? The trail includes 13 shops across many of Butler County's communities, so it helps if you plan your route before venturing off on your donut adventure. If you need any help planning your Donut Trail Route, feel free to call the Donut Trail Concierge line at (513) 860-0917 and our Donut Trail expert will be glad to assist you.
6. Collect Your Sweet Reward - To redeem your passport and receive your Donut Trail T-shirt, please ensure that your passport in completely filled out before arriving to the Visit Butler County, Ohio office. The office is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm. If you complete the trail on the weekend, you may also drop your passport in the Donut Trail bin in the front lobby of the office, and we will promptly ship your t-shirt directly to you!
Donut Trail T-Shirt Prize Pick Up Social Story
Learn more about picking up your T-Shirt prize by downloading the social story.
7. More to Explore - Once you finish the Donut Trail you will also unlock the Extra Sweet Savings Pass! This means you can wear any Donut Trail T-shirt to redeem over 30 exclusive offers and deals from other attractions in the area. Butler County is full of fun adventures. From Jungle Jim's International Market to Wake Nation to EnterTrainment Junction, there's a perfect activity to fit your group. Add some variety to your stay with some of our top picks for things to do found at the bottom of this page.
8. Stay Close: After a day of exploring — and eating — you'll want a comfortable place to relax. Use our Where to Stay Resource with a complete list of places in the county — whether it's a hotel, bed & breakfast, or campground. We're here to help you find the perfect place to stay.
9. Do Some Research: For additional tips, advice, and planning info, check out these articles:
- Chevy New Roads Magazine | The Sweetest Road Trip
- USA Today | 10 Delicious Stops on the First Donut Trail in the Country
- Food & wine | Everything You Need to Know About Ohio's Donut Trail
- Adventure Mom | What You Need to Know Before You Go on the Donut Trail
- Columbus on the Cheap | Butler County Donut Trail: The Sweetest Trail in Ohio
Last But Not Least...
BONUS TIP: Break up the day! We know... the Donut Trail is a lot of sugar, but it's so worth it. The good news is Butler County is full of other fun adventures and dining spots to help you make the most out of your trip — and burn all of the extra donut calories too.
Cindy Wallis, Owner of Donut Trail Shop Jupiter Coffee & Donuts, said it best — "Make sure to stop at a burger joint or somewhere to eat half-way in between to get something salty, because your day is already sugar city!" Activity-wise, we have compiled a quick list of some of our most popular attractions below.
Top Picks for Other Butler County Adventures
1. EnterTRAINment Junction : The world's largest indoor model railroad display is right here in West Chester, where you and the family will find a ton of adventure — from the Train Journey, to the A-Maze-N Funhouse, to Imagination Junction, and more fun-filled activities.
2. Land of Illusion Aqua Adventures : Middletown brings us the action-packed Aqua Adventures! Kids of all ages love this waterpark for it's inflatables, waterslides, paddle boards, and the famous obstacle courses. All while adults can relax and enjoy the sandy beach, patio seating, and the full bar in the Aqua Lounge.
Photo Credit : Zen Life & Travels
3. Jungle Jim's International Market : Jungle Jim's is one of Fairfield's greatest attractions and a food-lover's paradise! Venture inside for over 6.5 acres of wild foodie-fun. This is no typical grocery store with more than 180,000 items from 70 countries, a monorail, bourbon bar, and theatrical decor galore.
4. Wake Nation : Another great way to get active and cool off after the trail is Wake Nation — the only cable wake park in the region. No boat, no problem! Never been wakeboarding?
5. Holiday Auto Theatre : This Butler County staple is one of the last remaining and oldest drive-in theatre's in Ohio! It's a great activity for everyone to enjoy while relaxing after a full day of donuts.
6. Dudley Woods Park : Butler County is full of beautiful Parks and Trails to help burn off the calories and have a lot of fun while doing it. One with particularly beautiful views is Dudley Woods in Liberty Township. While you're in the area, you can also stop by the Liberty Center for some shopping, dinner, and more fun activities.
7. Nation Road Horse Rental : Ride horseback through scenic trails in Oxford at Nation Road Horse Rental. With four different guided trail rides, pony rides, and horses for any experience level — you can't go wrong with this activity!
8. Admire our Murals : From the StreetSpark murals throughout Hamilton, to the vibrant mural tour of Middletown, historical murals in Oxford, and the famous Kelsey Montague murals at Liberty Center, there is SO much colorful art to discover in Butler County.
