Creekside Recreation Trail in Montgomery County, Dayton Ohio

Eastwood MetroPark to County Line 6.7 Miles (OPEN)
Connects to Creekside Trail
17.8 miles Total - Eastwood MetroPark to Xenia
Ohio State Route 2 (1)

Route: The Creekside Recreation Trail in Montgomery County, is the last link in the chain of bikeways from Dayton to Xenia Ohio. The major trail in Montgomery County is the Great Miami River Recreation Trail running North and South (complete 22.6 miles) along the Great Miami River and through downtown Dayton. East of Dayton the Mad River Recreation Trail (complete 2.8 miles ) leads to Eastwood MetroPark and there connects with the Creekside Recreation Trail. The trail from Eastwood MetroPark is complete to Xenia via the Creekside Recreation Trail (Montgomery County) and The Creekside Trail (Greene county).

The Creekside Trail in Greene County (complete 11.2 miles) leads to downtown Xenia at the Xenia Station. From the Xenia Station, cyclists can choose the Little Miami Scenic Trail (complete 76 miles) to go North to Springfield or South to Milford Ohio.

Map: I have a map

that will help you. It shows the Creekside Trail from Xenia to I-675 US-35 intersection. I'll get another one to show the trail in Montgomery County soon.

Park and Ride Locations: 5th/3rd. Park And Ride in Beavercreek and Eastwood MetroPark in Montgomery County. In Greene County see locations mentioned below

Hotels, Motels, B&Bs & Campgrounds near the Trail - Each trail has it's own accommodations near the trail. Click on the link to be taken to the Accommodations in the Miami Valley RailTrails Area

Rest Rooms: 5th/3rd Park and Ride and Eastwood Metro Park in Montgomery County. There are also facilities in Greene County as shown below.

Impressions: A beautiful scenic trail through suburban Dayton and Montgomery County connecting to the Creekside Trail in Greene County.

The Creekside Recreation Trail starts at Eastwood MetroPark in Riverside. There are parking lots from both the Harshman Road entrance and the Springfield Street entrance. If you come into the park from the Harshman Road entrance, you'll have to take your bike over the bike/pedestrian only bridge over the pond to the trail. As you can see here, after you cross the bridge you can expect two choices of trail. If you turn right or West you'll be going to downtown Dayton on the Mad River Recreation Trail . If you turn left you'll be going East through the other parking lot to the Creekside Recreation Trail. There is ample parking, inside restrooms and water in the park.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	After riding through the parking lot on the Springfield Street side of the park, you'll come to the exit to Springfield Street shown here. In this photo, Five Rivers MetroParks Trail Guardians Allen and Jo are just coming into the park from the trail. They are wearing their MetroParks yellow jerseys. We are .35 miles from the Harshman Road entrance parking lot about to exit the park to Springfield St. This group of volunteers works for Five Rivers MetroParks, patrolling the multi-use trails in Montgomery County. They act as eyes and ears for Five Rivers. They have First Aid and CPR training and are always willing to help a trail user. Greene County Parks also has a similar program and the other counties in the Miami Valley are working towards having programs.

The trail follows Springfield for about 100 yards then crosses Springfield at Smithville Road. You can see the small trail segment that parallels Springfield Street. In the distance is the intersection of Springfield Street and Smithville Road. You'll cross to the left.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	At left is the trail crossing the intersection of Springfield Street and Smithville Road. The photo shows the end of N. Smithville Road coming in from left. The traffic signal is under consideration to be replaced so is not working now. You can see the trail across Springfield Street with the bridge is in the background. The new trail goes up the North side of N. Smithville Road and crosses it again in about 100 yards.

In this image you can see "friend wife" riding up to the next crossing of N. Smithville Road where the trail will cross again. We are .6 miles from the beginning of the trail.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	In this picture at left we are looking at the crossing of N. Smithville Road. This is a dangerous crossing because the sight lines are not very good. Be very careful crossing Smithville.

Here we are about to cross Fair Park Ave. This is an old industrial area that the railroad which became a trail used to service. We are .90 from the trail's beginning.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	In another half mile the trail reaches the Airway Road crossing at left. Notice the traffic divider in the middle of the road (behind red SUV). This will help you get across Airway Road. If you look to the left from this location you can see down Airway to the corner of Airway and Woodman where several restaurants are located.

We are looking South on Airway Road and can see Woodman Drive in the distance. At the right side of the photo we can see a Diary Queen in the foreground with a Taco Bell beyond it on Woodman Drive. On the other side of the street is a Wendy's. Going in the other direction (behind us) is Lihn's (a oriental restaurant) Food on this part of the trail should not be a problem. I've added links to all of them above for your "dining pleasure."	Click on photo for larger image

	In this photo Airway Plaza is at the right of the picture and the trail can be seen from Woodman Drive. The trail parallels Woodman Drive going South. The trail then crosses Burkhardt Road, next to the BP gas station, goes behind the K-Mart on Woodman and then continues South to go under US-35 at Linden Road. At the K-Mart there is a parking area and a portable restroom for your use.

