Tipp Ciy Trails

The new backbone trail for Miami County starts in Montgomery County to the South at Taylorsville MetroPark at the Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Northern Section). The trail will run north from the park at its' northern terminus which is Old Springfield Street.

The trail from Taylorsville MetroPark (AKA Section 4) will follow North up Old Canal Road and will enter Tipp City at Thomas B. Kyle Park on the southern part of Tipp City. Because of property acquisition problems, this section of the trail will be built at a later date.

Tipp City was connected North (October 2008) to Troy and South (unknown) to Taylorsville MetroPark it will become part of the "Great Miami River Recreation Trail" (Miami County). The trail in Tipp City is 3.58 miles long from Kyle Park to the South end of Section 1.

The trail photos start with the Northern end of Taylorsville MetroPark and move North to Tipp City's Nature Park and the connection with the trail to Troy.

Here we see a lot of trail users, walkers, young cyclists and riders coming towards us to the North end of the trail. They were all having a good time this ( Fall 2008) evening.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	In this photo is the entrance to Taylorsville MetroPark looking south from Old Springfield Street at the Northern border between Montgomery County and Miami County. In a few years a tunnel under Old Springfield Street (AKA Ross Road) will take the trail North to Kyle Park. The section from Taylorsville MetroPark North to Kyle Park in Tipp City is called Section 3. The trail is complete from this point South to downtown Dayton and to Franklin. Please see: Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Northern Segment

Here we are looking from the same location as the first picture only North across Old Springfield Street to Canal Street. The trail will run North along this road until it get to Thomas B. Kyle Park in Tipp City. It is about a three mile route.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image Photo: Todd Sanders	This photo was taken 22 June 2009 by alert reader, Todd Sanders. He wrote that this photo was the end of the Southern extension of the trail in Kyle Park. Thanks Todd!

At right is the sign for the Thomas B. Kyle Park in Tipp City. This park is on the South side of town. It is off of Canal Street that runs north and south to Taylorsville MetroPark after crossing Old Springfield Street.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	Here we see about the middle of the bicycle trail in Thomas B. Kyle Park. The shelter has indoor restrooms and water. The trail goes by the play fields around the park and then heads north. The trail is in a loop around the park and at the North end continues along the tree line .73 miles to cross SR-571 into Canal Lock Park.

Here we see a map of Kyle Park from Yahoo Maps. I have annotated the map to show you the existing trail that starts at the restroom above and runs North through the park. As you can see from the map at right or by clicking on the Yahoo Maps link above, the existing trail turns left (West) and continues to the Northwest corner of the park. Then the new trail starts North along the end of a farmer's field. At the Northern end of the photo (out of the photo) is SR-571 which we will cross to get to the trail at Canal Lock Park. Click on the Yahoo Maps here or above to go to Yahoo to see and manipulate the map yourself.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	As I said above, the trail starts at the parking lot in the middle of the photo just above just to the West of where I say on the map "Existing Trail". It runs North and South from the shelter. Here we see the trail running North to a line of trees that is the horizontal line in the map above. The trail will turn left (West) in 100 yards or so.

Here we are looking at the Northwest corner of Kyle Park where the new trail runs North along the tree line you see. When we photographed the trail in mid September 2008, the crews were blowing grass seed, which you see as a yellow on the trail. The red barn you see in the far background of the photo is on SR-571.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	Looking South from this corner is another section of the trail running South next to beautiful pine trees on the Western edge of the park . From the map above this segment of trail runs South to another Kyle Park parking lot.

In this photo we have ridding North from Kyle Park on 1st. Street to SR-571 and turned right (East) onto SR-571. We are looking South from SR-571 to where the trail is being seeded. Kyle Park is about .7 miles South of where this photo was taken	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	The new trail crosses SR-571 in several "S" curves to get to the entrance of Canal Lock Park. Here we can see across SR-571 (at the piece of construction equipment) the trail South to Kyle Park. At left in the photo is the entrance to Canal Lock Park.

