On Route Off Route 75 Columbus 15 Interstate 15 GREAT MIAMI RIVERWAY ALTERNATE 70 Limited Access Federal London 10 10 Dayton Highway 23 71 . Primary Road

INDIANA Xenia Springboro State Corwin 19 Highway 19 UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Secondary Road MAIN ROUTE, SECTION 4 County or Cincinnati 20 Forest Road 20 .50 Gravel Road Milford Source: ©Openstreetmap N Contributors, Esri, Tele Atlas, OhioDOT Bike Path

Other Road Restaurant Motel/Hotel Summit (Surface/Ownership Unknown) Point of Interest Grocery Bike Shop U.S. Bicycle 1000 Contour 76 Route 76 Alternate Convenience Store Library State Border City Center Post Office Campground County Border A Route Change Corwin, OH to Xenia, OH . Miles Btwn. Points t Towns with this symbol include a Railroad 0.0

S All Service Matchline

51.4 Miles r Restaurant, Post Of ce, Lodging, Urban e

t Grocery and/or Convenience Store. Park River Lake Creek

R s C b Govt./Edu. u Lodging may be a hotel/motel or B&B. Small r

n e Stream e River e

k W

Shiloh S s C prings Rd. s r o ee SB: 0(0 km)The Great Miami Riverway Alternate begins in Xenia at Xenia Station. Ride north k M e W Underground Railroad GREAT MIAMI ik on the Creekside Trail.235 7.9(13)Beavercreek J. 12.1(20)Turn right following Creekside Trail. P E 18 0 1 2 . t . RIVERWAY ALTERNATEr N I 14.9(24)Turn left into Eastwood MetroPark,n follow park road and bear left onto Mad River d Miles nd Reeds Hill o R D Pop. 3,487 a r r Pop. 32,352 n N. Rive a 4 H 974 CLARKG Trail. 17.7(29)Continue straight onto Great Miami River Trail. See Dayton Detail (on back). i B 48 Rd E. Main St. h 75 Yellow Springs COUNTY p 20.4(33)Route becomes Veterans Pkwy. Turn right onto S. Patterson Blvd. 343and then bear right e. Fairborn . l

e Riverside F Av onto Great Miami River Trail. 24(39)Moraine. 28.5(46)West Carrolltown. 31.1(50)Miamisburg.

49 d . Trotwood St 370 a Pop. 25,201 844 g l y E 68 . Lit Rd. tle R r Pop. 141,527 34(55)Turn left onto Great-Little Trail. 37.3(60)At Byers Rd., turn right following Great-Little ichmond Rd. Pop. 24,431 lle d E E. Hyde Rd. u hi a I . D b R Little P V 16 Trail. In 0.3 mi. at Austin Blvd., turn left following Great-Little Trail. 38.6(62)Great-Little 49 Xe

s n Dayton 675

Olive Rd.

y n Richmond Rd. o Trail ends. Turn right onto N. Springboroi n Pike/SR 741 which becomes N. Main St. 41.4(67)

tt e i ni 50 Mad oov b a H er Ave. e 5.5 Springboro. C 41.8(67)Turn left onto Lower Springboro Rd. 47.5(76)At Township Line Rd.,

e

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U Dr . r H River Mill Rd.

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T B

N turn right, then left following Lower Springboro. Rd. 49.9(80)Bear left to Continue on Lower N Trail Pop. 3,995 W. 3rd St. 50 Springboro Rd. In 0.1 mi., turn left onto US 42. A 50.9(82)Waynesville. Turn right onto Corwin B 35 9 35 35 72 e Pop. 2,076 Rd. 51.4(83)Route ends at the junction of the Little Miami Scenic Trail and Corwin Ave. a J d r

n 35 G Iron d. Drexel Nicholas Rd. 3.6 7 R Horse Beavercreek F Clifton Cedarville amo a

i r Pop. 45,193 r . i Derby Rd. r ve Pop. 4,019

D Trail e d

. N g i

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4 D R C DAYTON a o 72 . a S r Patterson Rd. R ee y e u Pop. 2,271 t n k d 75 Creekside o n i n e B