We have reached Burkhardt Road. We are 2.3 miles from the start of the trail and we see here a "Mommy" and at least four children crossing Burkhardt Road. In the left background there is a white building. That is the back of the local K-Mart. The trail will go behind it as we continue towards Beavercreek.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	Here we are looking to the left (South) of the previous picture. As you see there is a BP gasoline station with a stop on the right side of Burkhardt Road. At the left side of the road (outside of the picture there is a Pizza Hut. As I said, you won't go hungry on this trail.

Just next to the K-Mart there is a parking area for your use. As you can see here there is a bulletin board and a stair (with bike channels) so you can get your bicycle up to the trail. Usually in Summer, there is also a portable restroom here. "Friend Wife" is acting as a scale model for the size of the stairway.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	As we continue South the trail runs between houses on the right and what looks like a park behind the high fence to the left of this photo. On maps it is called "MacGregor Park" but I always knew it as a NCR site with an entrance off Woodman Drive just North of US-35. As you can see this portion of the trail is very shady and in some places the high fence is on both sides of the trail.

We are now 3.2 miles from Eastwood MetroPark and we have come to the "T-intersection" of the Iron Horse Trail, which continues South, and the Creekside Recreation Trail which turns left or East and continues to the Creekside Trail in Greene County and Xenia Station. The photo is looking South towards the Iron Horse Trail. You can see the US-35 bridges in the background. At the T-Intersection go straight (South) . to the Iron Horse Trail which is currently a 5.4 mile trail to State Farm Park in Kettering, and eventually through Kettering to Centerville to end at the Iron Horse Park which named the trail. At the T-intersection go left (East) The trail turns East following US-35 until it gets to the end of the Creekside Recreation Trail at the Montgomery Count/Greene County Line and becomes The Creekside Trail in Greene County. There it continues to Xenia Station. where is joins the Little Miami Scenic Trail.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	Here we have made the turn to the East towards Xenia. The trail goes uphill from this point, crosses I-675 and in about 2 miles to the Fifth Third Park and Ride on Linden Avenue (see below).

The first stop riding East towards Xenia is the trail spur to left (North) to the back parking lot of Woodman Park Apartments. Here you see the spur and a car at the end of the spur. We are .32 miles from the "T" and 3.5 miles from Eastwood MetroPark.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	Just past the spur to the apartments mentioned above, we go under Woodman Drive. Here we are looking, West, the way we came and see a cyclist heading under the railroad bridge.

Here we see the bicycle bridge over Spinning Road end on. At the top of this webpage there is a photo of it taken from Spinning Road. There is a ramp on both sides of the bridge so that trail users can get up to the trail from Spinning Road. We are looking East towards Xenia.	Click on photo for larger image

Click on photo for larger image	The next thing you'll see is the Montgomery/Greene County line where the Creekside Recreation Trail becomes the Creekside Trail. Behind us about 1 mile away is the bridge over Spinning Road.

This is a photo of the Trainview Spur, which connects the trail to the neighborhood next to I-75. Just ahead is the bridge over Dayton-Xenia Road, the I-675 bridge and the 5th /3rd Park and Ride. In this picture the "Trainview Spur" sign on the post seems to be missing.	Click on photo for larger image

	Just 100 yards or so East we come to the railroad bridge over Dayton-Xenia Road. Here we see a happy family out on a bicycling outing. The oldest child is riding his bike in the lead. Dad is behind with a child behind him and mom brings up the rear with a small child on a seat behind her. We are 1.8 miles from the "T" and 5 miles from Eastwood MetroPark.

In another few hundred yards we come to the large railroad bridge over I-675. We are looking at the approach to it. You will have noticed that all three of the bridges in this area have a high, curved fence on both sides at about 12' high to protect you. At the left of this bridge is the Dayton-Xenia Road over I-675.

	We have crossed I-675 and now reach 5th/3rd Park and Ride also know as Gateway Park . It's entrance is off of Dayton-Xenia Road just East of the I-675 bridge. Here you can find a portable restroom, water, soft drinks, a place to picnic and ample parking in the City of Beavercreek.

We will pick up the trail review from Eastwood MetroPark (Montgomery County) to Xenia Station (Greene County) on the next page; the Creekside Trail.

Route	Surface
Park & Ride Locations	Map
Impressions	Restrooms
	Trail Review With pictures
Hotels, Motels, B&Bs and Campgrounds

Creekside Trail and Creekside Recreation Trail Restrooms, Water and Parking
Place	Location	Restrooms	Water?	Parking?
Locations in Greene County
Xenia Station	Downtown Xenia, Oh	Indoor	Yes	Yes
Sol Arnowitz Park	Trail at Fowler Road	No	No	Yes
Fairgrounds Rec. Center	James Ranch exit and cross Fairgrounds Rd.	Indoor	Yes	Yes
Kilkare Speedway	On Trail	Portable	No	No
Beavercreek Community Park	Trail at Factory Rd	Portable	Yes	Yes
E.J. Nutter Park	Trail at Factory Rd	Portable	Yes	Yes
Grange Hall Rd.	Trail at Grange Hall Rd.	No	No	Yes
Fifth Third Gateway Park	Dayton-Xenia Rd. at trail near I-675	Portable	Yes & vending machine	Yes
Locations in Montgomery County
K-Mart at Woodman	Trail at Woodman Rd	Portable	No	Yes
Eastwood MetroPark	In Eastwood MetroPark	Inside	Yes	Yes