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 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 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...
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...
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...
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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,...
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 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 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...
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 Luther Warren Peace Path is shady 1.2-mile journey along a level paved surface, delightfully cool in summer. The trail includes two old railroad bridges, one covered and built as a local Boy Scout...
Piqua City Linear Park was constructed on an abandoned railroad bed from the city's easternmost point to its westernmost point. Midway, it connects to the Great Miami River Trail and is part of the...
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...
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 Paint Creek Recreational Trail is the flagship pathway of a planned trail network in the Ohio counties of Fayette, Ross and Highland. Nearly 35 miles of paved trail are currently open linking the...
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 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 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...
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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...
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 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...
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....
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...
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The Buck Creek Trail runs between Buck Creek State Park and Plum Street by Wittenberg University. At its eastern end in Buck Creek State Park, the trail makes a loop and heads into 2 different...
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 Roberts Pass Trail runs from downtown London, Ohio, to rural Fairfield Township. The trail passes through farmland for 6.5 miles, although dense tree cover shades the route at all...
Piqua City Linear Park was constructed on an abandoned railroad bed from the city's easternmost point to its westernmost point. Midway, it connects to the Great Miami River Trail and is part of the...
Mad River Trail offers a paved, 7-mile route along its namesake river in northeastern Dayton and is part of one of the nation's largest network of paved, off-street trails. Its western end begins...
The Cardinal Greenway, the longest rail-trail in Indiana, stretches just over 61 miles from Marion to Richmond along a former CSX railroad corridor. The trail takes its name from the Cardinal, the...
The Miami & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1845, an engineering marvel stretching from Cincinnati to Toledo. This canal was heavily used until competition from the railroad caused the decline...
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 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...
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 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 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 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 15-mile Creekside Trail is part of a network of more than 340 miles of trails that travel throughout Ohio’s scenic Miami Valley. The route follows a nature-filled corridor offering many...
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 Luther Warren Peace Path is shady 1.2-mile journey along a level paved surface, delightfully cool in summer. The trail includes two old railroad bridges, one covered and built as a local Boy Scout...
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 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 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...
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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. The trails connect cities and small towns; link to cultural, educational, and...
The Canal Feeder Trail begins at Graceland Cemetery on the south end of Sidney and continues southwest on a former historical canal towpath dating back to the 1840s. The paved trail parallels the...
The Miami & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1845, an engineering marvel stretching from Cincinnati to Toledo. This canal was heavily used until competition from the railroad caused the decline...
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 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 Paint Creek Recreational Trail is the flagship pathway of a planned trail network in the Ohio counties of Fayette, Ross and Highland. Nearly 35 miles of paved trail are currently open linking the...
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...
Piqua City Linear Park was constructed on an abandoned railroad bed from the city's easternmost point to its westernmost point. Midway, it connects to the Great Miami River Trail and is part of the...
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 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....
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...
The Roberts Pass Trail runs from downtown London, Ohio, to rural Fairfield Township. The trail passes through farmland for 6.5 miles, although dense tree cover shades the route at all...
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 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 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 Greenville Creek Trail is a nice, albeit short, retreat through suburban Greenville. The paved path follows its namesake creek, passing under streets and linking neighborhood parks with downtown....
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 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...
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...
I started at the Hamilton Township Park ( old 3c highway adjacent to Monkey Bar and Grill ). There is parking and fairly decent bathroom facilities. On day one, I rode 18 miles to Oregonia. The trail is in excellent shape and going north, the Little Miami River was nearly always visible on my right. There were a few walkers/joggers that did hinder my 16 mph progress. There were a few rural but trafficked streets to cross over. There were several deer along the trail and many rabbits. The restaurant in Oregonia was not open Monday at 8:30am, but there were nice rocking chairs on the porch.
Well-maintained tree-lined path through beautiful country. It’s flat, so it’s an easy place to log some miles.
I’ve been riding the Little Miami trail for 20 years. Well-maintained and scenic, it’s popular here in the Cincinnati area and beyond. One note for new riders - the route running between Milford and Loveland can be congested on weekends and holidays during the warmer months; if you are looking to hammer some fast miles tread carefully. Loveland in particular can be extremely crowded on weekends and the town hosts a farmer’s market every Tuesday evening which can lead to people walking back and forth across the trail. Montgomery Cyclery is located right on the trail in Loveland so any last minute tools, food - even a new bike - can be found there. Did I mention the trail side bars and restaurants? Check it out.
Today, for National Trail Day, I rode the Cardinal Trail from the D street Trail head north to the Williamsburg Trail head. About 23 miles round trip. The trail is paved, easy riding with a slight upgrade going north for the first few miles. Not much. but enough that you can tell the difference on he return. Trail was in good shape with a few little bumps from cracks in the asphalt swelling and in one place a small tree across the trail from a recent storm. There are a fair number of whistle posts still in place, as well as some mile markers, a few concrete bases from signals and lots of ties along the route. A couple nice bridges too.
The volunteers do a good job of managing the trail, thank you to the reviewer who helps keep the trail maintained. Yes, after a storm, there will be branches and leaves, but it's all part of the experience.