R e i d Pop. 6,307 n Trail l S t

b i i m R . l Xen Wilberforce ra M 835 L a ia e S. UnionS. Rd. Rd i T O d a . r Moraine . ie 50 Kettering T M r i Dayton Farmersville Rd 675 50 E n . ty Pop. 56,163 17 to ek W. S n o Federal Rd. S re troo u Ind 7.9 hi U t. r C p o ia 35 d S a Rd. n Ripple R O Ol 35 es r C d. E a ive BUS . C R 10 H E. St Rd. o roop Rd. t 35 ch le ar an s ig e Xenia North Br w l k 35 Farmersville W. Carro i 48 S tt e llton Rd. i Pop. 25,719 e m West Carrollton r L a Rd. XENIA C Manning Rd. i Pop. 13,143 ook C llbr S e Jasper Rd. Pop. 5,547 M Indian 741 r Woodbourne Be hawne . r Great Miami R. See Underground Mound e . 35 pp rl Alternate ends Railroad Route, Section 4 German- 675 U . T 725 817 d ic at Xenia Station. to continue on the main Pop. 20,181 Bellbrook R n t k e

town Pop. 6,943 o c Creekside route. advcy.link/ugrr a S Cree e 4 Miamisburg ro n S 68 k r u h lb R BUS Trail . el a St 4 G M D au r B y i 42 rd e . 725 Rd. Centerville 725 Lowe d 35 w . 3r Shawnee Hills r a W Great d l m n sa C y 725 G a e Pop. 2,171 a R Pop. 23,999 i . e a XENIA r St e li R Miami d C P s s Great-Little . M . 2n Cr STATION C l u r W . i d . r ek ke e River Medlar Rd. e e e n e l v Trail R t y A Miami Township it Prairie . Rec. e B k St 3 l L o ll l i Trail F AUSTIN LANDING Spring Spring Valley ro Grass H 123 Jamaica Rd. Vall b ey vi l BIKE HUB C Pik Pop. 479 el 42 Home Ave.Trail 7.4 l e es B n y Ce s Ru o nte Carlisle E D rville Rd. er Austin Blvd. Cincinnati Miami Ave. t R H n ayn Little Miamiu i Pop. 4,915 Miamisburg . s d s a t Ave. e MONTGOMERY COUNTY W y P 75 . GREENE Scenic Trail Rd Springboro Rd. S 42 . 68

XENIA S. St. n WARREN COUNTY COUNTY i 741 a . NB: 0(0 km)The Great Miami Pop. 17,409 d Pop. 11,771 M M R 73 i Riverway Alternate begins y l n Springboro r l Discover America’s Legendaryg R u ve Franklin er ro Lo in Corwin at the junction of F G E le 2 . Ce yt R the Little Miami Scenic Trail ntr L u Port William . a S New Burlington l n R t Ave. andy Route to FreedomPop. 254 nton d. . C R re S 73 u P lliam T and Corwin Ave.y Ride west n o i Bellbrook Rd. . rt W Rd Lebanon Rd. n The Underground Railroadd Bicycle Route honors the bravery. of those w Franklin Waynesville Corwin S R . on Corwin Ave.H A 0.5(0.8) a Pop. 2,834 Ave. that ed bondage and those thaty provided shelter. The routed passes pointsR ofb i e Mai E. A e R d 10 n i L 380 . o n w interest and historic sites along the corridor. Beginning in Mobile, Alabama. Waynesville. Turn left onto US a x e k o i S r 1 42 A D prin c n B . 75 S gb ~ a busy port for slavery duringa the pre-civil war era ~ the route goes north n 42. 1.6(3)Turn right onto or H a d S n o R G e Middletown 741 u d. following rivers through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and rs R 48 n 71 Speers Rd. on Lower Springboro Rd. In 0.1 Township B u Pop. 48,694 l Tu R Pop. 2,100 l Corwin r Indiana. Waterways, as well as the North Star, 73 key CON 123 u Line Rd. mi., bear right to continue on Pop. 421 52 e B Springboro Rd. MI were often used by freedom seekers as a guide 122 Hunter n NY ek Lower Springboro Rd. 3.9(6) te in their journeysCre to freedom.134 Upon crossing Red Lion Great Miami DetroitT r d. Pop. 546Alternaterac R h 2 R e PA d into Ohio, cthe route leaves the river to head 2 C Ru . t At Township Line Rd., turn right and Fthen left following 1 Lower Springboro Rd. 9.6(15)Turn n d Riverway u r 122 Ol HarveysburgGMR inland16 toward and enters Canada at H a 71 D Right onto Mainen St./SRdrickso 741. 10(16)Springboro. D 12.8(21)At Austin Blvd., use crosswalks and Alternate Spur n Rd. n Alternate OH the Peace Bridge near Buffalo. In Ontario, the k E CAESAR CREEK IN turn left onto Great-Little Trail on RN. sidel of Austin Blvd. 13.8(22)Cross Byers Rd. and turn in Rd. 73route circumvents the shores of Lake Ontario.Starbuck Rd. e STATE PARK e t Underground KY R r F Main

