By Pat Codispoti

This past August my husband and I added another off-road biking experience to our list of adventures. For 4 days we rode a trail in Southwest Ohio, part of a growing system of trails stretching across ten counties surrounding the Dayton area. We biked a linear section appropriately named the “Little Miami Scenic Trail” from Springfield to Newtown (just outside of Cincinnati) and back. The trail is 78 miles long, completely paved and extremely biker friendly! Our 156 mile journey took us through farmlands, past state parks and other historical sites, and through many interesting communities.

We began our ride at the Northern terminus. The trail abruptly begins under Route 70 just south of Springfield. We fortunately found a motel located only about a mile from the trail allowing us to leave our car at the Comfort Suites and ride to the trail head.

We could not have asked for better weather as we began our ride. The trail passed mostly through farm fields and is less shaded but ideal for a morning ride. The elevation from Springfield to the Newtown Golf Center drops over 450 feet making the trip south easier than the return trip. Our first stop was at Yellow Springs station, an old rail station that has been converted into an information and comfort station for trail users. I do wish we had stayed longer in Yellow Springs. It is a small yet interesting village, home to Antioch College (which itself has a very curious history). If we ever return to ride other trails in the Little Miami system, I would plan to stay overnight in Yellow Springs. But since we were only about 10 miles into our ride, we hurried on in anticipation of what we might find in Xenia.

The trail from Springfield to Xenia is well maintained but is not particularly interesting or scenic especially compared to other rides we have taken in the past. We passed field after field of corn or soybean. However, as we entered the City of Xenia, we saw signs of commercial America….. We stopped for coffee at Mc Donald’s (right on the trail)!

Xenia is the Hub of the Little Miami River Valley trail system. At Xenia Station the Ohio to Erie Trail extends East to London and the Creekside Trail runs West toward Dayton and beyond. Xenia is a city and does not share the quaintness of the village of Yellow Springs. However, the trail through Xenia is unusual. Trail users ride city sidewalks that are especially marked for bikers! And at one point the trail is in the middle of the rode with one-way traffic on either side!

Since we had made arrangements to stay at a bed and breakfast in Xenia on our return trip, we did take time to find Victoria’s Bed and Breakfast. The B & B in Xenia is an old Victorian home that we thought would make a perfect setting for a ghost story…. For the next couple of days we joked about what apparitions we might discover while staying at Victoria’s.

We left Xenia at about 11:30 AM. The trail is again not very interesting but we still enjoyed the ride as it passed through Ohio farmlands. After another hour or so on our bikes we arrived in Spring Valley. We immediately spotted “Two Scoops” and stopped for a short rest. We naturally had to experience the ice cream at “Two Scoops”, talk to the few inhabitants of Spring Valley that we met and explore what little the small settlement had to offer. There is a restaurant just down the block from “Two Scoops” and above the ice cream parlor, a very inexpensive yet acceptable lodging catering especially to bikers.

From Spring Valley south, the Little Miami Scenic trail becomes (as its name suggests) much more scenic. The trail hugs the Little Miami River although the trees and brush along the trail allow only brief glimpses of the meandering Little Miami. Even on a Thursday, we passed more bikers than ever before on previous trips.

As we left Spring Valley we had tallied almost 27 miles and still had about 16 miles to go before we would end the first day of our ride. The trail became very rural as we followed the Little Miami. This portion reminded me more of last summer’s ride on the Pine Valley Trail in Pennsylvania.

Corwin was the next stop and by then we really needed a rest. It was hot and we had been on our bikes for 3 ½ hours. The Corwin Peddler is about the only thing in Corwin but it was a great little restaurant conveniently located along the trail serving fantastic sandwiches and much welcomed cold drinks! We ate outside on the porch and took our time (about an hour) before getting back on the bike for the last stretch of our journey.

We had made reservations at the Bed and Breakfast right along the side of the trail in Oregonia. Thinking that Oregonia was a small community with grocery stores and restaurants, we only split a sandwich in Corwin. About 2 miles before we reached Oregonia, we passed “The Little River Café” a highly publicized restaurant alongside the trail. However, since we had just eaten less than an hour ago, we passed up the opportunity for dinner. As it turned out this was the only opportunity for dinner! We mistakenly thought there would be more restaurants once we reached Oregonia. As we approached Oregonia, we saw a sign that pointed us to a little Mom and Pop store just off the trail, Hall’s Market. Well, as it turned out, this WAS Oregonia and dinner was a bag of potato chips!

