The Five Mile Trail is a paved greenway that runs from Newtown Road near Turpin High School in Turpin Hills to the Anderson Towne Center Mall in Anderson Township. The trail is named not because of its length but rather for the fact that it travels along Five Mile Road for most of the trail’s southern half. This 2.5 mile long path is paved and the northern half is quite scenic. I encountered a number of cyclists and pedestrians during my time on the trail and had I started earlier in the day and had the sky not been so cloudy I think I would have seen even more people out using the trail.

However, I would not recommend this trail to any novice cyclist or any family with young children looking for a bike outing. My reason for this warning is because there are a number of challenging climbs on this trail. The first one comes immediately if you decide to travel north to south on the trail. Beginning at the Newtown Road Trailhead in Turpin Hills you have to climb for the first .70 miles. You rise 115 feet in elevation over that span. It’s a tough way to start out without a warm up. (It was a great way to finish on the return trip, except for almost hitting a deer coming around a turn on this downhill just before arriving at the trailhead.) The second challenging climb is over a hill found between Clough Pike and State Road. It really doesn’t matter which direction you are traveling with this hill. You have to climb 60 feet of elevation over .30 of a mile heading south, and 40 feet of elevation over .20 of a mile heading north.

On the southern end of the trail you don’t so much find a trailhead as much as you find 2 venues where you can find parking. First is the Anderson Center, which is the conference, meeting, and events center. As the Center’s website points out it is a place for wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions, special occasions and meetings & conferences. The second venue is Anderson Towne Center Mall. Plenty of retail and plenty of parking.

Overall I enjoyed this trail, however, I didn’t expect it to be as hilly as it was. Again, probably not a trail for novice or young riders. Finally, in addition to the hills, there are two road crossings that require you to wait for crossing signals. Again, perhaps this makes this a trail for young cyclists to avoid. Perhaps if you are looking for a trail in which to do hill climbing training this may be one for you. Finally, I would like to suggest to the Anderson Township Trustees that they should consider trying to raise funds to connect this trail to the Little Miami Scenic Trail near Clear Creek Park. I suspect that my proposed extension would end up being as hilly as the current trail, but it would increase the utility of the trail by creating a safe cycling connection to downtown Cincinnati and to the nearby cities of Mariemont, Terrace Park, and Milford.

Great little ride, 7 miles down and 7 miles back. Interesting spots along the way - Eastwood Park, Dayton Firefighters Training Center, National Museum of USAF, Riverscape Park, Downtown Dayton. Nice ramps going from trail up to store level of Downtown. We rode one block from Riverscape Park over to Canal St. Arcade & Deli for lunch. Great place with great sandwiches. Tons of arcade games. Nice outdoor seating. Really enjoyed this short trail. Clean & well maintained.

My wife and I read the reviews before starting out in Bellefontaine and were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the chip & seal trail was. The first few miles the scenery is nothing exceptional but once you get away from town and closer to West Liberty it opens up to beautiful rolling farm fields and woods which is spectacular in the fall. I would recommend starting out in West Liberty (there is a parking lot for access to the trail off SR 245) and riding the 10 miles to Urbana. The Depot Coffee shop is right off the trail as you enter Urbana and a welcome stop before continuing south or the return trip to West Liberty. We're looking forward to completing the ride from Urbana to Springfield on our next trip! My wife and I are in our 60's and healthy but not avid cyclists. The trail is flat and rides easily. It's a hidden gem and a wonderful way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon.

This place has alot of hill that are very steep. Tried different parts of the park and they were all no fit for any rollerblading. If you attempt to blade here be prepared to crash or go to the hospital.

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.

Maybe the best trail in Ohio. Well marked with scenic views and lots of amenities.

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.