Find the top rated bike trails in Dayton, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Tecumseh Trail Multi-use Pathway offers a pleasant route, partially on the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Columbus-to-Saint Louis freight mainline. The rail route was also once used for Lincoln's...
The Great Miami River Trail is the backbone of one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks, spanning 340 miles throughout Ohio’s Miami Valley. The route connects beautiful natural areas, small...
The Steve Whalen Boulevard Bikeway is a short neighborhood trail in East Dayton. The trail parallels the boulevard of the same name, starting at its intersection with Hamilton Avenue, and then heading...
The Camp Chase Trail plays a role in two of Ohio’s most exciting trail projects: it is a key piece of the cross-state Ohio to Erie Trail and an integral part of the Central Ohio Greenways network...
This recreational path connects the Armleder Park Trail in Otto Armleder Memorial Park to the 5-mile Lunken Airport Bike Path. The trail begins at the parking lot south of the dog park, and heads...
The Wright Brothers Huffman Prairie Bikeway runs from South Street in downtown Fairborn, along the north side of Kauffman Avenue adjacent to an active rail line, to National Road. At that point, the...
The Lebanon Countryside YMCA Trail offers 8 miles of paved pathway winding through Lebanon, from downtown to a connection to the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail. The trail begins in the north near...
To cover the five miles suggested by the name of this trail, one has to travel out to the opposite end and back again. The trail is located in Anderson Township, about 13 miles southeast of...
The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana, connects Marion, Muncie, Losantville, Richmond and a host of other small towns in rural northeastern Indiana. The trail takes its name from...
How can a trail be great and little? When it connects two of the Miami Valley's most popular regional trails, the Great Miami River Trail in the west, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail in the east. The...
The Mad River Trail offers a paved route connecting a handful of parks along its namesake river in northeastern Dayton. The scenic pathway is also part of one of the nation's largest network of paved,...
The Judy Gano Trail travels the length of the J.W. Denver Williams Memorial Park in Wilmington, Ohio. The trail begins on Rombach Avenue and travesl past the skate park, tennis courts and baseball...
The Towler Road Spur is a short but pleasant route in the trail hub of Xenia, Ohio. Although the paved pathway parallels the roadway, it's separated from traffic by a wide grassy median dotted with...
The Lowe's Connector Trail parallels Lowe's Drive in Wilmington, OH, and links Rombach Avenue with Prairie Road; however, this is no sidewalk once you reach Prairie Road. The trail is best used to...
The North Lewisburg Trail lies about 40 miles northwest of Columbus in the Village of North Lewisburg. The trail runs northeast from the community park in a wooded corridor that once housed train...
The paved Tecumseh Trail skirts the quaint city of New Carlisle. The trail takes users through some beautiful wooded areas along a former railroad corridor and connects to Smith Park. At the popular...
The Lunken Airport Bike Path offers a 5-mile loop around Cincinnati's municipal Lunken Airport. Much of the trail sits atop the levee that protects the airport from flooding of the Little Miami River....
The Sharon Woods Loop Trail encircles a picturesque lake in popular Sharon Woods in Sharonville. The county park offers a visitor center, boathouse, golf course, picnic areas and athletic fields over...
The James Ranch Connecting Spur provides an important link between two major trails spiraling out of the trail hub of Xenia. On its east end, the trail connects to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which...
Seamlessly spanning the 35.5-mile distance between the Ohio communities of Bellefontaine and Springfield, the Simon Kenton Trail presents visitors with ample opportunities for recreation and wildlife...
The Armleder Park Trail loops along a wide, paved route through the open meadows of the park, located east of Cincinnati. At the southeast end, you'll find an overlook of the Little Miami River....
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When complete, the Ohio River Trail in eastern Cincinnati will be an important 23-mile connector between downtown, riverfront parks, the city's municipal airport and many neighborhoods. Currently,...
Opened in 2017, the Clinton-Fayette Friendship Trail, spanning 7.1 miles, is the longest rail-trail in central Ohio's Clinton County. Following a former railroad corridor, the rail-trail spans the...
This recreational path connects the Armleder Park Trail in Otto Armleder Memorial Park to the 5-mile Lunken Airport Bike Path. The trail begins at the parking lot south of the dog park, and heads...
The Little Miami Scenic Trail is a jewel in the crown of Ohio rail-trails, spanning just over 78 miles from the outskirts of Cincinnati to Springfield over historical bridges and through tranquil...
The Steve Whalen Boulevard Bikeway is a short neighborhood trail in East Dayton. The trail parallels the boulevard of the same name, starting at its intersection with Hamilton Avenue, and then heading...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The 4C Bicentennial Trail is one of several throughout Wilmington, OH, and runs between Southeast Neighborhood Park and Fife Avenue (CR 82), just across the road from the south end of Denver Williams...
Hydraulic Canal Run begins in picturesque French Park, where stands of mature trees provide the perfect shady spots to picnic. From here, you can also connect to Piqua City Linear Park, a rail-trail...
The short Union City Gateway Trail is significant in that it was the first trail to cross the Indiana–Ohio border. A highlight along the paved pathway is the beautifully landscaped park on both sides...
