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Little Miami Scenic Trail:
Ohio
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Description:
The Little Miami Scenic Trail is a jewel in the crown of Ohio rail-trails. The 72-mile paved path links Terrace Park near Cincinnati to Springfield, a dozen towns and four counties to the north. It passes through quaint small towns, beautiful state parks, picturesque scenery, old and new bridges, and natural habitat. If you are interested in a shorter trip, start at Xenia Station. Trails radiate from Xenia like sunbeams, lending this charming town a reputation as the crossroads of Ohio trails. Feeling energetic? Take in the Little Miami in one fell swoop, starting and ending at the Avoca Park Trailhead in Terrace Park. This beautiful park has plenty of natural green space to relax in after one of the best rides Ohio has to offer. Southern Section Leaving Terrace Park, a bridge takes you over State Rte. 50 and you soon come to Milford, until 2005 the trail's southern endpoint. Here, and for most of the southern portion, the Little Miami River is your companion. Just north of Milford a lovely 2500-foot-long bridge carries you across the river toward Loveland. "Old Loveland," the quaint older section, is jam-packed with stores, cafes, and even a bike shop. The trail is busy here, and traffic remains constant all the way past Hamilton Township's Fosters Park, with its parking, restrooms, and shady large trees, to the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge. The bridge, named after a former governor, is the highest bridge in Ohio, a twin deck, arch truss bridge, looming 239 feet above the river. Near the town of Morrow, with its railroad depot and an ancient, but safe, iron trestle, the trail congestion ebbs. There is a lot of ground to cover between Morrow and Xenia, but don't miss Fort Ancient State Memorial, home to a large museum and three and a half miles of mounds built by the Fort Ancient tribe. Just to the north is Caesar Creek State Park, with more than 70 miles of great hiking and bridle trails as well as canoe rentals. The town of Corwin at about mile 32 is a pleasant place to stop and recharge. This is the last trailhead before Xenia and Xenia Station, where mileage markers start at 0. Northern Section Xenia Station to Yellow Springs is an extraordinary 10.25-mile journey. Just 1 mile into the ride, Shawnee Park provides a great fountain, playgrounds, benches, and restrooms. There is even a band shell. The trail here begins to see more traffic but remains wide to avoid overcrowding. The Xenia State trailhead is a perfect backdrop for photos to prove the miles you have covered. As you approach Yellow Springs, several 911 call boxes indicate a return to an urban setting. A little further north a historical marker tells about American abolitionist Moncure Daniel Conway, who briefly spent time in the Cincinnati area. On the left is the Antioch grade school and its impressive contemporary sculpture garden. A little further along the path is Glen Helen Park and Antioch College. In downtown Yellow Springs, south of U.S. Rte. 68, two converted train cabooses function as storefronts; north of the highway Yellow Springs Railroad Station now houses the Chamber of Commerce. The chamber hosts an unusual and fun feature--revolving art exhibits in the public rest rooms. Many Little Miami Trail users either turn around or stop here. As it continues north, the trail has multiple road segments, and can be confusing. The final leg of the trail from Yellow Springs Station to Springfield is an approximately 7-mile journey. Start it off with a side trip east on West Jackson Road: The homemade ice cream at Young's Dairy is just 0.8 miles away on Springfield-Xenia Road and is a must for many, many trail users. Several street crossings and some road riding are ahead, so take your time and watch for traffic. After you cross Possum Road, the trail curves to the left and turns north next to Springfield-Xenia Road. The road crossing for southbound trail- travelers is unmarked. Bike lanes on the road start just across Leffel Lane though the official bike lanes start at the Springfield city limit. After the bike lanes take you right on John Street, cross the street and pick up the rail-trail again. At Johnny Lytle Avenue turn right onto a bike route. Continue traveling east to South Plum Street. At this point go north until you get to Fair Street then turn left. Shortly turn right and go back to the trail. Pass through several underpasses to the corner of Center and Jefferson streets. Here the trail goes north to downtown Springfield's Heritage Center, which houses a library, museum store, and the Springfield Arts Society. The Heritage Center marks the end of the Little Miami Scenic Trail. With all 72 miles under your belt, or even just a sampling, it is plain to see why this trail is traveled by more Ohioans than any other trail in the state.
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Parking & Trail Access:
Xenia Station is located on South Detroit Street (State Route 380) in Xenia, 1 mile south of the US Route 35 and US Route 68 intersection. Take Route 68 south until it becomes State Route 380. Travel 1 mile and look for the caboose on the right. Turn right onto North Miami Avenue at the traffic signal and turn right again into the parking lot. Avoca Park Trailhead can be accessed by traveling south on State Route 50 toward Terrace Park. On the left side of Route 50 you will see the well-marked entrance. The Heritage Center Library in Springfield has parking and trail facilities.
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Reviews: [2 trail ratings]
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October 2009 - Great ride!
By TopShelf on December 31, 2009
Just before 8:00 a.m. on a cool, rainy Friday morning in October 2009, I climbed aboard my trusty steed (1995 Schwinn Searcher Express hybrid bike) and set off to tackle the Little Miami Trail. I was headed to Cincinnati to visit my son who is in college. I had sweats and rain gear, and packed my typical tools, inner tube, snacks and water. As I departed downtown Springfield, the rain was relentless. I had some difficulty following the trail and its road sections, but eventually worked my way to the south end of town and under I-70. From this point on there would be no more road sections. I crossed US 68 and headed toward Yellow Springs. At West Jackson Road, I was teased by the sign for Young’s Jersey Dairy, which I knew had not yet opened at that time in the morning. I rolled into Yellow Springs and went to the old train station. This place should not be missed - the art hanging on the restroom walls is worth a look. In a few minutes, I got back on my soaked bike and headed south, the rain now easing only slightly. On a nicer day, I would have spent some time looking around Yellow Springs – it’s a fun, funky place. I rolled past the glen and Antioch College, and started to pound out the miles to Xenia. In Xenia, the trail follows sidewalks for a while between Shawnee Park and the station. Pay attention for bike route signs. The Xenia Station is a welcome sight. I went inside to dry off for a moment, and contemplate the merits of biking on a cool, rainy day. From Xenia, trails branch off in four (soon five) directions – north toward Springfield, northeast to near Columbus, southeast to near Cincinnati, west to Dayton and beyond, and soon southeast toward Chillicothe. From Xenia I headed south toward Cincinnati. The next town I came too was Spring Grove. This small town has a decent restaurant, the Spartan Spirit, where I decided to dry off and get lunch. Well fed and dried, I left the restaurant and was greeted by a nice surprise – sunshine. I shed my rain gear, put on a dry sweatshirt and pants, and took off for points south. In no time I was in Corwin. (If you go through Corwin on a weekend be sure to stop at the Corwin Peddler – good food and ice cream at a place owned by an enthusiastic supporter of the trail.) I rolled on toward the tiny town of Oregonia, and soon passed the ruins of the Little River Café. The place burned down recently, but I was encouraged by the crews working hard to get the place rebuilt and back in business. South of Oregonia, I passed under the I-71 bridge which floats high above the trail. Shortly, I was in Morrow, where I stopped for a break. I had hoped to visit Miranda’s ice cream shop, but unfortunately it was closed on this Friday in October, so I kept pedaling south. I passed the imposing Peter’s Cartridge Factory, which made shells for the military in World Wars I and II, and came into the town of Loveland. I parked my bike and went into the Loveland Mill for a couple cookies. By this time my legs were a little sore, but I only had a few more miles to go. I got back aboard, and headed toward Milford. I crossed the Little Miami on an old railroad bridge and rolled through Milford. Shortly after Milford I crossed a railroad bridge over US 52, through Terrace Park, and came to another bridge over the Little Miami. Soon, I was at the southern trailhead at Little Miami Golf Course, where I waited for my ride to take me on into Cincinnati. Even with the rain in the morning, this was a very enjoyable ride.
Morrow to Yellow Springs section - 38 miles
By mlwberg on September 05, 2009
September, 2009 - A great ride ! Rode the section from Morrow to Yellow Springs, heading mainly north. Overall the trail is in very good condition, paved asphalt, about 95 percent is in the shade. A generally slight uphill all the way, though nothing too strenuous. Nice restroom facilities in 4 spots along the way.