right following Great-LittleGreentree Trail. in d 0.3 mi., turn left following Great-Little Trail. F 17.4(28)At “T”, Both the main route and Detroit Alternate Rd. d l

e a a 12 Route . . 68 r t Railroad d BUTLER COUNTY s H terminate in Owen Sound, Ontario,R known turn right onto Great Miami River Trail. 20.3(33)Miamisburg. 22.9(37)West Carrolltown. 27.4(44) TN rk e Stolle Lake Main Route Fo ri k for its Annual Emancipation Dayi Festival e Miller Rd. 37 a Moraine. G 31(50)Turn eleft onto S. Patterson Blvd. See Dayton Detail (on back). H 33.7(54) CLINTON r r R held the rst weekend of AugustP since 1843. C u dd W . r I AL o t Continue straightSha kontoe Mad River Trail.n 36.5(59)At Eastwood MetroPark, bear right 217onto park Historic Siterk COUNTY T a S 63 Pop. 20,033 1 o y F MS n (See Back) Lebano Rd e n J 71 n Rd Learn more about the Underground i road, exit park, and turn right63 onto Creekside Trail along48 Springfield St. 39.3(63)Turn left onto . . Lebanon Hale Rd. a Railroad Bicycle RouteWilmington and Adventure un M Creekside Trail as Iron Horse Trail continues south. 43.5(70)Beavercreek. 51.4(83)Xenia. Route R

. Cycling Association at advcy.link/ugrrPop. 12,520 S ends at Xenia Station. . 71 Rd 123 e

ill . v k Ham . s ee an

ilto d d k r i n R C d R ar n l I a C i S b Deerfield Rd.

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Old Troy Pike N N . . 7 B K 5 Museum at the Friends Home 513-897-1607, 115 S. 4th St., Waynes- FIVE OAKSForest Ave. 0 0 G e t. 5 R r n e 202 S 1 ville. Quaker village founded in 1796 includes large historic district PARK 7 . iv ea d o y d e t w e S v r B DEEDS l including buildings associated with the UGRR. a l s l e l i v e a l B d M V e d POINT S m i e t i . . m a r Springboro Area Historical Society Museum 937-748-0916, 110 S. A D METROPARK e a m iv v i r R 2 e . l Main St., Springboro. Historic District includes a number of structures M i ai . 4 Tr t 15 ad r MCKINLEY R M ve associated with UGRR conductors and holds more documented safe

a 48 i

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W. Grand Ave. PARK e d houses than any other place in Ohio including the Jonathan Wright

r e a r M G House, now a B&B, 937-748-0801. . RIVERSCAPE Webster DAYTON W H 50 13 St. Wright B Flyer Museum 937-885-2327, 10550 N. Springboro Pike (SR VIEW METROPARK . Ave. t t S 3 741), Miami Township. Museum houses flying replica of 1910 Wright W. PARK onumen River 14 E. M Webster St. e view e “B” Flyer, the world’s first production aircraft. Av N. Wilkerson St. e. 10 w RIVERVIEW E. 1st St. o E. 3rd St. Wolf . St. 12 e Heritage Village 937-859-5000, 147 Lock St., Miamisburg. A collection N. St. Clair St. PARK d 1st K L

v COOPER . i4 Cre l 75 n of historic buildings including the Daniel Gebhart Tavern which N d ek B St. e 2nd PARK 0 n opened in 1811 to support boatman and pioneers and the Jacob s