The River Walker Bed and Breakfast was absolutely perfect. We sat out on a deck all evening overlooking the river and the trail …. Enjoying the scenery and our potato chips!
The next morning Paul, our host at the River Walker, served us breakfast. We benefited from our conversation with Paul learning more about the history of the Miami Valley and what we might expect to see along the trail. After a leisurely breakfast, we packed our bikes and set out for our second day on the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

Day 2 was undoubtedly my favorite except for the breakdown! We had only been on the trail for maybe 5-6 miles when Cody’s bike froze. The pedals would literally not turn. Since we were only a couple miles outside of Morrow, I rode ahead to find the Bike Shop. We had researched the locations of bike shops along the trail and had expected to find one in Morrow but, I really did not find a bike shop… I found a sign but, no shop!!! Morrow is a very small and not particularly thriving community. After explaining our plight to a couple of strangers who were very friendly but not really much help, I went back to deliver the bad to news to my husband. Just as I turned, I saw him riding into town. He had managed to get the pedals moving again but questioned for how long.

From Morrow to Loveland was a fantastic ride. However, we would have to enjoy it on the return trip since our thoughts were consumed with getting to the bike shop in Loveland before the pedals froze again.
It was almost 2 hours before we reached Loveland. We found Montgomery Cycles, a block off the trail, and had the bike checked. They found nothing wrong so after lunch at one of the many restaurants along the trail in Loveland, we got back on the bikes in search of the end of the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

The trail is heavily used from Loveland to Newtown. The rural scenery has been replaced by a much more suburban environment but the trail still hugged the river with more open views of the Little Miami. We passed Milford where we planned to stay over that night stopping only for a short break at the Milford access and comfort station.

The trail ended as abruptly as it began at the Little Miami Golf Center. We saw plans for continuing the trail into Cincinnati and beyond. The future of this trail seems to be limitless and we were both thinking that it may be worth a return trip to explore some of the other trails and those that are still in the planning stage.

After a few pictures, we began our short ride back to Milford. The trail is relatively flat. The elevation does increase, however, as you head north. Pedaling may have gotten a little more demanding but not significantly.

We arrived in Milford after 4:00 PM. The only place we could find to stay in Milford was across the river on the other side of town, a Holiday Inn. We passed through a charming downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants but by then we just wanted to get to the motel, shower, and find a place for dinner. We had to ride through fairly heavy traffic uphill for a few miles before reaching the Holiday Inn.

The next morning after a good night’s sleep, we rode easily downhill to the trail access. The 3rd day on the tail was going to be the longest …… we planned to ride for more than 50 miles BUT did not plan for another breakdown. Just as we got to Milford’s bike access area, Cody’s pedals froze. Once again, he finally got them to turn but once again, our trip to Loveland and Montgomery’s was consumed with speculation.

The bike held up! We reached Loveland a little after 10:00 AM and naturally headed straight for the bike shop. Amazingly just as we arrived, the pedals froze again! While Cody stayed to see to the repairs, I went in search of the little coffee house we passed by yesterday.

Xenia may be the hub of the Little Miami Valley Trail System, but Loveland is the heart! It was a Saturday morning and Loveland was bustling with bikers and others taking advantage of this amazing trail system. There are shops, restaurants and parking specifically designed for trail users. Loveland was our favorite stop. It is so refreshing to see people of all ages enjoying summertime on the trail!

As I was finishing my coffee, Cody returned. Unfortunately they did not have the necessary part but they were able to repair the bike for what they “thought” would last until we reached our destination.
Keeping our fingers crossed, we left Loveland and continued north. We passed the remains of Peter’s Cartridge Factory, famous for supplying ammunition for World War 1. The Peters Factory gained national attention due to an explosion on July 15, 1890. The blast, due to a train car colliding with two load cars packed with 800 kegs of gun powder, could be heard for 6 miles around the Kings Mills/Mason area.

We hit the 100 mile mark in S. Lebanon at approximately 1:00 PM and continued pedaling until about 2:00 when we stopped for lunch at the Little River Café just North of Oregonia. The restaurant was crowded with bikers, of all kinds, along with those who were canoeing, kayaking, or tubing on the river.

The third day was tough. We had already been on our bikes for two days. Our legs were tired and our seats were sore! Once again we passed hundreds of people on the trail and just as many on the river. At some points, the river was actually swarming with canoes. We still had over 20 miles until we would reach Xenia and Victoria’s Bed and Breakfast, our destination for the day.