The Sharon Woods Loop Trail encircles a picturesque lake in popular Sharon Woods in Sharonville. The county park offers a visitor center, boathouse, golf course, picnic areas and athletic fields over...
The Fairfax Trail is 1.5 miles long and parallels the north side of Murray Ave, between Settle Street and Red Bank Road. The Murray Road portion overlaps with the Murray Road Hike/ Bike Trail. There...
The growing Mill Creek Greenway Trail follows one of Cincinnati’s most important urban waterways and will one day stretch 14 miles through the city's northern neighborhoods. Groundwork Cincinnati is a...
The Stillwater River Bikeway winds through Dayton's northern suburbs, following the tree-lined eastern shore of its namesake waterway for much of the way. Two disconnected segments of trail are...
Seamlessly spanning the 35.5-mile distance between the Ohio communities of Bellefontaine and Springfield, the Simon Kenton Trail presents visitors with ample opportunities for recreation and wildlife...
The Great Miami River Trail is the backbone of one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks, spanning 340 miles throughout Ohio’s Miami Valley. The route connects beautiful natural areas, small...
The paved Tecumseh Trail skirts the quaint city of New Carlisle. The trail takes users through some beautiful wooded areas along a former railroad corridor and connects to Smith Park. At the popular...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a colossal project, not just for the state of Ohio but also nationally. Dreamed up more than 25 years ago, this route will eventually connect the Ohio River in Cincinnati to...
The Towler Road Spur is a short but pleasant route in the trail hub of Xenia, Ohio. Although the paved pathway parallels the roadway, it's separated from traffic by a wide grassy median dotted with...
The Xenia–Jamestown Connector links these two eponymous communities and travels east beyond Jamestown to the Greene–Fayette County line at Rosemoor Road. It’s part of Ohio’s Miami River Valley trail...
The Xenia–Jamestown Connector links these two eponymous communities and travels east beyond Jamestown to the Greene–Fayette County line at Rosemoor Road. It’s part of Ohio’s Miami River Valley trail...
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The 7-mile Iron Horse Trail (open in two disconnected segments) utilizes approximately 2 miles of former Penn Central right-of-way, providing users a pleasant route through neighborhoods, as well as a...
When complete, the Ohio River Trail in eastern Cincinnati will be an important 23-mile connector between downtown, riverfront parks, the city's municipal airport and many neighborhoods. Currently,...
The paved Tecumseh Trail skirts the quaint city of New Carlisle. The trail takes users through some beautiful wooded areas along a former railroad corridor and connects to Smith Park. At the popular...
The growing Mill Creek Greenway Trail follows one of Cincinnati’s most important urban waterways and will one day stretch 14 miles through the city's northern neighborhoods. Groundwork Cincinnati is a...
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Ohio’s Miami River Valley, with 340 miles of off-road trails, is home to one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks. Heading northwest from Dayton, the Wolf Creek Trail is one piece of this...
The Lebanon Countryside YMCA Trail offers 8 miles of paved pathway winding through Lebanon, from downtown to a connection to the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail. The trail begins in the north near...
The 29-mile Prairie Grass Trail is one of four rail-trails that radiate from Xenia Station, the hub of a vast, paved trail network in southwestern Ohio. The site is a former Baltimore & Ohio (B&O)...
The Steve Whalen Boulevard Bikeway is a short neighborhood trail in East Dayton. The trail parallels the boulevard of the same name, starting at its intersection with Hamilton Avenue, and then heading...
The James Ranch Connecting Spur provides an important link between two major trails spiraling out of the trail hub of Xenia. On its east end, the trail connects to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which...
The Sharon Woods Loop Trail encircles a picturesque lake in popular Sharon Woods in Sharonville. The county park offers a visitor center, boathouse, golf course, picnic areas and athletic fields over...
The Tecumseh Trail Multi-use Pathway offers a pleasant route, partially on the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Columbus-to-Saint Louis freight mainline. The rail route was also once used for Lincoln's...
How can a trail be great and little? When it connects two of the Miami Valley's most popular regional trails, the Great Miami River Trail in the west, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail in the east. The...
This recreational path connects the Armleder Park Trail in Otto Armleder Memorial Park to the 5-mile Lunken Airport Bike Path. The trail begins at the parking lot south of the dog park, and heads...
The Williamsburg to Batavia Hike/Bike Trail connects its two namesake communities on a paved route that winds through East Fork Wildlife Area and along scenic William Harsha Lake. The experience is...
Centerville’s Archway Trail runs adjacent to a new road on a former railroad corridor that connects downtown to a recently developed neighborhood. The wide, paved trail is one of several open...
Seamlessly spanning the 35.5-mile distance between the Ohio communities of Bellefontaine and Springfield, the Simon Kenton Trail presents visitors with ample opportunities for recreation and wildlife...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The Shaker Trace Trail forms a loop around Miami Whitewater Forest, the largest county-run park in Hamilton County. The fully-accessible, paved trail runs for nearly 8 miles through the park’s...