Wolf 50 11 5 7 e 50 A Creek s Kercherve home from 1809. o W. 3rd St. 8 . Trail M 4th St. E. 5th St. 7 Carillon Historical Park 937-293-2841, 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton. H a . 4 BOMBERGER m S 5 il C toOriginal 1905 Wright Flyer, the only plane designated a National . 2 n

PARK Av

M n

W. 3rd St. i Historice. Landmark and much more.

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W. 5th St. W. Wash- S Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum 937-228-3221, 118 Woodland 35 Broadway BURNS t 6 Ave. (access off Brown St.), Dayton. Site of Civil War Memorial and ington St. . St. G JACKSON Mound St. r 35 e Xenia Ave. abolitionist Marcus Junius Parrot and John Harries gravesites. S a PARK . E t Home Ave. Norwood d Downtown Alternate: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park 937-225-7705, Ave. wi 4 n C Bear right to continue 7 16. S. Williams St., Dayton. Includes Wright Bike Shop, Paul Laurence . M on Veterans Pkwy. M i Dunbar house and the Hoover Block which published the Dayton Tat- o a s m Main Route: Bear left tler written by Dunbar and published by the Wright Brothers. 35 e i V Germantown St. 0 s onto Great Miami River e 5 B t 7 l R e Trail Paul Laurence Dunbar House 937-224-7061, 219 N. Paul Laurence v r d i a v 8 Dunbar St., Dayton. parents’ were freed slaves with folklore that Paul . e n r s Laurence Dunbar’s Father used the UGRR and was a member of the 48 Wyoming St. EDGEMONT P k 55th Massachusetts’ Infantry.

W. Stewart St ELMS PARK w S. Patterson 6 . y

. Blvd. Dayton National Cemetery 937-268-2221, 4400 W. Third St., Dayton. E. Stew 9 Established in 1867, site of Civil War Memorial and three Civil War t. W. Stewart St. ar Medal of Honor recipients. S t S t. y G Dayton International Peace Museum 937-227-3223, 208 W. Monu- r . wa e d d v v 10 ment, Dayton. Exhibits related to trafficking of humans in modern i

