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The Great Miami River Trail is the backbone of one of the nation’s largest paved trail networks and spans 87.5 miles throughout Ohio’s Miami Valley. The route connects beautiful natural areas, small towns, and large cities across four counties in southwestern Ohio.
The trail has a wonderfully maintained asphalt surface for its entire length. The majority of the trail meanders alongside the namesake Great Miami River and creates a prime opportunity to observe wildlife along the way.
About the Route
Leaving Piqua on your way south to Troy, you’ll be delighted with the Robert J. Shook Memorial Bikeway Bridge over the river. Riding along the river, trail users can see the impressive levee system that keeps the river out of town and allowed for the trail to be built. Entering Troy, an off-road trail is maintained even through some tight downtown situations. As the trail regains the river, it also passes an impressive city park along the waterfront.
Heading south, trail users will welcome the shaded tree canopy. Tipp City offers many amenities for trail users, including some of the best way-finding signage you can hope to see along a trail. The next stretch of trail is amazingly scenic and quiet as you ride through forests and a metro park before crossing the river again and continuing underneath I-70.
The trail entrance into downtown Dayton is a great experience, as it passes through five different parks, one island, and two trail bridges. The path hugs the river through the city, with ample chances to turn off and enjoy amenities.
South of Dayton, The Great Miami River Trail continues through small towns, including Miamisburg, which boasts many trail-friendly places to visit and helpful signage telling you how to get to them. This long stretch of 77 miles of connected trail ends just south of Middletown and east of Trenton.
After about a 5-mile gap, the southernmost section of the path begins at Rentschler Forest MetroPark north of Hamilton. The trail travels through the city to its southern terminus at Waterworks Park just south of Hamilton.
Connections
In Piqua, the trail intersects with the Ohio-to-Indiana Trail (River's Edge Trail).
In Dayton, the trail connects to the Mad River Trail, Stillwater River Bikeway, and Wolf Creek Trail.
In Chautauqua, the trail connects with the Great-Little Trail.
The Great Miami River Trail is part of the Great American Rail Trail, a 3,700-mile route from Washington to Washington D.C.
The Great Miami River Trail runs between 9300 OH-66 (Piqua) and Water Works Park, 5133 Groh Ln. (Fairfield), with parking available at both ends.
Parking is available at:
Please see TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Rode this trail north towards Middletown. Not too much fun in the direct sunshine. Wouldn’t recommend this if it’s not cloudy. We will try and hit this same trail farther north to see if it is any better. We saw nothing like the pic they show as trees weren’t around this trail at all.
Long review for a long trail. This is my favorite trail by far in the area. I broke this trail up and completed it in sections starting from Piqua. There are plenty of restrooms and parking. Mostly shaded and cool because it runs along the river. Once you get to downtown Dayton there are several connectors to other trails along with a concession stand near riverscape if you want a quick bite to eat.
Great diverse scenery, for the most part smooth, well-kept, asphalt pavement but there are a number of intersections that are nor clearly marked as to which direction to go. My brother and I rode from Franklin to Piqua and there is a split in Dayton you have to watch for otherwise you'll go down the Mad River trail. The next area where there were a number of intersections that were not clearly marked was when you got close to Troy. There was one intersection where you had to make a 90 degree turn after crossing a bridge that was very poorly marked. There should be clear consistent arrows at each intersection indicating the direction the main trail continues. It was too easy at many of these to go the wrong way and find out a mile later you better turn around and go back.
I ride the southern segments regularly. A good mix of small towns, urban, and scenic areas. The section along the canal to Rentchler forest is one of my favorites. Hopefully, construction on the Third Street Bridge in downtown Dayton will be finished soon, as the trail is closed on both sides of the river.
My wife and I did the section from Middletown to Miamisburg today. Parked at Carmody Road lot and traveled to downtown Miamisburg. Total time was 5 hours, however this includes a lunch break, sightseeing in Miamisburg and a historic log cabin. Scenic and well maintained we highly recommend this trail! Plenty to discover and enjoy!
We were there in May of 2021, and they were adding a mile or so of trail along route 73, so you’ll don’t have to ride on the very busy road. It will connect the Trenton to Franklin parts of trail.
Trail was well marked and was not crowded. We have done the Rentschler Woods to Fairfield and it can be very crowded. Not particularly scenic but a good ride.
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 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.
We use this trail many times a year to get into downtown Dayton. It is scenic and well marked.
In recent years dirt has built up on parts of the trail. PLEASE be careful after rain when the dirt turns to mud. Piqua to Peterson Road and Taylorsville Park to Rip Rap Road Park are sections that can be very muddy.
I’ve ridden the two bottom sections of this trail, Fairfield/Hamilton and Trenton/Middletown. The trail is well paved and good for easy riding. It will be nice once or if they connect the two bottom sections to the main section in Franklin, Oh. So you can ride the whole trail without getting on the road.
I rode the section from Dayton to Troy and back on a 90+ degree day. It is a beautiful trail that is well signed, in a good condition, and has a fair amount of shade. There were some rough patches of asphalt near Troy but otherwise it was in excellent condition.
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.
On April 2, 2017, I rode the southern portion of the Great Miami River Trail from Fairfield, OH to Rentschler Forest MetroPark at the Reigart Road Entrance northeast of Hamilton, OH. Here the trail ends as there is a gap from here to the northern portion of the trail which picks up south of Middletown, OH. The round trip was just over 20 miles. This section of the trail is well marked. I was especially impressed that almost all of the driftwood and litter debris that the Great Miami River had deposited along the trail when the water level had been higher, had been moved off of the trail by either volunteers or City of Hamilton workers. It is nice to see the pride in what the trail means to the community. I'd love to see the gap between the Hamilton and Middleton sections of this trail completed and the GMRT become one continuous trail.