We were looking forward to stopping at the “Corwin Peddler” but when we arrived, it was closed. We were not the only bikers who were disappointed. As were sat on the porch sipping warm water from our camelbacks, several others also stopped in anticipation of a cold drink.

Getting back on the bikes, we began the ride to Spring Valley, approximately 10 more miles. At this point in the trip, the scenery was insignificant. All we could think about was a cold drink or even another ice cream cone at “Two Scoops”. You cannot imagine how disillusioned we were to discover that “Two Scoops” was also closed!

We arrived at Victoria’s at 5:30, tired, sore, and thirsty yet in high spirits. Day 3 was over! We quickly unloaded our bikes, showered, and set off on foot (it felt so good to walk) looking for a restaurant in Xenia where we could get that cold drink!

The last day was really enjoyable – perhaps because it was the last day! We only had a short 20 miles to cover before we would reach our car (hopefully waiting for us at the Comfort Suites). We left Xenia fairly early at about 8:00 AM. As we rode out of Xenia, it began to rain. We stopped at McDonald’s to get out our rain gear, the same McDonald’s we had stopped at on the first day of our ride. Almost as soon as we pulled our rain gear out of the panniers, the rain stopped and the sun came out.

We got off the bikes for a few minutes in front of Antioch College. We met another couple, enjoying a day ride on the trail, who kindly offered to take our picture. They were from Dayton and often spent the day in the quaint village of Yellow Springs. They also gave us some information on the North Bend Rail Trail in West Virginia, which just might be next year’s adventure!

We made it to the Northern most terminus of the Little Miami Scenic Trail by 10:45 Sunday morning, took a picture by the trail marker with the Alfred Sun, and hurried back to the car. The odometer on Cody’s bike showed that we had ridden over 154 miles, averaged 10.4 miles an hour and were on our bikes just under 15 hours. Both of us were eager to get off the bikes, proud to have added another multi-day bike trip to our list, but also sad to be ending our 4-day journey on the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

I am not likely to ever get to ride this entire trail in segments even, but the part I've been on twice offers an awesome section as it snakes under I-71 bridge to the valley there. I guess you could even stop and ride a canoe along here if you wanted to. I started at Caesar Creek which makes a 17 or 18 mile round trip.

My wife and I , (combined age of 127 yrs. old) just finished five fantastic cycling days on our road tandem in the Xenia-Dayton area. We came to ride the Little Miami Scenic Trail from end to end using are usual practice of out and back riding. We were not disappointed. Great scenery, nice small towns, flat riding and friendly people. Averaging 55+ mile days on this and other surrounding trails we were able to cover over 275 total miles. Other local trails not to be missed are the Prairie Grass Trail, Creekside Trail, and the Great Miami River Trail. All trails are clean, glass free, and fast. Hard to imagine a better place to spend a week or more if you have the time. Where else can you stay at one motel and have all these mentioned trails, plus several more we didn't have time to explore. If you need a mid-week break from biking try the National Air-Force Museum in Dayton. Easy to spend the entire day there and its free. Roger and Marilyn

My wife and I were visiting family in Cincinnati over July 4th weekend and after a ride around the northern Kentucky hills were looking for an interesting, flat bike trail to ride our new DaVinci tandem. We started in Milford at 7:30am and headed toward Morrow for a 40+ mile round trip.

The trail is paved, flat, well shaded, and generally in good shape. There are root bumps, but not too many. The little towns (especially Loveland) provide good points of interest. Loveland has many shops along the trail that cater to the trail users.

Probably our biggest disappointment was that the trail was so overgrown. The trail itself was clear, but one can not see much scenery while riding along. We are used to many, very scenic trails in the Chicagoland area (particularly near the Fox River valley). Although the Little Miami Scenic Trail runs along the river, the overgrown brush prevents one from seeing the river most of the time. Fields could barely be enjoyed on the other side of the trail due to the overgrown brush.

So if you are looking for a well paved, flat and level trail that offers little more than a tunnel feel when not passing through the interesting towns, then this trail is it. But it should not be classified as one of the best trails anywhere. Within our limited trail riding, we have experienced trails that provide both flat, well paved riding AND good scenery.

