Great Miami River Recreation Trail

Construction Progress: The Miami County BikeWay Task Force has completed the first two ( See Section 2) of seven sections (Phase 1) of the Great Miami River Trail in Miami County. This 1.6 mile section is very historical and a beautifully wooded trail that follows the towpath of the Miami and Erie Canal. Visitors will see two well preserved locks and two towpath bridges over streams, clearly showing the logs used in the original canal construction, as well as a water overflow chute and a buried arch.

Directions: Take I - 75 North from Dayton. You'll come to State Route 571. Your exit is the next one. Exit off I -75 at County Route 25A. Turn right at the top of the ramp. Follow 25A for about 3 miles until you come to the Waco Museum and Airfield on the right. There is a sign. Dye Mill Road will be about 100 yards ahead on the right. There is a trail sign. After turning right go across the railroad tracks then follow the Great Miami River Trail signs to the parking lot. If it looks like you are riding on the trail's surface, you are. But it's all right. The trail is open daily sunrise to sunset. For more information please contact:

Mr. Robert J. Shook
Task Force Chairman
937-339-2637

Construction Plans: The trail follows the Miami and Erie Canal bed, running North and South. When all seven sections are complete the trail will run from Montgomery County's Taylorsville MetroPark north to Tipp City, Troy and Piqua, and will end in Shelby County at Sidney, Ohio. To see the other trails in Miami County see Miami County Trails.

Publicity: "Miami River trail is starting to take shape" - That's what the Dayton Daily News used as their headline. In June 2003 the first section was dedicated in Concord Township on the route of the old Miami-Erie Trail from Dye Mille Road to the Monroe Township line. Since then, they have received an additional $50,000 grant to work on a river bridge near State Route 202. This will continue the trail from Dye Mill Road to Troy. The group building the trail has decided on the trails' direction north from Troy to Piqua and has either secured control or bought the right-of-way. Plans are being made to extend the trail North from Troy to Piqua. Going South, the planners are working on the third phase of the trail to Tipp City. Eventually the trail will extend from Five Rivers MetroParks' (Montgomery County) Taylorsville MetroPark through Miami County and will end in Shelby County. When finished the trail will provide connectivity North from the existing trail system in Montgomery, Greene, Clark and Champaign Counties. For more information about Miami County see the excellent Miami County Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The Troy Foundation provided a $25,000 grant to purchase and a $50,000 grant to restore the abandoned New York Central (NYC) railroad bridge. Phase 2 will connect Dye Mill Road Phase 1 which ends at Dye Mill Road and will follow Dye Mill Road to the NYC railroad bridge. After crossing the bridge the trail will turn Northwest along the Miami River to connect with the City of Troy's Trail at the Power Plant. A spur will be completed on the rail road bed to State Route 202 which will provide additional access and parking. The trail will end at the Shelby County line.

Impressions: We recently experienced this beautiful trail. The trail follows the old towpath of the Miami and Erie Canal. The trail is new to the old canal and several features such as locks are visible. There is a railroad line West of the trail and the area between the old canal and the railroad bed was full of wildflowers when we walked the trail. There are deep woods as well that are cool on a Summer's day. In all the trail is delightful.

At right is the sign for Waco Field and the WACO Museum. on County Route 25A as mentioned in the directions above. Just after you go by the sign on your left (going North) turn right onto Dye Mill Road. The Waco Aircraft Company was located in Troy for many years. They made several kinds of biplanes including crop dusters. During World War II, they had a contract from the Army Aviation Corps to build large gliders that were pulled by C-46 or C-47 aircraft to deliver troops, equipment and supplies. My father in law was in training to fly the "Waco Glider". When he visited us in Dayton he was amazed to see a "CG-4A Waco Glider" in the Air Force Museum. Here is what the Waco Glider looked like	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	At left please see the trail sign I was telling you in the directions about how to find the trail on Dye Mill Road. If you turn right at this point , you'll be riding on the trail to get to the unpaved parking area.

At your right you are looking at our car as we come out of the trail parking lot. The trail as you can see is wooded through this area. Here we are looking South from the end of the trail at Dye Mill Road.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	At your left is a picture of the parking lot. Now we are parked at we are looking North towards trail's end and the picture above.

At your right is a small privately owned house that adjoins the trail. We spoke to the owner who has access to his house via the bicycle trail. So you may see a vehicle on this section of the trail. The home owner knows that he is sharing the trail with cyclists.	Click on photo for larger image

At right we are now down the trail several hundred yards. On the East of the trail, or left as you are walking South there is a large gravel pit and materials processing company. This photo show a dredge that is bringing something up from the small pond that its' in. The trail to South is at the right side of the picture.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	At left I am following "the boss" down the trail to the South. We are almost at the first of the two bridges we will cross on this trail segment.

At right we are coming to one of the two bridges on this section of the trail that cross a small stream. You can see the protective wood fence sections in the foreground and the steel bridge structure behind it.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	At left we see the first bridge from alongside the trail. This multi-use trail has been built on the Towpath of the Miami and Erie Canal. At both bridges you can see where a viaduct carried the canal across the stream. The canal is on the West side of the trail. In this picture it is on the other side of the bridge. In this small meadow were some wild flowers that my wife and I picked for making natural dye.

At right we are following the trail to the South. In this photo you can see that the trail is heavily shaded by the many trees along the trail and canal.	Photo by Robert J. Shook Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	At left we looking back the way we came; that is to the North. You can see sun through the large number of large trees that surround the trail. It is a quiet and beautiful place.

At right is a picture, looking North, of the second bridge over the stream that meanders through the area. You can see the protective wood fence on both sides of the bridge and the low steel structure that is the bridge proper.

Photo by Robert J. Shook Click on photo for larger image	At left you can see a good impression of the trail. This photo taken by Bob Shook shows the trees and woods that surround the trail at this point in Phase 1.

In this picture at left we are looking over the side of the bridge in the previous picture. The stone foundation you see with the box shape in it is the viaduct that carried the canal across this stream. A viaduct is like a bathtub full of water that carries the canal and its' boats across a obstacle. You can picture it as a bridge that "carries water."	Click on photo for larger image

Photo by Robert J. Shook Click on photo for larger image	At right we see Lock 14 South from the old Miami and Erie Canal. The trail in Phase 1 passes by two well preserved locks and two towpath bridges. To get some idea of the size of the lock please notice the man standing in back on the right side of the lock.

Tipp City Trail The Great Miami River Recreation Trail in Miami County is planned to be extended South to the Tipp City Trail. It is 7,397 lineal feet from Lock 14 to the Tipp City Parks Nature Center. From there the trail is completed through Tipp City Park and Canal Lock Park on SR 571. Eventually the trail will be connected from Kyle Park in Tipp City across the Miami County line to connect with Montgomery County's trail in Taylorsville MetroPark which is called The Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Northern Segment)

Sponsorship: This page of Miami Valley RailTrails is sponsored by the Miami County BikeWay Task Force. Content will be provided by them to help publicize their trail status and construction. For more information contact Mr. Robert J. Shook Task Force Chairman at: 937-339-2637