Find the top rated birding trails in Wapakoneta, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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I rode the two segments of the Stillwater River Bikeway back in July of this year, but forgot to review here at TrailLink.
I rode this trail a month and a half after a devastating Category F4 tornado tore through the area. Before my trip to Dayton, I just couldn't believe that I kept reading online that the trail was still closed. However, when I rode the southern section of the trail the destruction of what must of been a beautiful tree lined river pathway became more and more evident as I traveled north from Island MetroPark. It will take decades for the trees to grow back to the same conditions you see along the northern section of the trail. The trail it self is in good shape but becomes somewhat rough as the trail shares the park road north of the Wegerzyn Center. Here the road is marked with a number of potholes and rough patches.
In contrast, the northern section of the Stillwater River Greenway in Englewood MetroPark was not affected by the Memorial Day storms. The trail here is heavily shaded but has an excellent surface. There is one significant climb if you want to travel south of the of Englewood Dam but it is eased by one switch back in order to pass by the dam's spillway. There are several beautiful lakes both above and below the dam. One slightly disturbing aspect of the trail in Englewood Park is that in some areas of the park you have to share the single lane roadway with cars. Fortunately, for a Saturday I didn’t feel that the park was particularly busy.
It saddens me to think of how the weather has changed the face of the southern portion of the trail. Here's hoping that the damage caused by the Memorial Day tornado might spark the desire to connect the two sections in this trail. It might now be easier to complete the gap between the two sections of trail. First of all, the downed trees will have to be removed because as the piles of dead trees dry out they will become more and more of a fire hazard. Because these trees are such a jumbled and tangled mess, heavy equipment will need to be called in to remove the debris. This heavy equipment will create pathways for the equipment to move around in the debris field and perhaps these pathways can be turned into a good portion of the missing section of trail. Only time will tell.
The Little Miami Scenic Trail (LMST) is one of my favorite trails in Ohio. It has length (78 miles), scenery, wildlife, trail towns, amenities, lodging, camping, dining and shade. I've ridden this trail numerous times but this is my first review of the trail. I consider my home trail to be the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that runs through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Little Miami Scenic Trail probably should be considered my home away from home trail as it is so close to where my daughter lives. During my 2019 Ohio to Erie Trail ride, I rode the LMST from Xenia to Loveland and from Loveland to Avoca Park before having to road ride to get to Lunken Airport and the trail that circles the airfield there.
I rode part of the Simon Kenton Trail from Buck Creek into Springfield, Ohio back in July. The northern part of the LMST travels through Springfield and on to Yellow Springs before moving on to Xenia. Since this trail runs through both cities, farm land and the Little Miami Valley, there is quite a variety of scenery to look at. The city and towns vary as well. The trail towns range from some that have seen better days, to others that seem to be very trendy, and some that appear to be stuck in time. There is something for everyone along this trail. You won't be disappointed when riding this trail. Yellow Springs and Loveland are towns with restored train stations and dining and other amenities.
The trail surface is asphalt and is in very good condition with just a few spots where river bank slippage has caused some undermining of the riverside edge of the trail. The trail has numerous road crossings but once you get out of the larger cities you can ride for miles before having to cross another road. South of Xenia, because the trail parallels the Little Miami River in the narrow Little Miami Valley you feel as though you are in a much more isolated area than you truly are. There is plenty of wildlife. One of the highlights of my ride south from Xenia this time was having 3 deer cross the trail in front of me and ran down into a gulley that paralleled the trail only to race me along the trail route for about half a mile. My one complaint about the trail is this. The Little Miami River has been designated a National Scenic River. However, that designation must only apply if you are canoeing or kayaking on the river. From the trail you rarely get an unobstructed view of the river. Sometimes I think to myself, "Would it hurt to cut down a few trees here and there to let users of the trail enjoy the sights of the river, too?"
South of Loveland, the trail continues following the Little Miami River through Miamiville and Milford before reaching Avoca Park outside of Mariemont, Ohio. Once you reach Newtown Road you will have to ride out of the park and cross US-50 and ride through Mariemont to Wooster Pike before trying to connect to the Lunken Airport Bike Path. I should note that the Little Miami Trail does not end at Newtown Road. It actually passes under a bridge there and then goes across the Little Miami River and heads toward Lunken Airport. The problem is that the bridge that is supposed to be built over the Little Miami River to connect to the Lunken Airport Bike Path has not been built yet. I read about bridge construction of this bridge would start this summer, but there is absolutely no sign as to when this will happen. When this bridge is built the trail near Mariemont will be shorter and safer.
