Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Northern Segment)

In Montgomery County, Ohio
Ohio State Route 25 (1)
14.5 miles

Bridge over Great Miami River at Taylorsville MetroPark
Image: Five Rivers MetroParks

How to Get There - Please see Yahoo Maps. ("4" is Island MetroPark and "7" is Triangle Park which is the South end of the Trail.

Route North 14.5 miles from Triangle Park in downtown Dayton along the Great Miami River to Taylorsville MetroPark in Huber Heights.

Photos start at the South end of the trail and read to the North end of trail New Photos of Finished Trail The photos below are of the trail from Triangle Park in downtown Dayton, along the East bank of the Great Miami River North into Huber Heights. It connects with the existing trail North of Needmore Road

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Click on image for larger picture	The Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Northern Segment) starts at Triangle Park on Ridge Road in downtown Dayton. It runs North from there on the West bank of the Great Miami River to Taylorsville MetroPark in Huber Heights (14.5 miles). South from Triangle Park the trail crosses a suspension bridge (photo below) and enters Island MetroPark on Helena Street in downtown Dayton. From the Helena Street Bridge South to the Stewart Street Bridge the trail is on both sides of the River. There is parking, water & restrooms at Triangle Park & Island MetroParks. This photo was taken next to the parking lot in Island MetroPark. I then rode across the red bridge see below and started my ride up the Great Miami River to Taylorsville MetroPark.

This first picture is of the bridge linking Island MetroPark to Triangle Park in downtown Dayton. The trail starts on the other side of this beautiful bridge on the West side of the Great Miami River.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	Here we are across the bridge looking East back towards Island MetroPark across the river. The new trail starts here and runs North alongside the West bank of the Great Miami River.

This is a Google Map image of Island MetroPark on the East bank of the Great Miami River and Triangle Park on the West bank. You can see the bicycle bridge that is shown above, connecting the two parks and marking the start of the new trail North. Click on the link above to see and manipulate the map online	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	Here we have crossed the bridge and are facing North. To our left, the existing trail goes North alongside the Stillwater River 3.8 miles past Wegerzyn Garden to Sinclair Park. This trail is called the Stillwater River Recreation Trail.

Here is a photo of the trail heading North towards the large parking lot on Ridge Avenue in the park.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	In this photo we have reached the parking lot which is at the left of the photo. You can see it in the Yahoo Map above. You can also see a portable restroom at the left of the photo. The trail will now go uphill to go past the closed parking lot off of Embury Park Road.

In this photo we can see the closed parking lot on our left. Ahead of us the trail will cross a small bridge and then join the river. The trail goes down to run alongside it. There are park restrooms in the building in the background.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	In this photo we are looking North of Triangle Park with the new trail on the river. We see Keowee Street in the distance.

This image is looking back down the trail South towards downtown Dayton. The trail goes under the Keowee Street Bridge that you see here.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	Just North of the Keowee Street Bridge the trail goes under I-75 for the last time. Here is a photo looking North to the new I-75 bridge and the rebuilt trail under it. As of 15 September 2010, the trail is open in this area.


In this photo we are looking South back towards the new I-75 bridge over the Great Miami River. In the far background you can see the Keowee Street Bridge that the trail goes under on its way to Triangle Park	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	Here we are looking North from the I-75 bridge to the railroad bridge over the Great Miami River.

This Yahoo Maps image of the trail shows it following the river North and going under the Keowee Street and I-75 bridges. Click on the link to go to the map online so that you can manipulate it.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	Following the river North the trail goes under the CSX railroad bridge ahead Just beyond the railroad bridge the trail turns North (see the wood fence?) and skirts the West side of an industrial park off of Wagoner Ford Road.

Here we are in the industrial park. We are behind Integrity Mfg. Co. on Inpark Circle off of Dayton Park Drive. This photo shows the trail looking North. Here it is on about a 25 foot high levee. Ahead of us the trail will make an "S" turn to the East and follow Dayton Park Drive.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	The trail goes behind Dayton Bindery Service at 3757 Dayton Park Drive (behind us out of photo) and follows the road North to Chuck Wagoner Lane off of Wagoner Ford Road.

Here we see the trail alongside Dayton Park Drive about to cross Chuck Wagner Lane. looking North. The trail will turn sharply left an then sharply right in about 10 yards.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	In this Yahoo Maps image we can see the railroad tracks at the bottom of the photo running North and South. The trail goes under them and then turns North to run between the railroad track to the West and the industrial park off Wagoner Ford Road to the East. The trail goes behind the buildings near the railroad and runs North to Chuck Wagner Lane. You can click on the link above to be taken to Yahoo Maps to see the area for yourself and manipulate the map.

In this photo the trail has crossed Chuck Wagner Lane and will turn right to parallel to Wagoner Ford Road running North between Wagoner Ford Road and the Kittyhawk Golf Center.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	In the photo above the map we showed the trail running across Chuck Wager Lane. Here we see it ending at Wagoner Ford Road. The sign shows that this is the entrance to not only the industrial park but also to the Kittyhawk Golf Center.