Late in the day on Saturday, (approx 5:00 p.m.) just as the rain was coming and going, I made it to Loveland with my newly purchased bike off of Craigslist, nothing fancy, just a great deal on a Huffy. As I pulled into the parking lot the worst of the storm had passed and just a few sprinkles were lingering. I pulled out my bike, cell phone and water bottle in hand and ventured off to get the wheels wet. Shortly into my ride, I noticed the mile markers painted on the path (I am new to this path) and realized I had just passed the 40 mile marker and the numbers were going down. Ok, this is great, I will be able to follow my progress. Not long into my ride, I noticed the sound of running water, various places displayed a beautiful flow of water blanketing the rocks that led to the river below which ran the entire distance beside me. Since it had just stormed there were limbs down from the winds (nothing to drastic) but it also left the bike trail completely empty with little ole me to enjoy the whole thing to myself !!!! I had been riding maybe 30 minutes when it started raining a constant refreshing rain, I didn't care, it cooled things down and left me feeling more refreshed than ever. As the rain was coming down I noticed I was no longer alone on the trail. I had beautiful bright yellow finch traveling along side of me as if they were dancing with me. Multiple times, various places in the path, it was breathtaking. I was so happy with myself for not letting the rain scare me away. I wish I had brought a camera because there were multiple places that gave you a perfect set up for some beautiful shots, especially with the water coming down the streams off the hillside. Watching my time I realized I should start heading back, by the mile markers I had riden 10 plus miles and I had to return to my starting designation. I stopped and turned around just short of coming into Morrow. Again on the ride back, the birds had invited several Cardinal's to join in on the dancing. Ok, I am thinking, this is something out of a fairytale with Cinderella, death must be knocking on my door, cause nature just doesn't act this way. If I run across deer, that's it. I am destined to be pushing up daisy's. As I am returning to the vehicle, I remembered there was a path that cut off and took you to Lebanon, an additional 8.2 miles to be exact. I stopped there and took in some information, upon bringing myself back up to the LMST, there is a flippin baby deer !! Just beside it is it's mommy, I gently applied my brakes as I didn't want to spook them. They stood right there and let me glide right past them. My ride was refreshing, mesmerizing, uplifting, and exhausting. It was so worth it. I recommend everyone ride at least once in the rain. The stretch between Loveland and Morrow is mostly shaded with nature all around you. ON Sunday, I started at the beginning of the path off of Newtown Rd and rode to Loveland (round trip 30 mile), not as much Nature, many areas with no shade, enjoyed the Loveland to Morrow stretch much better. 52 +/- miles over 2 days, not bad for a rookie. Oh my aching $$%%.

Is there any campsites along the Little Miami for someone that wants to do a multi-day trip? Thanks.

May29-31, 2010
This was the third time that we have done the trail. We started in Milford and traveled to Xenia where we spent 2 nights. We did the Creekside trail to Dayton and went north to Young's Dairy before we headed back to Milford. We were extremely disappointed with the trail this time. It was so overgrown that in many places the shrubs were over the trail. As we got closer to Xenia the trail improved. The Creekside trail was in perfect condition. Riverside Cafe was under construction from the fire. We didn't know there was a fire, so were disappointed to not find it open. We rode on to Corwin and ate there. We will definitely do the trail again since we love all the trail options. Brenda and Ted Gatchel, Prospect, Ohio

On Monday April 19th, 2010 - I Rented a car from Enterprise at King's mall in Loveland, had them pick me up at Paxton Grill where my car was parked.. Signed papers at their King's mall shop, then took the rental car back to the trail parking at Paxton Grill and transfered the T8 to the rented car (thought about the t12, but the trail is fairly narrow, went with the T8)... I Drove up highway 48 to 42 to Xenia, and a bit down US35 toward Dayton, and returned the rented car at their Enterprise location on the north side of US HWY 35... Took the T8 out and got ready and got on the creekside trail (right behind the enterprise location) and climbed a bit into Xenia and then started down the little miami scenic trail (aka Loveland Bike Trail)... towards my car still parked in downtown loveland...

Kept a decent pace for a Trikke Carving Vehicle at first - 11 to 12 mph...
The trail is in good condition as other reviewers have said... They seem to keep it well maintained as there were not many sticks or other things on the path to have to avoid..