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. i s kw Old Courthouse 937-333-4300, 301 W. Third St., Dayton. Where S r m e OLD a t o I Abraham Lincoln made one of his speeches condemning slavery in fall i t RIVER rv 11 M a o i Nicholas Rd. PARK d n P g 1859 that helped lead to his nomination for President. . A . t S A ve. S. Edwin C ea v . r e Oldest Building in Dayton 120 N. St. Clair St., Dayton. The sixth d l . Moses Blv G ai 48 Tr 12 property owner was Samuel Brady, an abolitionist many years before er d. iv the American Civil War and an active worker on the Underground i R ve. R am 5 z A Railroad. Building denotes a high water mark from the Great Flood n t Mi ant e Grea ch d S of 1913. . y CARILLON r HISTORICAL W DAYTON Underground Railroad D PARK N DETAIL 0 0.25 0.5 Great Miami River and Miami & Erie Canal 937-275-7275, River- Miles 13 Scape MetroPark 237 E. Monument Ave., Dayton. Used as a “corridor of flight” leading freedom seekers north. SERVICE DIRECTORY West Carrollton (45449): pop. 13,143; CS,R. Dayton Inventors River Walk 937-275-7275, RiverScape MetroPark, Moraine (45439): pop. 6,307; no services. 14 237 E. Monument Ave., Dayton. Highlights inventions and innova- Dayton (45401): pop. 141,527; all services. tions of Dayton at seven outdoor stations. OHIO (Area Code 513) Emergency: 911; Police 333-2677; Hospital 208- State Highway Patrol #677 Dayton Peace Accord Monument 937-275-7275, Home to the Peace 8000. 15 Pole Monument recognizing the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that Bike Shops: (1)Wright Stop Bike Shop, 12 S. Corwin: pop. 421; R(open weekends in summer). brought peace to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Main St., 425-8136; (2)Kettering Bike Shop, Waynesville (45068): pop. 2,834; all services. 3120 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, 293-5413; (3) National Museum of the US Air Force 937-255-3286, 1100 Spaatz St., Emergency: 911; Police 897-8010; Sheriff 695- Wright-Patterson AFB. Highlights US Aviation history with over 360 K&G Bike Center, 4090 Marshall Rd., Kettering, 16 1280. aircraft on display on 17 acres of indoor space. Lodging: Creekwood Motel, 401 S. Main St., 294-6895. 897-1000. Library: Main Branch, 215 E. 3rd St., 463-2665. Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument 937-503-5614, Library: Mary L. Cook Public, 381 Old Stage Rd., Lodging: (1)Dayton Grand Hotel, 11 S. Ludlow 17 1120 US 42, Xenia. Honoring the African American colonel who served as a commissioned career officer in the U.S. Army and the 897-4826. St., 461-4700; (2)Inn Port Guesthouse B&B, 139 Brown St., 224-7678. African American soldiers who served in numerous U.S. conflicts. (Area Code 937) Beavercreek (45432): pop. 45,193; all services. Emergency: 911; Police 426-1225; Sheriff 376- Thank you for your support Springboro (45066): pop. 17,409; all services. 5111; Hospital 702-4000. Emergency: 911; Police 748-0611; Hospital 748- Bike Shop: Faast Cycles, 3888 Dayton-Xenia 4211. Rd., 306-8666. Lodging: (1)Hampton Inn, 25 Greenwood Ln., Library: Beavercreek Community, 3618 Dayton- 743-2121; (2)Econo Lodge, 251 Conover Dr., Xenia Rd., 352-4001. 746-3627; (3)Wright House B&B, 80 W. State St., Lodging: (1)Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham 748-0801. Riverside, 4500 Linden Ave., 252-9700; (2)Sprin- Library: Springboro City, 125 Park Ln., 748-3200. ghill Suites Dayton Beavercreek, 2663 Fairfield Service Stop: Fix-it station and bike supply Commons Dr., 429-9090. vending machine, 320 S. Main St. Fix-it station Camping: Greene County Fairgrounds, from junc- 510 N. Main St. tion of route and Little Miami Scenic Trail, off Miami Township (45342): pop. 50,735; all services. route 0.1 mi. N. on Little Miami Scenic Trail, then Emergency: 911; Police 433-2301. 0.1 mi. E. on Fairground Rd., 372-8621. Adventure Cycling Association is a national, member-supported, Lodging: (1)Hilton Garden Inn, 12000 Innovation Xenia (45385): pop. 25,719; all services. Dr., 247-5850; (2)Staybridge Suites, 10110 Land- Emergency: 911; Police 372-9901; Hospital 352- non-profit bicycling organization. Our mission is to inspire and em- ing Way, 535-2222. 2000. power people to travel by bicycle. Service Stop: Austin Landing Bike Hub, 10400 Bike Shops: (1)Surf N Cycle, 150 S. Detroit St., The Adventure Cycling Route Network encompasses almost Innovation Dr. fix-it station, covered bike parking, 47,000 miles of bicycle route maps. These easy-to-read maps pro- lockers. 376-7873; (2)K&G Bike Center, 594 N. Detroit St., 372-2555. vide information on riding conditions, services, weather, and lo- Miamisburg (45342): pop. 20,181; all services. cal history. For a full listing of all the routes, visit our website: Emergency: 911; Police 866-6600; Sheriff 376- Library: Xenia Community, 76 E. Market St., www.adventurecycling.org/routes. 