My wife and I are residents of the Englewood community and just took up cycling this year. We have ridden many trails in Dayton and the northern segment of the Stillwater Trail is fortunately one of our favorites. The climb up the spillway at the dam (US Route 40) is one of the hardest uphill grades of the nearly 100 miles of local trails we’ve ridden, but very doable on a geared bike. The effort is well worth it as you may get to see several Enhlewood MetroPark until the lake dries up in August American Bald Eagles fishing on the lake at tEnglewood MetroPark
You can now go straight through S Springfield to downtown without getting off the trail. Then only 1.1 block N to the Simon Kenton trail that heads east from there. (Note the SKT is trail for 2 blocks, then has a 2 block on Washington St then finally stays trail as it turns northbound.)
The last person mentions signage. I can agree. I've run this trail twice, both times meaning to connect with the Simon Kenton trail. The first time around I totally missed it and ended up riding through downtown to get back on track. Second time, I knew exactly where to switch off, but there was no sign there.
Otherwise it's a pretty trail, and a great parking and start / stop point for many different routes. I used it as a start that ended up in Columbus a few months ago, and then a week ago used it for a large circuit of Springfield / Xenia / Dayton / Piqua / Urbana / Springfield trip. I recommend parking in the lot by the marshy ponds.
As to the southbound Simon Kenton to Little Miami trail, there's no obvious spot where one stops and the other starts, but there are two tricky spots, the second being trickier:
1) The trail ends on Washington st. Just go straight down the street, and at the end the trail picks back up for 2 blocks west.
2) At Center st, ride south for 1.1 blocks. It's not obvious, but the trail will be on your right. The good news is that after these 2 spots, the trail now goes all the way through the rest of town, connecting up to the LM trail and points south.
Nice bike path with historical significance. My husband & I enjoyed the quiet path through beautiful fields- some sections tree-lined others on the road but overall the whole path was very enjoyable. We did not encounter one other cyclist upon the path, so that was actually enjoyable to have it to ourselves. ¿¿
For cycling? Bringing your bike here will be a total waste of time.
The trailhead at the Litzenberg parking lot gave zero information that this is a trail for bicycles. There was no signage, kiosk text or graphics about bikes.
The trail started behind a gate next to the lot as a vehicle trail, then changed to a mowed path for a good distance through an open meadow. No paving, just cut grass. Ok, I have a mountain bike, so I thought I'd continue for a bit. Then it formed into a narrow footpath that turned sharply as I came onto wetlands. End of journey. Turn around.
Folks, what I saw was a nice hiking / nature trail for walking; it is not at all appropriate for a bike.
I can imagine cyclists plowing into slo-mo hikers, maybe mom- dad and kids. I would give zero stars as bike trail is possible.
I have ridden on this trail different times and love it each time. It is all asphalt or concrete which makes bike riding easier..
Traveling from Georgia to Michigan, decided to spend a day riding the trail. We chose to camp with our RV at John Bryant State Park, as it was near the trail. It turned out to be a good choice for us. About two miles via road to the the trail from the campground. Yellow Springs is a fun little town, and Sunrise Cafe is an great place to eat.
I rode from the campground to Morrow and back, which was right at 80 miles. Flat (compared to what I am used to in North Georgia), scenic, well maintained. Had a great time.
There are two separate segments to this trail. I started out riding the Dayton segment of the Wolf Creek Trail by parking and starting out at Adventure Central at Wesleyan Metropark. This portion of the Wolf Creek Trail parallels a good part of its length along James H. McGee Blvd. Closer to downtown Dayton the trail drops down below the levees on the banks of the creek and you ride east along the creek’s floodplain until you reach the Great Miami River and the Great Miami River Trail. This portion of the trail and the spur into Wesleyan Metropark are the most scenic parts of the ride. At the western end of the Dayton (southeastern) segment, the farther west you go the poorer the condition of the trail gets. There are lots of weeds and brush growing into the pathway. The overgrowth is so bad that it is virtually impossible to ride the trail to the its end at the intersection of James H. McGee Blvd. and Little Richmond Road. Like many urban trails there is lots of broken glass on the trail surface — in most cases probably thrown there from passing cars on McGee Blvd. If you choose to ride this section of the trail, start at Wesleyan Metropark and ride toward Dayton, there is not much to see west of Adventure Central and the condition of the trail in that direction is definitely substandard.
The Montgomery County segment of the Wolf Creek Trail, runs from the city of Trotwood, through Brookville, and ends at the town of Verona at the Preble County line. There is a short half mile portion of the trail that travels southeast from the Trotwood station/depot toward the Dayton segment of the trail but it ends and the 4 mile gap between these two sections still remains. If and when the two sections of the Wolf Creek Trail are finally connected then perhaps the poorly maintained section of the Dayton segment will be improved and something interesting to see or visit will be developed in this current gap between segments.