I rode only the northern end (Huber Heights to Piqua and back approx. 60 mi) and found it to be quite scenic and interesting ride. Surface generally in good shape and smooth. The southern portion of my trip, especially in Montgomery county was well signed and easy to follow where the trail diverts and how far to the next notable trailheads. The middle section (especially around Troy) was very poorly signed and more than once did I need to double back to find where the trail continued. The trail is marked every 1/4 mile, so in theory if you go on too far without the next mileage mark, you should wonder if you strayed, but that's not a reliable system. I particularly note the lack of signage at the Eldean covered bridge about the trail crossing the street and going behind a baseball diamond as an example. Signage picked up somewhat around Piqua.
The loop around Piqua made the perfect turning spot and provided many interesting sights throughout town.
No, the Great Miami River Trail DOES NOT run from Piqua all the way south to Fairfield.
It comes to a dead halt at Middletown, and then picks up again in Hamilton, going south. That's a major gap, with no clear, safe way to bridge it.
It's a fine trail. I've ridden it often. It's particularly pretty along the river from north of Dayton to south of Piqua.
March 13, 2017: Good news for GMRT users. The I-75 renovation project in downtown Dayton is complete and the GMRT is no longer re-routed onto city streets. The original bike trail has been repaved and is open to riders.
PLUS, the two River Run Projects in downtown Dayton are nearly finished (Grand Opening of the River Runs scheduled for May 5th, 2017) The GMRT runs right past the two canoe/kayak river chutes next to RiverScape metro park.
Have ridden this entire trail in 20+ mile sections in 2014-2016. Great river scenery. The two sections in Hamilton, OH are now connected as of July, 2016.
We love the Great Miami River Trail. We always see wildlife and enjoy the natural setting. It would be wonderful if there was campgrounds that were located near the trail, so that people could rent a tent or small cabin. Middletown and Monroe area would be perfect.
I walk on this path often! Love it
Did 51 miles on the Great Miami going north 20 miles from Vandalia and 5 miles south ( and back.) Overall this trail is very pretty. I would strongly recommend it to avid riders who just want to have a good time. The scenery is varied, some city in Troy, lots of woods, river and canal views and some farmland.
I have done trails in 24 states and over half the rails to trails hall of fame and I have three comments that I hope will be construed as a suggestion for improvement and not a criticism. It is hard to be negative when I has such a great day.
1. The route was confusing in places, especially northbound. There were a number of side spurs and for the novice on the trail, the route especially around Troy was confusing. We missed a few turns and went on side routes. Better signage would be very helpful.
2. The lack of amenities on the trail. For this reason alone I like the Little Miami Trail better. I did not find anywhere we could get water on our trip and we wanted to get some lunch. However I saw nothing along the route to the metal walking bridge in Piqua that looked like a place to eat, even a gas station to get a drink. I am sure if we got off the trail there would have been places in Troy or Tipp City, but we were not sure where to even look.
3. The last relates to the first two and that is the lack of good maps online or on the trail. Navigating Troy would have been much easier if we had some kind of map of the town ( with restaurants or gas stations, e.g.) What I tried to download was just not adequate.
The Little Miami trail (in contrast) has wonderful maps although I realize there is no town as big as Troy to navigate through.
In conclusion, the scenery and the mileage makes this trail well worth your time and I would recommend it as a destination bike trip.( we traveled 2 hours to ride part of it and consider the day well spent). However, to get five stars from me a few improvements would be nice
August 9th, 2015 my wife and I rode the section of the trail that starts north of Middleton and goes south of Middletown. We parked at the second parking area from the north end of this section. The trail had a lot of gravel on it and it looks like it was blown there by a mower when the trail was mowed. There was a couple of places where gravel was washed over the trail. South of Middletown near Windsor Ave the trail was covered for an extended distance by water. We had to turn around a reach our milage goals on the other end of the trail.
The river and wild life made the ride interesting. At Hook Airfield Municipal Airport we enjoyed watching three static line parachutists and then eight free-fall sky divers.
Nice trail that would be much better if the gravel was not thrown onto the trail.
This trail is such an awesome trail! I've ridden it mostly north of I-70. It has minimal road interaction and is very smooth. Several miles between Tipp City and Troy are along the old Ohio-Erie canal pathway. There are a number of places to stop for a bite or fill up the water bottle. I can't say enough about this trail - you have to ride this one!
We have done this trail 2x's, one with trail a bike/5 yr old and one time without, both times just great and on road bikes. Although we did not do the whole trail, we did start at the trail head by Old River Park, and went to Franklin. The great thing about this trail is it follows the river 90+ of the way, lots of wildlife, a nice breeze and great scenery. Another nice thing about this trail is that there are plenty of places to stop along the way in the little towns, which is a plus with kids, and there are plenty of parks along the way for them to play and sit on benches alongside the river. The National Air Force Museum is in Dayton and it is free, very cool, so if you want to take a side jaunt it works! (you will be on roads to get there so not a good idea with kids on bikes). We drive from Indianapolis to do this trail because of its high quality of riding, not congested, (maybe a little on a cool day near Franklin), awesome scenery, nice people and things to do in Dayton. Oh, also, by Franklin there is a hill, I do not know the intersection, but it is near the south end of this trail, you will know the hill when you see it-it is a monster. If going south, and you meet a intersection-look to your right, if you can take a side jaunt up that hill and make it, you need to write about it!
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