5111; Hospital 702-4000. 352-4000. Bike Shop: The Bike Way Bike Shop, 21 S. Main Lodging: (1)Ramada Xenia, 300 Xenia Towne Adventure Cycling member benefits include: 9 issues ofAdventure St., 384-0337. Square, 372-9921; (2)Deerfield Inn, 600 Little Cyclist magazine and many online resources, guided tours, and dis- Library: Dayton Metro, 545 E. Linden Ave., 463- Main St., 347-1333; (3)Victoria’s B&B, 209 E. 2nd counts on maps. Member support also enables us to advocate for bet- 2665. St., 374-1202. ter bike-travel conditions throughout North America. Lodging: English Manor B&B, 505 E. Linden Wilberforce (45384): pop. 2,271; CS,R; off route For more information visit www.adventurecycling.org, call 1-800- Ave., 866-2288. 0.9 mi. on the Wilberforce Switch bike trail. 755-2453, or email: [email protected]. specifically for the African American population in Dayton. The first plane to fly, the 1905 Wright Flyer III, is located at Carillon FIELD NOTES Historical Park. It is the only plane to be recognized as a National Histori- cal Landmark. Carillon Historical Park gets its name from the Carillon Route Overview tower in the middle of the park, which has a set of bells hanging in the top The Great Miami Riverway Alternate (GMRA) provides travelers the of the tower and played much like a piano roll. Carillon Park is also home opportunity to experience the rich history of Warren, Montgomery, and to Dayton History and preserves over three million artifacts and thirty Greene Counties by traveling through quaint communities and along the ur- historic landmarks. ban riverfront of Dayton, an Outside Magazine Best Town. You’ll discover One such of these landmarks is the Old Courthouse in downtown hidden nuggets of fascinating facts around every bend. You’ll travel from Dayton. Seven US presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, campaigned Corwin and Waynesville through Springboro on road before transitioning here during their bids for presidency. Another place of interest is the oldest to off-street paved trails for the remainder of the route through Miamis- building still standing in downtown Dayton (120 N. Clair St.). This building burg, Dayton and on to Xenia. Miamisburg is also proud to be the Sister survived the Great 1913 Flood and still stands where it was originally built. City to Owen Sound, Ontario; the northern terminus of the Underground There is a placard on the side of the building to indicate where the water Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR). crested during the Great Flood. Before the flood though, Samuel Brady, the The GMRA will lead you over rolling hills and through river valleys homeowner during the Civil War, used his home to assist slaves escaping while traveling predominantly on dedicated paved trails. The Miami slavery from the South via the Underground Railroad. You can see the stark Valley is the home of the Nation’s Largest Paved Trail Network where you difference in architecture between homes built in the 1800s to the stylized can experience over 340 miles of connected trails (miamivalleytrails.org). condos next to the building now. Dayton is among several bicycle friendly communities and is steeped in Another abolitionist that lived in the area was John Harries, an English- tradition with a solid outdoor recreation scene including paddling hot spots man Brewery owner in downtown Dayton, was also an abolitionist and such as the RiverScape River Run and the Mad River which are both along helped many escaped slaves using the Underground Railroad. Although his the route tucked among several of Five Rivers MetroParks and other public building does not exist anymore, his grave can be found at the Woodland land. Cemetery. Additionally, Marcus Junius Parrott is buried in the Woodland This growing scene has earned Dayton the title of “The Outdoor Adven- Cemetery. Parrott served in the Ohio State House of Representatives as an ture Capital of the Midwest!”. Check it out at outdoordayton.com, more on abolitionist and he was instrumental in making sure Kansas achieved state- hood as a slave-free state just as the Civil War was beginning in 1861. the Great Miami Riverway at greatmiamiriverway.com. While long distance cyclists on the UGRR have a 51 mile alternate route Between an Ocean and a Glacier: The Geology of the to experience the rich history along the GMRA; local cyclists can experi- Miami Valley ence a weekend tour by choosing to loop back to their starting point using As you connect to the Great Miami River Trail via the Great-Little Trail, the Little Miami Scenic Trail to create a 65 mile mini-tour with B&B and you’ll see that the Miami Valley has many flat landscapes, but it also has camping opportunities at several places along the route. rolling hills and steep valleys. The landscape that you will climb and de- In