I started slowing down near the end of the ride, both because there were some more scenic spots to stop and take pictures, and because even though I had a hydration pack, I did not do the best job of staying properly hydrated, and started to crash some... Also, I should have stopped in one of the small towns on the way for a full lunch (like topshelf did), instead of just eating only energy bars and drinking water... Much of it was a slight downhill on average, or I may have slowed down more...
The GPS results for the ride are at: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/30627434

The scenery was nice, but I was hoping for some more scenic views of the little miami river than there seemed to be... My only reason for not rating this a 5 ...
If links actually work in this review, here are some pics of the ride in a few places where I did stop
http://picasaweb.google.com/MiTrikker/XeniaToLoveLand?authkey=Gv1sRgCNjajfmPyLW4Yg#

I would do this ride again. Perhaps next time I drive through the Cincinnati area and can afford to stay an extra day.. -

http://trikketalk.com/ohio-trikker-forum/8278-loveland-bike-trail-sunday-april-18th-monday-apr-19th.html#post126073

Last Summer (late Aug 2009) we brought our old folks bicycle club to Lebanon Ohio for a grand 3 day tour of the Little Miami Scenic Trail. We had a great time on the trail from our rest break playing on the big bikes on the way to Loveland, to great ice cream cones up in Yellow Springs. Lebanon has an excellent 10km connecter trail from their town to the Little Miami. We really enjoyed the museum in Xenia and the fact that this is a major hub for multiuse trails. We stayed at Hardy's B&B"s (he has 4 locations and we took them all) We will be back.
Jim & Mary, Ontario, Canada, Aug 09

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.

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.

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

My family and I visited Ohio on Spring Break and we loved the trails down in the Yellow Springs area. Clean, well kept and very friendly people. Yellow Springs welcomes both bike and foot traffic. Nice , clean public bathrooms, bike racks and many eateries close to the bike path. Even my seven year old son was able to ride quite some distance and enjoy the scenery. I recomend this trail and we intend on going back to ride further!

"Have been riding, experiencing and loving this rail trail for over 7 years. There's something for everyone and the section between Xenia and Loveland has to be one of the prettiest in the country. Get out there and enjoy it, do it today!"

"I lived in Loveland Ohio for a short time, in that time I got to go on the Loveland Bike Trail. What a beautiful wonderful, trail. I moved to South Carolina, and there are no other trails like this one. I MISS IT TERRIBLY. I looked at the pictures on the web site and it brought back many memories. BEST ON THE PLANET. If I get back up that direction I am bringing my BIKE JUST FOR THE TRAIL. Wish they had one down here. NOT EVEN CLOSE. OHIO BE GRATEFUL FOR SUCH A GREAT A STUDPENDOUS... stretch of land. It's FANTASTIC.."

" We rode the middle third of this trail, 57 miles round trip, from Xenia to Morrow and back. Very smooth ride. 100 degree weather was no problem as most of ride was in the shade.
Great sandwich shop in Morrow, Morrow's Sweet Tooth. We hope they spray for poison ivy which is right on edge of trail in many places, also on rail bridge in Morrow. But we thank Ohio for preserving this marvelous transportation corridor. Best rail trail we have ever ridden!"

"While this trail is primarily used by cyclists and roller-bladers I can tell you from 1st hand experience it is very runner/walker friendly, too...I have trained for 11 marathons on the stretch between Corwin and Greene County and have found it to be safe and scenic...and importantly, 99% of bikers approaching from the rear are courteous by shouting ""on your left"" as they come up on you.
This is a gorgeous trail, and especially in late summer-early autumn when the wild flowers are tall and the yellow finches seem to follow you along the path...
if you're out early you'll occasionally have a doe cross your path as well.
Happy Running/Biking!
Dan"

Rode from Milford to Xenia on the first Saturday in October of 2005. Had a great time and would the trail to all.

"I come up every year to Ohio to visit my family during the holiday season. Last year I rode this trail for the first time, and I must say it is the best trail outside of Mississippi that I have seen. Well maintained, with beutiful views, even though it was cold I had a wonderful time. I want to thank everyone that made this trail possible."

This trail is great for those that wish to do a century or even a double century. It's flat and smooth surface allows you to really rack up the miles. I tried a double century last month and made it to 191 miles in 18 hrs. Had to stop because of stormy weather. Lots of refueling places along the trail too. Im going to give the double century another shot in 3 weeks. ps...Im 50.

"I did a 150 mile self-supported tour of the Little Miami starting just east of Springfield on a spur. Fifty miles south takes you to an on-trail campground. Twenty-five miles south to the end and 25 miles back to the campground was my 2nd day. The third day was 50 miles back to my car near Springfield. It was a real pleasure cycling this trail (twice!). Surrounded by trees and silence, the cycling was sublime. Easy and flat, too, with ample off-trail opportunity for food/winery tours, etc. There are some B&Bs too."

"This is the best we have riden. The trail connects with other trails. We stayed at Caesar Creek State Park for a week and rode the Litte Miami, Creek Side, and Ohio to Erie Trails. And we still didn't get to the trails In Dayton. This is a great trail system. The park at Loveland and the town there are nice."

