The trails in and around the city of Piqua, OH include the 5.5-mile Piqua Linear Bike Path, the 3.5-mile River's Edge path, and the 2.3-mile Hydraulic Canal Run. The combination of the three trails makes for an enjoyable ride and form a loop around the city. This review is for only the Piqua Linear Bike Path.

To ride this long, straight path, park either on the west trailhead parking lot on Spiker Road, which is found at 40-08.155N and 084-17.894W or at the east trailhead parking lot on Troy-Sidney Road, which is found at 40-08.555N and 084-11.841W. Both lots are limited to about six parking spaces, are paved, and are easy to find. From either trailhead it is a ~3 mile straight and nearly level ride toward the downtown area, but the trail begins to descend more as it approaches the Great Miami river. On the eastern leg, there is a bridge over the river, however, the bridge is currently off limits with police tape across it due to some structural damage. It is for this reason alone that I recommend riding from the western trailhead, across the Martin Luther King Jr bicycle bridge, and down through the downtown area. Just before this bridge there is an off ramp to take the Hydraulic Canal Run trail north.

The trail through the few blocks of the downtown area has been well-designed to allow for safe and convenient road crossings and the trail passes right in front of the police station so navigating straight through the downtown area is worthwhile and is easy to do. Once through the downtown you will reach Lock 9 park, which is right beside and under the bridge. At this point, if the bridge is open, you can take your bike up and across the bridge to travel east or turn north to follow the River's Edge path. If not, you can ride north along the Great Miami River for 2.3 miles up to Roadside Park, cross over to Swift Run Lake and pick up the 2.3-mile Canal Run path south along the particularly scenic canal and meet up again with the Piqua Linear Bike Path in the vicinity of the Martin Luther King Jr bridge.

Due to the long, straight trail alone and the bridge currently being barricaded I would rate the Piqua Linear Bike Path as only two stars. However, add in the Canal Run and the River's Edge to increase the ride to 11.3 miles and this rating to at least 4 stars. I'll post some pictures of just this trail. See a similar review of the Hydraulic Canal Run.

~ Trail Jogger ~

I took up rollerblading a couple of years ago, so I am not a beginner, or super experienced either. This trail was probably the most enjoyable path my kids and I have come across in our travels. If a person desires to do a "loop" on rollerblades using the Canal Path and Rivers Edge path, I would recommend going clockwise. There are some slight hills that end at roads on the Canal Path, but they will be after crossing the road and going up if one is heading north. There will be a fairly good hill at the north end going down then, but it sort of ends in a parking lot. The pavement was smooth and the scenery good. I hope the people of Piqua realize the gem they have.

A wonderful design, full of historical spirit, and an obvious envy of surrounding communities. A beginners level challenge of inclines, straight-a-ways, and small hills. Last trip out, preschoolers were marching and yelling cadence on their side of the trail. They were having a blast. People are so much friendlier along the pathways. It's almost an entirely different community lacking the stress and hustle and bustle of competing with vehicular traffic. The ride along the Great Miami river is most relaxing as the city of Piqua disappears above it's banks. Recommend parking off ST RT 66, north of town, along Echo Lake spillway, take the tunnel east under 66 passing through the roadside park and travel south along the old Erie canal as it opens to run parallel to the Great Miami River. Once downtown, go west until the trail ends, turn around, and return to the French Mill area on your left and make your way north to Echo Lake and your trip will be complete.

All of us anxiously await the connection from Sidney to Piqua Ohio. Recent updates with local Parks Directors indicates perhaps 2010 or beyond.