Crains Run Nature Park To Franklin Section

Construction News - Crains Run Nature Park (Miami Township, Montgomery County) to Baxter Drive and SR 73 in Franklin- Trail construction began August 2005 and was completed by October 28 2006 when the dedication was held. The 3.7 miles of trail costing $1.9M was funded by a Federal Highway Transportation Enhancement Grant (TEA-21), Warren County, City of Franklin, Franklin Township, Clearcreek Township, City of Springboro and City of Carlisle. The entire project was managed by the Miami Conservancy District.

Interview with Mr. Chad Schroeder, Miami Conservancy District engineer on this trail section in Warren County Magazine, December 2006.

The Miami Conservancy District, builder of this new trail segment, has provided a map of the 3.7 miles currently built for your use. Click Here (.9Mb) to view, or download the file. Or click on the thumbnail at right. The map shows all of the trail including all of the historic ruins including the Chautauqua bridge and the Chautauqua Low Dam that provided water to the Hydraulic Canal. This canal provided water to power the old paper mills in Franklin. I think you'll find the map very useful.	Map of Crains Run Nature Park to Franklin Map: Miami Conservancy District

This section of the trail begins at Crains Run Nature Park which is located at the extreme South of Montgomery County. Here we are looking South from the Park to the new trail section alongside the Great Miami River. There is parking, portable restrooms and water at Crains Run Nature Park.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	The trail curves alongside a retaining wall for the road to the West and comes out on the river. You can see the remains of the foundations of an old pedestrian bridge about .5 miles downstream.

We are now about .5 miles South of Crains Run. We have come to what we were told were the remains of a low dam on the river to supply power to the old paper mills downstream in Franklin. The trail goes over what once was a part of the dam. This image is looking North towards Crains Run	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	We are looking South from the "paper mill dam" towards Franklin. As you can see the photos were taken in the Fall of 2006 when the trail was opened.

We are about 1 mile South of Crains Run. This area has a construction spur to Dixie Highway alongside the trail. The trail is on the levee between the river to the West and the hydraulic canal to the East that carried water from the "paper mill dam" North of here to the mills in Franklin. In this photo we are looking South.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	We are in the same place as above only looking North. You can see the hydraulic canal to the East of the trail in the right of the picture.

This picture looking South, was taken from the temporary construction spur for the equipment to get from Dixie Highway to the trail. You can see the trail at right and the canal in front of you.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	The trail continues South under SR-123 North aka Kenneth Koons Boulevard. The next two photos were taken looking down from the bridge. This photo is looking North towards Crains Run.

This photo is looking South from the bridge. You can see a bit of the rail in this photo looking towards Franklin. We are about 1.6 miles from Crains Run.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	This next series of photos was taken on the trail next to the corner of Bridge Street and Van Horne Avenue in northern Franklin. We are looking South in this photo. If you enlarge the photo you can see the 2nd Street bridge in downtown Franklin about a mile South crossing the Great Miami River.

This is the same location as above only looking North with "friend wife" on the trail. Our car is down the levee at the corner mentioned above.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	We have driven South about another half mile to the corner of West Jackson Street at River Street. There is another spur here from Jackson Street up to the trail. I expect that it will be left so that this neighborhood will have trail access. At this point the trail comes up from the river elevation and stays on the levee to downtown Franklin. The trail curves left and then joins the levee. In the background you can see the roof of the white house at the spur to Jackson Street.

We are looking South towards the city in this photo from the same location as above. Through the trees you can see the 2nd. Street bridge in the background.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	Here we see the spur down to W. Jackson Street just North of downtown Franklin. The spur is not complete at this time but is usable. We are about 1/4 mile North of the 2nd. Street bridge across the river.

The trail has come down from the levee to street level. Here we are looking South from that point. The signal light about a block away is 2nd. Street. Be careful crossing the street. The trail follows River Street on the West side South for about 5 blocks.	Click on photo for larger image

Chad Schroeder - Miami Conservancy District Click on photo for larger image	I added those two photos from Mr. Chad Schroeder; the Miami Conservancy District engineer, on this section of the trail in January 2007. The bridge at 2nd. Street is also called "The Lion's Bridge" because of the two lions that "guard" it. You can see them in Chad's photo of the trail approaching 2nd. Street from the North. Mr. Schroeder was interviewed by the Warren County Magazine about Nov. 2006 about the development of the 3.7 mile trail from Crain's Run Nature Park to Franklin. You can click above or Read It Here.

Here we have another picture by Chad Schroeder of the "Lion's Bridge" taken from the South side of the trail looking back to where the trail comes down from the levee to street level.	Chad Schroeder - Miami Conservancy District Click on photo for larger image


Click on photo for larger image	We are at Fifth Street and River Street. We are looking North along River Street. The trail is alongside the street. In the middle distance you can see a large power tower carrying high voltage lines across River Street.

We have come to the Log Cabin which was the Post Office for Franklin also known as The Old Log Post Office . There is a new parking lot for the trail next to it. There is a water fountain next to the Cabin. For an aerial photo of the area Click Here to be taken to Yahoo Maps. You'll see Franklin, the Great Miami River and the railroad bridge over the river. Click to the left of the picture to close the "Get Map and Directions" pane and click right to close the other small pane. You can click on "Hybrid" like I did to show the satellite map and the road names or click on either. You can also navigate; that is, change the location and follow the trail North or South. You can also zoom in and out.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	We are at Sixth Street and River Street. Here the trail leaves downtown curving West to join the levee again . As you can see the trail shares right of way for a few yards with the railway line that comes into town here. The railroad runs down the center of 6th. Street to get to the Franklin Depot about one block behind us.

In this photo the trail has turned right from River Street to join the levee and then turned South. We are looking South towards the trail's end at Baxter Street in South Franklin.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	We drove South to Eight Street I think, where the trail is close to a neighborhood and parked. I think we are at the end of E. 8th. Street.

Here we are looking South on the trail from where I parked. In the distance the trail turns left South and continues to follow the levee to cross Baxter Street near its end.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	We are now at the end of the trail at the staging area off of State Route73 South of Franklin. You follow SR-73 to the West and turn right almost immediately at Baxter drive. Behind us in the picture are some of the buildings of the water treatment facility. It is hoped that the City of Franklin will install a portable restroom at this staging area. For an aerial view of the area see Yahoo Maps The staging area does not show but it is just South of the water treatment plant.

We had a very nice lunch at: Estvanders Bakery and Cafe 425 South Main St. Franklin, Ohio 45005 (937) 704-0929 on South Main Street at East 4th. Street. Just North of the Bakery are several very nice murals on the walls of the buildings. This one is of an old horse-drawn Pepsi truck with a little boy on the left.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	On the other side of South Main Street is this early 20th century garden mural. Notice the women in old time dress and the gazebo in the park.

Two blocks South at Main Street and E. 6th. Street is the old Franklin Station. There is a nice mural across the street from it. To the west the track next to the station crosses over the trail as in the photo at Sixth and River Street above.	Click on photo for larger image

We have reached trail's end in Franklin. The trail will continue to be developed South to Hamilton in stages. The City of Middletown was granted $390K to continue development from the trail's end in Middletown just North of State Route 4 at the airport to Miami Preserve Park about 2 miles South of Franklin. For al details of trail funding please see Approved Multi-Use Trail Projects.