The Tucumseh Trail

Trail Route - The trail is planned in sections. Section 1 of the trail is a 2 mile link from New Carlisle Elementary School in the North of the City, through Brubaker Park and Smith Park being completed in Summer 2010 when the second course of asphalt is laid by the contractor. The new section of trail built in 2009-2010 starts at Lake Avenue and runs South through Brubaker Park and Smith Park. The trail ends at the Wot-A-Dog Restaurant on State Route 235 just South of New Carlisle. A summary of the sections is below.

Trail Funding - Construction started in the Summer 2009 and is planned to be completed by Summer 2010. New Carlisle received $50,000 of CMAQ funds to let an engineering design contract for Phase 2 of the trail. Funds for construction should be received in FY 2013 in the amount of $300,000.

Park & Ride Locations - The plan is to have parking at the former location of Elementary School on Bayberry Drive in the North of New Carlisle. There will be parking at Smith Park as well as Wot-A-Dog at 603 S. Main Street 845-3663 in New Carlisle.

Restrooms - Restrooms are planned to be located at the greens area that was the Elementary School on Bayberry Drive as well as in Smith Park. Wot-A-Dog will allow trail users access to their restrooms. I am told that a water fountain will be located in Smith Park at the Log Cabin sometime soon.

Tecumseh Trail Nears Completion - (Dayton Daily News Article) - Construction is almost complete on the trail (Winter 2009). The intermediary coat of asphalt is down on the trail. The trail has been seeded. The contractor will add the top coat in Spring and stripe the trail and it will be finished. However, you can use the trail now.

Trail Route with Pictures - April 2010. The trail is almost completed and I took a new set of photos which you will see below. Some of them towards the beginning are the older photos. I have replaced others with new photos. I'll mark on the page where the new photos are, (See Below)

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	The Tecumseh Trail starts at the New Carlisle Elementary School on Kennison Avenue in North New Carlisle. Here we see the school looking East. The trail is built along the sidewalk in front on the school. This is the old section of trail build between schools and houses several years ago which ends at Lake Avenue.

In this photo we are looking West away from the school which is behind us. The trail follows this sidewalk around to the left until it reaches Bayberry Drive (in about 100 yards) where it will turn right onto Bayberry Drive.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	This photo shows an empty field where an elementary school was torn down. I understand that the trail will go across this field and into the trail between the houses that crosses Spinning Road, which is behind us in this picture.

This photo shows the trail ending at the site of the school which is now an empty field. I have been told that this site will have parking for cyclists as well as a portable restroom.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	The trail first crosses Spinning Road which we seeing this photo looking West, the trail stub to where the school was is behind us. We can see the trail cross Spinning Road and then it goes between two houses across the street.

In this image we see the trail (actually a sidewalk) crossing Spinning Road ahead of us. We are looking East towards the vacant field which is on the other side of Spinning.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	We are at the same location as the photo above. Here we see the trail (actually a sidewalk) crossing Willowick Drive ahead of us. We are looking West towards the trail going thru the parking lot of Lake Avenue Christian Church. The red truck you see in the distance in parked behind the church. After crossing the parking lot, the trail will come out at White Pine St .

We are in the parking lot of the Lake Avenue Christian Church. If I looked to my right I'd see (and so would you) the red truck parked here that is in the previous photo. We are looking East towards Willowick Drive in the background.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	For this photo I just turned around from where I was in the middle of the church's parking lot and shot a photo to the East. The white truck you see in the driveway in the distance is on White Pine Street. There is a short piece of trail from the parking lot between the houses to get us out onto White Pine Street.

Here we have walked up the trail segment you can just see in the background of the previous photo. You can see the white truck clearer now. This is White Pine Street and we are still looking to the East.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	I took this photo from the same place as the one above except I turned half to the left. This is White Pine Street and the Stop Sign at the corner is White Pine Street at Lake Avenue. We will cross White Pine, follow the sidewalk for about 50 yards and then cross Lake Avenue to the new section of trail

New Trail Photos Spring 2010

We have gone to the end of White Pine Street. Here we are looking across Lake Avenue to the beginning of White Pine Street. The trail crosses Lake Avenue Here. This marks the beginning of the new trail built in 2009 and finished in 2010.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	In this photo we are looking East up the new trail from the same place as the last photo was taken. The trail runs along Lake Avenue for about 100 yards.