addition to the UGRR and GMRA, the region is at the crossroads of scend was created by two different geologic time periods in Ohio’s history. several long distance cycling options including the Ohio to Erie Trail and The bedrock for most of the land between Dayton and Cincinnati was Adventure Cycling’s Chicago to New York City (CNYC) route along with formed during the Ordovician period, 505-408 million years ago, one of U.S. Bicycle Route 50 and 25. the warmest time periods in Earth’s history. During this time, the Miami Valley was more like a tropical sea you’d find somewhere in the Caribbean. The Waterways Leading to Freedom Large hurricanes regularly swept the region, causing the sediment stirred The Great Miami River and the Miami Erie Canal transported goods up from the storm to settle to the bottom and capped by a layer of mud. supporting the farming, mining, and other industries developing in South- This happened numerous times as the continent slowly drifted northward to west Ohio in the 19th century but it also carried more than supplies and its current location, creating over nine hundred feet of coarse, fossiliferous traveling passengers on their way to see family and friends; it is believed limestone and shale. The largest exposed Ordovician rock layer in the world vessels traveling these routes also carried slaves traveling to freedom via is located in the Miami Valley. After the Ordovician, a big section of what the Underground Railroad. is now the Midwest was uplifted, creating what is called the Cincinnati Both the Great Miami River and remnant of the Miami Erie Canal lead Arch. This uplifted land was subject to the forces of erosion, and over time into Dayton, Ohio; a town known for many inventions including the first the raised area was washed away. This resulted in much older rock being plane, the first cash register, and the soda can pop tab, as well as some local found at the surface, and a complete absence of the younger rock layers. history tied to the Underground Railroad. One such runaway slave that As the Earth entered the Ice Age about two and a half million years ago, may have used the Underground Railroad to reach Dayton is Paul Lau- great continental glaciers formed and spread over the region. There have rence Dunbar’s father, who also served in the famous Massachusetts’s 55th been at least four continental glaciers that have covered the Miami Valley Infantry during the Civil War. The emancipation of slaves after the Civil and retreated back to Canada. As the glaciers retreated they left behind War paved the way for Dunbar to become the first nationally-recognized piles of gravel and sand creating the hills you are biking through today. African American Poet. During his short lifetime, Dunbar would write Their torrents of melting water also created gorges and filled in ancient poems for esteemed magazines like The New York Times and Harper’s river valleys with sand and gravel. Weekly, as well as publish twelve books of poetry, four novels, four books The Great Miami River, named after the Miami Native American Tribe of short stories, and lyrics to popular songs. The house he bought for his that used to live in the area, winds southward to connect to the Ohio River mother still stands and is part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National and is a major asset for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, both in the water Historical Park. and on the trail you are biking on. After an incredibly harsh, cold winter The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park also is home to in 1913 a major storm hit the Miami Valley and caused the Great Flood the Wright Cycle Company Building, Hoover Block, Huffman Prairie Fly- of 1913. As you stand at the Inventors Walk in Riverscape MetroPark in ing Field, the 1905 Wright Flyer III, and Hawthorn Hill. The Wright Cycle downtown Dayton, you can look across Monument Ave. to a building where Company Building is the only building remaining of the Wright Broth- a blue wave is painted, symbolic of where the water levels reached in Day- ers prior bicycle shop business before they invented the airplane. Hoover ton during the flood. In the aftermath of the flood, the Miami Conservancy Block showcases the Wright & Wright, Job Printers location that published District was created and five earthen dams and a levee system were built the Dayton Tattler, which was written in Dunbar’s early days as a writer around the region to prevent another catastrophic flood.

1000 Xenia Spring Valley D Station Springboro J Corwin Ave. Corwin Ave. 900 Beavercreek C Miamisburg Dayton I West Carrollton 800 ation in Feet

v 700 Great-Little Trail Great Miami River Trail Mad River Trail PROFILE Ele Creekside Trail Little Miami Scenic Trail 600 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 miles