The Sweet-Seeker’s Guide to the Butler County Donut Trail

Cheesecake. Maple Bacon. Fruity Pebbles. S’mores. These sweet selections are all delicious on their own. But when these words are being used to describe the flavor of a donut, we’re talking about an entirely new level of delectability.

These donuts aren’t the stuff of fairy tales — every morning, these magical flavors grace the shelves of 11 mom-and-pop shops in Butler County, a measly 45-minute-drive north of Cincinnati. But that’s not all — these shops have converged to form the Butler County Donut Trail, a sugary machination of the Butler County Visitors Bureau which challenges hungry humans to get a passport stamped at each of the 11 locations in a quest for total donut domination.

Official Butler County Donut Trail passports are available at each stop along the trail, and a printable version is also available online. Those who successfully get their passport stamped (and eat a donut or three) at every stop along the way are eligible to claim a well-deserved prize: an official Butler County Donut Trail T-shirt.

Don’t set out unprepared: These stores close up shop as soon as their inventory runs out, which can happen as early as 10 a.m. daily.

If you do intend to visit them all in a day, plan on beginning around 7 a.m. Although Oxford Doughnut Shoppe is an optional stop — the only elective destination on the list — the popular store near Miami University frequently cleans out their shelves by 8 a.m., necessitating a particularly early start if you plan to include it. And you should — its donuts make the grogginess worth it (and there’s coffee!).  

With your completed passport in hand, swing by the Butler County Visitors Bureau to claim your T-shirt (available small through XXL). Passports can also be mailed into the bureau (8756 Union Centre Blvd., West Chester, OH 45069), which will send your T-shirt to you in return.

So grab a traveling companion, make room in your stomach and hone your sweet tooth: The Donut Trail is calling your name. 

For more information on the Butler County Donut Trail and to download an official trail passport, visit gettothebc.com/donut-trail.