Here we are at the point where the trail runs South (right in this picture) . We are looking back East) to the Lake Avenue White Pine Street crossing. The trail continues from this point in Brubaker Park. The lady in the background and her two boys did not know of the extent of the new trail. I talked to them and gave her my card with the URL of the website on it.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	This photo was taken from the same spot as the one above. We are looking South along the new trail into Brubaker Park. The entire new construction from Lake Avenue is about .7 miles. The trail all of the way to New Carlisle Elementary School is 2.0 miles.

The trail runs South through Brubaker Park and comes out here at the dead end (West) of W. Washington Street. This street is the Northern border of Smith Park. I parked at the end of W. Washington Street and walked about 10' to take this photo.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	This is a Google Map which I have marked up for your use. It shows the trail ending in the North (top of map) on Lake Avenue and continuing South to W. Washington Street (bottom of map).

This photo is looking South from the location above that has the Brubaker Park sign. We are looking at the Log Cabin in Smith Park. The trail continues South through Smith Park.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	Here we are at the Log Cabin in Smith Park. The trail North is to our right. The trail continues South to our left. There is parking as well as inside and outside restrooms here at the park.

The trail continues South through Smith Park. In this photo you are looking South towards W. Jefferson Street (SR-571) the Southern boundary of the park.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	The trail crosses the intersection of W. Jefferson Street and Garfield Street and continues along Garfield St. as a sidewalk. We are looking South in this photo.

We are looking South of Garfield Street. The trail will re-join the railbed just South of the grain elevator.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	We are facing East at the grain elevator. The new trail is built on the old Interurban railway. The trail runs East from here to SR-235 where it ends.

We are now at the end of the trail. This photo is taken looking West back towards the old grain elevator at the end of Garfield Street. Just behind me is a dirt path up to the parking lot of the Wat-A-Dog restaurant.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	A familiar landmark as you leave New Carlisle on SR-235 is the old railroad bridge across Honey Creek . We are looking East from end of the trail. The right-of-way crosses SR-235 at a diagonal and continues East. The trail will continues South to the formerly Tecumseh YMCA on the East side of SR-235 in Phase II of the trail construction.

At our left is the popular hot dog stand, Wot-A-Dog on SR-235 in the South of New Carlisle. We parked here to take the picture of the railroad bridge above. The bridge is just South of the restaurant. We are at the end of the proposed Trail Section 1 and are two miles from the start of the trail. I understand that the parking lot here will be extended somewhat to allow trail users to park here. I understand that the Wot-A-Dog owners will allow trail users to use their restrooms.	Click on Thumbnail for larger image

Click on Thumbnail for larger image	crossed SR-235 where the old interurban line went across the road. This final picture is looking East from the bridge that allows the Honey Creek to go under it.


Trail South from New Carlisle to Park Layne Manor - Plans have been made by the Clark County Trails Group for a trail South from where the Tecumseh Trail ends at the Wot-A-Dog restaurant on SR-235 just South of New Carlisle. This 3.7 mile trail will follow SR-235 on its East side to end at Raynor Park in Park Layne Manor. This will be accomplished in two sections (See Above for plans) There is available a draft report to show the alternatives for each phase. The Draft Report is available on the TCC Website.

As you can see from the map at right the trail follows the general route of SR-235 South from New Carlisle to Park Layne Manor.	Click on photo for larger image Photo Courtesy Clark County - Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee

New Trail Photos Spring 2010
Trail Funding	Surface
Trail Route	Map
Park & Ride Locations	Restrooms
Trail Route with Pictures	Construction News
Plans for New Carlisle to Park Layne Manor Trail (3.7 miles when built)