Hydraulic Canal Run begins in picturesque French Park, where stands of mature trees provide the perfect shady spots to picnic. From here, you can also connect to Piqua City Linear Park, a rail-trail...
Beautiful and varied scenery, start to finish.The northern end is poorly marked!We completely lossed the trail at Piqua and had to double back...just added to the adventure. ¿¿
The trail from Verona to Trotwood is nice, some tree lined, mostly riding through corn and bean fields. DO NOT try to take the connector to the southern section. Route is not marked, no bike lane and once we found the trail back, it was covered with weeds and glass.
This trail is pleasant with some really nice views. Depending on where you start riding expect some moderate to severe hills. If you aren’t familiar with the area the trail might be a little confusing, just watch for signs.
The trail North of Dayton to Piqua was frustrating for the first timer due to lack of trail markers. The town of Troy was the most confusing and is very very poorly marked. Compared to other local trials it has very little amenities and It’s hard to find water or restrooms My only other observation of this trail is that it doesn’t mark any road hazards. So beware of Tree roots small curbs and severe cracks for example. The beauty of the trail makes up for a lot this. This trail feels like you are riding multiple trials in a day due to its changing scenery with its calming river views and interesting city scapes.
My wife and I are wanting to be outside and get some exercise. Riding this trail does the trick. Not to hilly but enough of a challenge for us. You ride through some nice woods and several fields. I think we saw about 25 rabbits on the trail last night. We also saw a turkey earlier this week. I should add that we are starting around 7pm so the trail is not to busy but it is still being used by lots of people. It is very clean and as I said a good ride.
This refers to a ride on August 15 from Chillicothe going northwest. The bridge repairs have been completed and the padlock on the bridge has been removed. The trail is now open from one end to the other with a slight detour into the grass where the washout occurred just south of Frankfort.
I parked at the Wilbeth Road lot, and from the suggestion of a local, turned left, towards the 40.4 mile marker.
First mile or so is paved, then turns into small crushed stone. A level and flat trail. A couple small inclines by the underpasses. The bridges that pass over the canalway are in excellent condition and give even more variety to run/bike on.
A little bit of trash along the sides for the first mile or so, but once I got up to the next parking lot, and onwards, the trail is excellent.
The trail is marked every mile, definitely a plus as well.
This trail really deserves a 4.5, and if I had started at the next parking lot and missed the trash, it would deserve a 5.
So, as always, if in the area and want to get a couple miles in, head here.
You should also enjoy your run or bike.
This refers to a trip on August 8, 2020 that started from Gardner Athletic Field in Washington Court House and proceeded south-east along the Paint Creek Recreation Trail as far as was possible. About 24 miles south of Washington Court House, the southbound trail was partially blocked by a temporary fence. I walked around this fence and then rode over one bridge and then a second bridge. On the southeastern side of this second bridge the trail was blocked by a 4-foot high, padlocked fence. The lock was apparently installed to prevent northbound users from accessing the bridge I just crossed. Main point: the trail is closed for maintenance about 24 miles southeast of Washington Court House between Musselman and Anderson.
If you were starting in Chilicothe, you should be able to ride about 10 miles before you'd be forced to turn around.
Other than that, it was a beautiful day for bike ride. Much of the trail is shaded. While there are a few bumps on the paved trail due to root incursions, they are scattered over the length of the trail. The worst ones have been spray painted white to draw your attention. Although not crowded there were a few other riders, joggers and walkers enjoying the trail.
Bellefontaine-Urbana Completed this portion with my daughter. The tar and chip was much nicer than I expected. (Fine chip and well compacted). Only bad part was a stretch with deer flies.
I ride this trail EVERY morning from the Hempstead Station entrance to the trails end about .66 miles south of Whipp Rd.... and then back! It's a great workout that's safe and clean!! Love it!!!
We have ridden quite a few of the long rail-trails (GAP/C&O, Katy, Couer d'Alene, Chief Ladiga/Silver Comet, White Pines, Pine Creek, Greenbrier, Northbend) and The OTET is unmatched for the variety of things to see and do along the way. The landscapes vary from the lake to the industrial history of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, The Towpath, Amish country, Columbus, the soybean and cornfields of western Ohio, the Little Miami River and Downtown Cincinnati.
The trail will be finished next year in Cleveland and there will be only a small road section on W25th and Franklin. Then its path all the way to Dalton (once the temporary construction of the CSO project in Akron is complete and the trail restored and the detour removed). The 17 miles on the back country roads between Dalton and Fredericksburg were pleasant with very little traffic. Same with the 10 mile section between Centerburg and Sunbury. The Downtown Connector Trail between Alum Creek and the Scioto River had its interesting moments but wasn't bad (but it wasn't rush hour when we did it). The Camp Chase Trail is temporarily rerouted along Wilson Rd but pay attention to the detour signs so you don't get off track. Only other section that was a little rough was Just east of Cincy on Wooster Pike - rough road, and fast moving traffic that doesn't like to give you 3'. But its only a couple miles.
All in all a wonderful trip. We took 4 days to do it but we had ridden most of the sections in the last few years so were less compelled to stop. If this is your first or only time take a few extra days, make a lot of stops and enjoy all this route has to offer.
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