and Bicycle Travel
Photos by Matt Bayman
TRAILS
Buck Creek Trail
6 Miles: Springfield to Buck Creek State Park
The trail starts at Veterans Park in downtown Springfield, where unusually large outcrops of limestone remind visitors that an ancient river helped carve out the modern landscape. It then passes an outdoor amphitheater and the Springfield Museum of Art before following Buck Creek to Old Reid Park (a fishing area) and then into the state park boundaries. At Buck Creek State Park, several more miles of trails lead to swimming, camping, fishing, hiking, boating and much more.
Creekside Trail
15 Miles: Eastwood MetroPark (Dayton) to Xenia
Creekside Trail connects Dayton with Xenia (and also the two largest trail systems in the network) and starts at Eastwood MetroPark. The first leg of the trip is very urban and passes a legal graffiti wall where artists have painted—and continue to paint—interesting scenes and images. The bike path follows the length of the wall before again returning to the countryside. It then passes a 9/11 memorial in Beavercreek.
Dayton-Kettering Connector Trail
7.1 Miles: Iron Horse Trail on Wilmington Pike to RiverScape MetroPark
At this time, 1.9 miles of this trail is paved multi-use and 5.2 miles is shared roadway and bike lanes, including as it passes through the heart of downtown Dayton. So, if you're looking for an urban cycling experience, this is your trail. If not, it isn't!
Great Little Trail
7 Miles: Waterbury Ridge Lane in Centerville to Crains Run Park in Miamisburg
The plan for this trail is to one day use it to connect the Great Miami Recreational Trail with the Little Miami Scenic Trail—hence its name. Starting in Centerville, the trail begins without fanfare, passing through a congested area next to Austin Landing. After this, however, it's pretty cool as the path drops down into the Miami Valley, eventually reaching the Great Miami River, and its bike trail.
Great Miami Recreational Trail
77 Miles: from Piqua to Middletown + 16 miles that includes segments in Shelby County and Hamilton
The diversity of the Great Miami Recreational Trail is what makes it so fun to ride from start to finish. You'll pass through big cities and small towns filled with shops, diners and tourist attractions, through deep stretches of forest and along the river, through dozens of parks and so much more.
Iron Horse Trail
7 Miles: Linden Avenue (Creekside Trail) in Dayton to Iron Horse Park in Centerville
This is not one of the most exciting trails in the Miami Valley Trails system, but it does have a few highlights along the way.
Little Miami Scenic Trail
78 Miles: from Springfield to near the Ohio River in Cincinnati
The Little Miami Scenic Trail is often listed as one of the best bike paths in the United States, and it lives up to this recognition. Taking 2 or 3 days to complete, the trail passes through great towns like Yellow Springs, Waynesville and Loveland (where lodging and food are available), as well as through some of the most beautiful parts of the state.
Mad River Trail
6.6 Miles: Deeds Point in Dayton to Huffman MetroPark in Fairborn
Starting at Deeds Point at the confluence of the Great Miami and Mad rivers and the nearby Stillwater River in downtown Dayton, the Mad River Trail follows the Mad River east to Huffman MetroPark. Here, it joins the Wright Brothers-Huffman Prairie Trail en route to Fairborn.
The trail is most notable because it follows a series of manmade lakes in Eastwood Park and then passes the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. It also follows a section of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, so expect to see a lot of barbed wire fences.
Ohio to Erie Trail
29 Miles: London to Xenia Station
If you enjoy a straight, mostly flat, yet scenic ride through farmland and charming little towns, the Ohio to Erie Trail is for you. There are hotels and campgrounds right on the trail!