In this image, we have the sign to our back and we are looking North alongside Wagoner Ford Road. The trail follows the road East alongside the golf course for about a mile before turning right to parallel Needmore Road.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	We are about one mile North of where the trail started to parallel Wagoner Ford Road. Now the trail turns right and follows the North end of the Kittyhawk Golf Center at right in the photo. On the left side (of this photo) we will be running behind a number of businesses that front onto Needmore Road.

In this photo we are looking back (West) to where we have just been. We will ride by the Golf Center and those odd looking towers in the left of this photo. They are a part of the Dayton Well Field. Behind us the trail makes a hard left turn (there are yellow caution signs) and travels North to get to Needmore Road.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	We hare at Needmore Road and the trail. It has turned right and runs for a short time parallel to Needmore Road. We are going past the driveway of the Dayton Firefighters Activity Center . That's why it says "Yield" here. On our left is the Needmore Road bridge over the Great Miami River. We will cross under the bridge next.

Here we have crossed under the Needmore Bridge. We are looking back towards the Dayton Firefighters Activity Center .	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	We are at the same location as the bridge photo above. However, I am looking into the woods that we will be traveling North

Here we are at the Birch Road crossing of the trail. Birch Drive, which dead-ends at Rip Rap Road, North of Needmore Road . We are looking North. In this picture is my new friend Chris who rode the trail with me for a while.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	We have crossed Birch Road and now are going up a ramp to left to reach Rip Rap Road. We will cross it and turn right to continue onto the previously build trail.

In this photo we have crossed Rip Rap Road (we are looking back at where the ramp reaches street level). We will turn right and continue to Taylorsville MetroPark	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	In this Yahoo Maps image we can see Needmore Road running East to West at the bottom of the photo. The river runs North and then makes an "S" turn to the North going under the new highway and bike-lane bridge on Rip Rap Road which you can see at the right of the photo. At right on the map, you can see Birch Road running West towards the river and then North. The trail connects at the South end of the Rip Rap Road Bridge over the river and then follows the river North to Huber Heights.

We now see the Rip Rap Road bridge to our North. The trail runs between the road on the right and the Great Miami River on the left. If you look South from the bridge the trail continues on Rip Rap Road for about 100 yards to the corner of Rip Rap Road and Birch Drive.	Click on image for larger picture


Click on image for larger picture	At your left is the trail going by the old Rip-Rap Road Bridge about a mile North of the photo above. From what I have been told, because of the nature of the funding to develop the trail, the old bridge had to be restored. It would go into the well field mentioned above, but I don't think there will be much access except to the bridge itself. Having said that, it's a good looking bridge that is probably worth saving.

Continuing North again there is a small parking lot here at the intersection of Rip Rap Road and Fishburg Road. You can see my car at right. The road is on the left of the picture. We are looking South back down the trail.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	We are looking South in the photo back to the parking lot in the distance. The trail follows the Great Miami River's course and so is turning West at this point to follow the river.

At right the trail continues following the Great Miami River and is now winding to the East. The trail builders put this part of the trail through a small but very pretty grove of trees near the river.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	Here we see the trail running parallel to the River where it makes an "S" curve. In the distance if you look hard you can see about a mile away the old highway bridge across the river that once carried Rip Rap Road over the river. It was refurbished as a part of the development of the trail. We are looking to the South in this photo.

Here you can see where the trail enters the woods looking South. The trail builders put the trail as close to the River as possible which means in some high water situations, like Spring, the trail will be flooded. At the left of the picture are the Huber Heights Soccer Fields. At the far right (outside the picture) is the parking lot.	. Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	The Huber Heights Soccer Field on Rip Rap Road at left acts as the center point and a parking area for the trail. The trail runs North into Taylorsville MetroPark also in Huber Heights, and South to Triangle Park in downtown Dayton.

The trail runs north from the Soccer Fields and goes under the highway bridge at Rip Rap Road where it crosses the Great Miami River as you can see in this photo.	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture Image: Five Rivers MetroParks	After crossing under the Rip Rap Road bridge the trail crosses the new bike bridge across the Great Miami River seen here. From the bridge there is an excellent view of the River

At right is a section of the trail north of the bikeway bridge. After the trail leaves the bridge it follows along the route of Anglers Lane, a narrow road north to the highway bridge across the Great Miami River and Interstate Route 70	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	In this photo we see the highway bridge over I-70 at the Great Miami River. The Five Rivers MetroParks contractor was able to put the trail under the highway bridge at you see here

After the trail leaves the highway bridge at I-70 it swings West briefly to get into the park. At that point the trail joins an existing road on a levee in the park. The road was called Cassel Road and has been repaved as a trail. It runs due North for over a mile until it reaches the Taylorsville Dam itself where it turns West again to reach the bridge the allows US-40 (on the Dam's face) to cross over the CSX tracks at the West end of the dam	Click on image for larger picture

Click on image for larger picture	At left is the US-40 bridge on the Taylorsville Dam over the CSX tracks. There is a train going by on the right of the photo. The trail then makes an "S" curve to get back to surface level and joins the existing Tadmor Trail North of the dam.