The Montgomery County segment of the Wolf Creek Trail is straight as an arrow from Trotwood to Brookville and then after crossing under I-70 it takes a very gentle curve more north toward Verona. The trail surface is asphalt which is in good shape. This trail is very much a green tunnel with trees and shrubs on both sides of the route. You get a chance to see outside of the tunnel mostly at road crossings and when you enter the towns of Trotwood and Brookville. Once west of Brookville there is less tree cover and you find yourself surrounded by corn and soybean fields. I’d love to see this trail extended through Verona and on up into Greenville, Ohio where it could connect with the Tucumseh Trail Multi-use Pathway and the Union City Gateway Trail. This actually may be the part of the route that Rails to Trails Conservancy may be proposing for the nationwide Great American Rail-Trail through Ohio to link up with the Cardinal Greenway in Richmond Indiana. Hopefully, the powers that be in Ohio will have both the vision and the will to complete our state's part of this ambitious recreational plan. This trail has great potential to be a significant link of this cross country trail but only time will tell if it will reach that potential.
Looking for a tough assignment? Try this one. I might be the first reviewer to have done this trail from end to end. This is the slowest 36 miles that I have ever done.
Why do it? My interest in the Miami and Erie Canal started as a kid, as the canal was part of the backyard of my parents' house near Dayton, about an hour's drive south.
In 2019, I set out to do this trail from its beginning in Ft, Loramie Ohio to its end in Delphos Ohio. It took me three attempts.
Some facts: The entire 274 mile length of the Miami and Erie Canal started in Cincinnati and ended somewhere near Toledo. This particular "Miami and Erie Canal Trail" trail covers about 36 miles of it. Another reviewer referred to "Farnsworth" ...actually, that is a misplaced review that belongs to the "Towpath Trail" which is not this trail, but easy to be confused, as that trail also is along a more northerly section of the same Miami and Erie Canal. (BTW the Towpath Trail is much easier than this one.)
It took me three tries to finish the Miami and Erie Trail (e.g., see comment about culvert) but it's feasible to do it in one trip if you know where you are going.
While the trail is "good," as in clearly marked, and hikers have no problem, it is not easy to cycle with a few exceptions. You will need a mountain bike to take it from end to end. Forget about taking your kid along for this one - it's really rugged in spots. Some parts of the trail are hard-paved, others are graveled, but much is grassland along the edge of farmers fields. Sometimes the trail disappears and you are riding the adjacent road.
Fort Loramie - In a word: disconnected. Go to the State Park and ride along the lake's edge on the road side, and do a quick tour of the park. The lake was a feeder to the canal. It's placid and pretty. Ride the road along the canal hiking trail, then you will come to Ohio Rt 66, and realize that the bike path isn't really there...it's someone's backyard, or - across the road - a rough uncut farmers field with ground hog burrows under the uncut grass. That might be Ok for hiking, but not for bikes. If you want to make it to Minster-New Bremen, then load the bike on your car, or ride the edge of OH 66.
Minster-New Bremen - this is a nice stretch, the trail is a mix of graveled and hard-paved path and canal-side streets. Stop at the AWESOME WORLD CLASS!!! Bicycle Museum of America. On display is the world's first bicycle .. the real deal.
Going north, expect the paving to be excellent for awhile, and suddenly you are riding through rough grassland along the edge of farm fields. Get used to it and enjoy the solitude and the relaxed speed of 6 mph. Sometimes you are on tire tracks in the woods. Nice!
As you approach St. Mary's OH. you realize you are again in people's yards, so you go back onto Ohio Rt 66 for a bit. Go into Geiger Park and get back in the trail, see the canal boat in the center of town, and then,,,you might get lost (as I did), ask for directions, it's OK. Friendly locals. Suddenly, you are dead-ended at a culvert (just too small and wet to be reasonable for biker, but a hiker, hmmm) that goes under the divided highway. Later, you learn that you were supposed to go left at the culvert, and cycle on the grass along the highway, go under the bridge, and you are back on track. It gets nice with 40 acre lake.
After St, Mary's comes Kossuth, then Spencerville - lots of grass pedaling until you reach the adjacent gravel pit, where the the trail is paved with stone chips. Nice!
Then continue onto Delphos, which is quizzical. What do they have in mind as they newly pave the trail (in process as I write this) but come to a dead-halt in someone's backyard?
Overall, a tough and sometimes confusing path combined with the world class bicycle museum. Glad to have done it.
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