Here we are at Canal Lock Park in Tipp City (State Route 571) . It is called "Canal Lock" park because there is a dry lock from old Miami and Erie Canal at the West end of the park. It includes parking but no restrooms or water.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	The trail leaves Canal Lock Park to the North alongside the large levee heading towards City Park.

As can be seen from this photo the trail is adjacent to the Miami Conservancy District levee that protects the city from the Miami River to the right of this photo. The trail generally follows the route of the old Miami and Erie Canal.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	The trail continues North about 1/2 mile from Canal Lock Park to City Park. Here we can see the trail crossing a small bridge. We are almost to City Park.

We have reached City Park in Tipp City. We are about to cross Tipp-Elizabeth Road (Park Drive) and cross into City Park. You can see ahead of us the new: Tippecanoe Family Aquatic Center 225 Park Avenue Tipp City, Ohio Contact: 667-2781 or 667-8425 in the background. The Aquatic Center's large blue water slide is at left.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	At left we are looking right (East) from the photo above. City Park with it's new Aquatic Center is to the left of the photo. The trail continues ahead between the park and its large parking lot.

We are now in the middle of the parking lot for City Park. We are looking at the main entrance of the Tippecanoe Family Aquatic Center. The trail goes right by the front door and continues North to the baseball diamonds of the park.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	The Aquatic Center is behind us. You can see ahead that the trail goes through the play fields. In the far background you can see the lights of the multiple baseball diamonds.

We have left the parking lot and Aquatic Center and have followed the road alongside the play fields. The red and white building ahead serves as restrooms and a concession stand when baseball is being played. The trail is about 1/2 mile from Tipp-Elizabeth Road to the end of City Park.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	This sign is at the entrance to the Nature Center on North 3rd. Street. The trail goes through the Center and continues North to Section 1 of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail This trail segment, called Section 3, was dedicated 30 October 2008.

About 300 yards North of City Park we enter the Tipp City Parks Nature Center. We can see ahead the red barn and the small parking lot / staging area. We are looking North in this photo.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	Here we are looking at the red barn again next to the Nature Center's parking lot looking South. The two women in the photo were Girl Scout leaders, planning an outing for their troop

From the Tipp City Nature Center North for about 1.62 miles the trail is called "Section 3" of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail (Miami County). As you can see below you can continue riding to North of Troy, Ohio.

Here we see a portion of the new trail that will continue to the North to join Section 1 of the trail South of Troy. This trail is also part of the Buckeye Trail. There is a plaque in the park that tells that the Miami and Erie Canal ran through the area. In fact next to the trail in places (right side going North) you can see the dry ditch that once was the canal.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	In this photo we are looking South looking back towards where we have ridden. The trail is very close to the Great Miami River, which you can see at the left (East) of the picture.

Here we have stopped riding North, so that I could take off my gloves to take a picture of (friend wife) and Beverly, a Dayton Cycling Club rider who rode the new trail with us. It was extremely cold on the morning of the dedication but as you can see, the sun made the leaves look beautiful.	Click on Photo for larger image

Click on Photo for larger image	In this photo, we are looking at one of the protective fences alongside the trail. We are looking North towards our eventual connection with Section 1 of the trail, that runs alongside Dye Mill Road and connects to the trail in Troy.

We rode North on the trail until we came to this entrance to the trail from where Third Street makes a hard left turn at a corner and becomes Crane Road. During construction, this looked like a temporary entrance for trucks, but it may be a permanent access to the trail. The trail continues North from here about another 1/4 mile before it connects with the existing trail to Troy.	Click on Photo for larger image

The trail continues North from this location until it meets with Section 1 of the trail that runs North from Dye Mill Road in Concord Township. This trail section from Kyle Park in Tipp City to North of Troy opened 30 October 2008.

Continue North to Section 1 Section 2 and Troy Trails.