"My biking partner and I biked the Little Miami this past weekend; it was a wonderful experience. The trail is an easy ride (paved trails are hard to come by), and the scenery although not wilderness, was picturesque and invited frequent picture stops. We stayed in Waynesville-half way-and biked into Springfield the next day. We traveled five hours to get to this trail and plan to do it again next year!"

My wife and I rode the Little Miami at the peak of the fall colors and we think it's probably the most senic and best maintained rail trail we have ridden. The street fair in Yellow Springs was a delightful bonus.

This trail is so awesome! It follows the very scenic Little Miami River tucked in the large trees. Perfect ride on a hot summer afternoon and a fabulous trail to see the fall colors on the hillside on both sides. Stop at one of the quaint little towns along the way for some ice cream and snacks or bed down in one of the B&B. A definite must ride in Southwestern Ohio!!!!

"I remember riding the Cincinnati Limited of the Pennsylvania Railroad on what is now the Little Miami Scenic Trail. The views of the river are great, and in Morrow you can still see rail in the street from the old street running section."

I live near the trail and use it as often as possible. We drop our daughter's bike off at school in the morning then ride up to pick her up after school. It's a great way for our family to spend time together. We see lots of wildlife and the trail is shaded so it stays cool in the summer.

"I am lucky to live near this trail. My family and I bike ride on it, and we also did a group ride this past summer with 10 friends. I also jog on the trail -- the mileage markers are great.

The scenery is wonderful, and the trail is flat!"

"I had the opportunity to check out this trail while visiting family in the West Chester, Ohio, area. It was well maintained and shady with very few changes in elevation. The small towns along the way cater to the users of the path. Plenty of places to stop, park, eat and drink! My hat goes off to everyone involved!"

My wife and I went on this trail and really loved it. We liked the small towns and being in the country!! We are from Indiana and we really don't have many paved trails.

"The Little Miami bike trail is an excellent example of a rail-to-trail conversion. I have ridden on the trail for many years and have watched it grow from a trail about 13 miles long to what it is today.

The trail roughly follows the Little Miami river. It goes through a variety of scenic terrain: from farm land to woods to small towns. The entire trail is paved and basically flat which makes for easy riding. You're never more than about 10 miles from a town and most towns have bathroom facilities along with water and small shops. There are several bed-and-breakfasts along the way for those who want to make a multi-day trip out of it.

There are many places to park your car and start riding from. Among them are: Milford, Loveland, the powder factory (near Mason), Morrow, Morgan's Canoe Livery, Oregonia, Corwin, Spring Valley, Xenia, and Yellow Springs. I'm sure I've skipped a few, but you get the picture, nearly every town along the way has parking available for trail riders.

There's plenty more that could be said in favor of the Little Miami bike trail. Suffice it to say that of the several thousand miles that I've ridden, the Little Miami bike trail is easily my favorite place to bike."

"This is GREAT trail! Smooth and long. Several branches out of it - to Beavercreek, to Cedarville, etc.

Communities (Spring Valley, Corwin, Morrow, etc.) along the route like bicyclists."

This is a great trail! There are quite a few little towns or villages that make nice stops. We have ridden the lower part the most. Loveland is a great stop with a nice park and lots of shops that provide services for the trail. There are a few roads to cross with caution but not too bad. I would definately recommend this trail!

This is an excellent trail and very popular. There are other biking trails that connect with this trail -- west to Beavercreek and from there trails that go through Dayton along the Mad River and the Great Miami River. There's a lot to explore!

"The trail was fantastic. All paved and mostly shaded by trees. It runs from Milford in the south to way past Springfield. Lots of quaint towns along the way. Since it is along the Little Miami River there are also several canoe rental places.
We stayed in Waynesville at the Creekwood Motel. Trail is 1/2 mile from there and at about the halfway point on the trail.
In Xenia the trail goes by a park where there will be several trails branching out. Pay close attention in order to not take the wrong trail out of town toward Springfield. In Xenia the trail also goes through the center of town on city streets.
In Springfield you really have to be eagle-eyed to catch the trail signs because you will be led through town using them. Pay close attention and keep a log of the streets because you will need it on the way back. We lost the signs at the north end of town and had to do a bit of searching. There are a lot of one-way streets there making a complete backtrack difficult. HEADS UP! It probably would help to get a city map of Springfield and mark the trail on it.
Trail maps can be gotten at several stations along the trail, and there are also maps on signposts. Too bad the website does not have any. That would be really helpful.
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