After the trail gets to the North of the dam it runs into a parking lot that can be accessed from US 40 near the West end of the dam. The parking lot has a portable restroom for your use but no water. This part of the trail runs North from the dam to the former town of Tadmor, Ohio, a major hub for the old National Road (US 40), the Dayton-Michigan Railroad and the Miami-Erie Canal. Remains of the canal and the railroad station lie along the route. Here we see the trail leaving the parking lot on its way North through the park.	Click on photo for larger picture

Click on photo for larger picture	The trail is straight and under a canopy of trees for the first 500 yards or so of trail.

At left we can how the trail looks that was first paved in 2005.	Click on photo for larger picture

Click on photo for larger picture	In this photo we have come out of the trees into the sunshine. For a large part of the this part of the trail it follows under a set of high-voltage power lines. To the left out of the picture is the high speed CSX railroad tracks. At right, although you can't see it is the route of the Miami and Erie Canal ( which traveled from Toledo South through Dayton to Cincinnati.

The trail continues North towards the old town of Tadmor. We are looking North in this photo of the trail.	Click on photo for larger picture

Click on photo for larger picture	Again we see the power lines that the trail runs under on its way to the Taylorsville MetroPark Northern boundary at Old Springfield Road AKA Ross Road.

The trail passes by what once was the location of the town of Tadmor, Ohio. In 1900 Tadmor was the busiest city in Ohio. It had the National Road (US-40) running through it from East to West. It also had the railroad and the Miami and Erie Canal running through it from North to South. The town served as a way point on the canal until it was destroyed by the Dayton Flood of 1913.	Click on photo for larger picture

Click on photo for larger picture	Five Rivers MetroParks erected a historical kiosk in the area with pictures of Tadmor and explanations about the city of Tadmor..

Here is a photo of a group of trail users on a Fall evening. There are walkers, small children with bikes and a cyclist coming up from behind. All of them were having a good time.	Click on photo for larger picture

Click on photo for larger picture	We have reached the end of Taylorsville MetroPark at Old Springfield Road. There is a staging area as you can see here. The trail is just right of the white truck on Old Springfield Street (AKA Ross Road).

Construction News - From the parking lot the trail is crosses under Old Springfield Road using a box culvert and follows the East side of Old Canal Road (across the street) North to Tipp City and joins the Tipp City Trail. We will try to get pictures and trail descriptions for this additional 2.5 miles of trail as soon as possible Construction was completed by August 2011.	Click on photo for larger picture

Continue North to Tipp City and Troy

Park and Ride Locations You can park at the Huber Heights Soccer Field on Rip Rap Road South of Taylorsville MetroPark as well as in the Park either North or South of the dam and at Old Springfield Road at the North end of the park. You can also park at the small staging area across the street from the intersection of Rip Rap Road with Fishburg Road in Huber Heights. The trail continues South almost to Birch Drive.

Restrooms There is a portable restroom at the parking lot for the Huber Heights Soccer Field and in the park in several places including the parking lot on the North side of the dam a the parking lot there.

Impressions We highly recommend this short trail to you and your family. If a scenic trail is what you'd like then this trail has it all. It has shade, sun, rivers, bridges and trains. Try it for yourself!

Trail Review The trail is a beautiful, shady bike trail along the Great Miami River. The Bike Bridge is a graceful structure built out of a steel that never needs to be painted and one that will weather over the years to look even better that it does today. The builders were careful to spare the beautiful old trees. After you cross the bridge onto Anglers Lane look for the large tree on the left with multiple boles and a large burl. It is an ancient Bass Tree, used for making baskets and hand carved carousel horses. The tunnel under Interstate 70 is beautiful as well. You come out of the shade and quiet of the trail North of I-70 into the sunlight and noise of a busy highway. As you leave the highway behind the trail winds West to meet Cassel Road in the park. There is a meadow to the left which has many wild deer as residents. I saw one as we went by. The trail then runs left (West) again and up to go under the dam's face at the CSX tracks. The opening under the bridge is small but impressive. After you've left the bridge you "S" down to the existing trail for another 1.4 miles going through the site of the town of Tadmor in 1900. The only sound will be the trains going by on your left. The trail ends at the North end of the park on Old Springfield Street where there is a small staging area

New Land Acquisition - Five Rivers MetroParks has acquired more land West of the CSX railroad tracks. The six acres of land which includes a waterfall is next to a 130 unit residential development called the Falls near National Road and Cassel Hills Golf Course. MetroParks is working on long range plans to develop this acquisition along with other property leased to them and land from the Miami Conservancy District.

Trail Review The trail is now complete from Old Springfield Road to Triangle Park. The trail is 14.5 miles long. Information for this article came largely from Mr. Mark Davis ( mdavis at metroparks [dot] org ) the Taylorsville MetroPark Manager for Five Rivers MetroParks .

Trail Description	Surface
Route	Map
Park & Ride Locations	Restrooms
Impressions	Trail Review
Pictures of Trail with descriptions	New Land Acquisition
Pictures of New Trail Finished (2008)	Construction News