Morrow to Corbin - 14 miles, nice restaurant in Corbin

Corbin to Xenia - 14 miles, brings you to Xenia Station. You can choose several trails to branch off on here. A short distance in Xenia is on city streets. I continued north to Yellow Springs.

Xenia to Yellow Springs - 10 miles. A slightly steeper upgrade. Yellow Springs has many nice little shops and restaurants right along the trail.

I stayed in Xenia, at the Regency Motel, nothing fancy, but clean and fairly inexpensive. There a several nice B&B's in the area. There is a fully equipped bike shop in Xenia, just off the trail.

Definately would this this ride again.
Little Miami Trail - 10 mile section near Lebanon
By l_thomspon on August 17, 2009
My husband and I drove up from Knoxville TN to try this trail out. The trail was really well maintained, and any "bumps" that were under the pavement were marked. That would really help bikers with small tires that could potentially bend rims or break spokes. There was a center stripe just like on roadways - that was a nice touch, and the first green-way my husband and I have been on with that kind of marking.
It was in mid-August, so the shade from the trees lining the trail really helped. It was not a breezy day, and the only wind we felt is what we provided by pedaling! And it was A LOT of pedaling. The section of the trail that we rode was really straight and dead FLAT! There was no opportunity to struggle up a hill to get the reward of coasting down the other side...
If we lived closer I would probably use this trail often to build up my cardio and endurance - but to drive several hours to get here, I was a bit disappointed. There were no benches or other such rest stops anywhere along the trail to take breaks and stretch out, or to just cool off with a nice drink. We both had Camel-Bak's and water bottles, so the lack of drinking fountains was not an issue.
This is third Rail-Trail we have done, along with Abdingdon, VA and Lynchburg, VA. Would only recommend to beginning cyclists that don't want a lot of hills and to road bikers that like the flat-land to build up their speed.
Lorraine