I am one of those riders who uses headphones while I ride. I do not turn my music up loudly, and can clearly hear if someone calls out to pass. They also come out of my ears when crossing a road. I also call out when passing. Only thing is, maybe 50% of folks actually tell you they're passing.
I've ridden the entire trail, not all at once though. My favorite ride is Spring Valley - Corwin - Spring Valley - Xenia
For running purposes it has a decent biking trail through a thin veil of trees.
I rode this section of the trail north in August 2017. Like the rest of the trail it is well-maintained and signed. The Middletown section is the most industrial portion of the trail. There is a 1.5 mile gap between where the trail ends north of Middletown and where it picks up again just south of Franklin, Ohio. This gap can be bridged by riding the shoulder of Route 73 until you reach Baxter Road. Route 73 is a divided roadway so the cars and trucks are traveling at high speed. Fortunately, the shoulder is pretty wide and the distance can be covered in 10-15 minutes. Once you are back on the trail heading north, you pass through the cities/towns of Franklin, Miamisburg, and West Carrolton before reaching Dayton and the UD campus. Like much of this trail the towns and cities nearby embrace the trail and cater to cyclists. This section of the trail is the least shaded of all, so those with fair skin definitely should lather up with sunscreen. You might also want to consider the temperature forecast before riding this section as it was pretty hot during my August ride.
This is a great trail. The surface is in good shape and the route is well signed. Despite traveling through the suburban/urban setting of the Great Miami River watershed much of this ride feels as though you are in a park like setting. Worth checking out more than once.
I have ridden the trail several times both as a part of a link in the Ohio to Erie Trail and as a destination trail itself. The last time I rode this trail was on May 24, 2017.
The Lunken Airport Bike Path is a 5 mile loop that essentially follows the perimeter of the airfield. It is flat path except for two short climbs onto the levees that protect the airport from floods of the Ohio and Little Miami Rivers. For those of you that have or will bike the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) I have found that the part of the Lunken Airport Bike Path that crosses through the Reeves Golf Course at the end of the runway, is a much safer way to go than the on road route suggested for the OTET to get from Lunken Airport to the Village of Marimont as it will help you avoid what I found to be a very troublesome and dangerous Beechmont traffic circle. It may add a few extra miles to your trip, but I have found that I do not enjoy negotiating this traffic circle with it's driver blind spots. Someday, according to a sign at the corner of the Lunken Playfield at the end of the Lunken property along Wilber Avenue, the OTET will be connected directly to Little Miami River Trail so that OTET riders will be able to avoid riding along very busy Columbia Parkway (US Rte. 50). If you are going to ride the OTET this is definitely an area you want to look at in Google Maps.
Last May I once again rode through this park. I have previously ridden through this park twice on journeys along the Ohio to Erie Trail. Using the trails of the park and its airport connecting trail is a good way to avoid a difficult-to-navigate-safely double traffic circle near Lunken Airport where Wilmer Avenue and Wooster Road intersect with Beechmont Avenue.
The Otto Armleder Memorial Park and Recreation Complex is a Hamilton County MetroPark that sits along the Little Miami River and in the landing and flight path of Cincinnati's Lunken Airport. This airport serves primarily private planes and corporate jets and because of this the land the park occupies probably would not be a good fit for residential housing.
The park consists of soccer fields, picnic areas, a dog park, a 1.9 mile biking/hiking loop and a few addition pathways along the athletic fields that can be added to the primary bike/hike loop for variety and additional length. There is also a 1.2 mile connector bike/hike route that connects to the Lunken Airport Bike Path.
This is a nice little park, and riding the primary loop trail was fun but it certainly didn't take very long to complete. Adding in the additional pathways in the athletic fields and taking some pictures took up some additional time but it was a pretty quick ride. If you are looking for a safe, flat pathway to work on speed and distance this very well could be the trail for you. I was here on a Tuesday afternoon and there were only 4 other riders/walkers I encountered. It may be much more crowded at other times or on the weekend. Multiple laps would add to your mileage totals. After finishing a once around all the parks pathways, I took the connector trail and rode around Lunken Airport. Parts of that trail seemed much busier than the one in the park.
I rode this trail during the last week of May, 2017. The Williamsburg to Batavia Hike Bike Trail is a planned 13.5-15 mile trail that will link these two Ohio towns and also provide access to parts of the East Fork State Park and the Harsha Lake Reservoir. Currently, there is about 5.5 miles of this trail completed. I parked at the East Fork State Park Campground Entrance and rode out to Williamsburg and back and then out to the other trail endpoint at Zagar Road. There is an additional trail section that is not yet open (gated) that goes to Greenbriar Road which I also biked. Future plans for the trail are to use Greenbriar Road to connect to Batavia and other parts of the Harsha Lake Reservoir via Slade Road. Whether these roads end up being abandoned like Williamsburg Bantam Road is unknown by me.
I found this route confusing as the map given to me by the park ranger at the campground was just in black and white and did not distinguish between park roads, abandoned roads or trails. She simply highlighted the route and suggested that the trail toward Batavia followed the park roads at least as far as the trail has been completed. You will find that there a number of climbs between the campground and Williamsburg. In hindsight, had I paid more attention to the map sign in Willamsburg, I may have actually ridden a bit further down Greenbriar road to see if the Slade Road portion of the trail was accessible.
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