Great Parks, Hamilton County’s park system, is building a new network of natural surface trails along the Little Miami River and its Scenic Trail, providing more diversified recreational options to the area for hikers, runners and mountain bikers.
Construction is set to begin on the first of these trails: a 1.5-mile one at Avoca Trailhead in Anderson Township. The multi-use trail is planned to open later this year and recreationists will be able to access the trail at key points on the Little Miami Scenic Trail and the Avoca Trailhead.
“With the new natural surface trails at Avoca and throughout the corridor, we are taking a world-class recreational destination in the Little Miami River and making it even better,” Todd Palmeter, Great Parks CEO, said in a press release. “Adding trail expansions and connections is the number one priority the public established for Great Parks, and we’re excited to start building the first piece of this new network.”
Great Parks, the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA) and Cincinnati Parks collaborated to develop this new trail system. When it’s finished, the system will feature close to 10 miles of these natural surface trails, which will weave along the river and existing Scenic Trail and add to the 84 miles of trails Great Parks currently maintains throughout Hamilton County, including the 8.1-mile mountain bike trail at Mitchell Memorial Forest.
The new trail system was inspired by a trail network in Bentonville, Arkansas, the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.” That network features almost 70 miles of trails that run through the city and weave into a larger system of trails throughout Northwest Arkansas. It has contributed greatly to tourism, cultural creativity, economic development and outdoor adventures, says Great Parks.
“Great Parks continues to lead in maximizing the community benefits of trails,” Jason Reser, trail development director for CORA, said in the release. “The new natural surface trails at Avoca Trailhead are a strategic extension of the popular paved Little Miami Scenic Trail. These trails will replace informal paths with environmentally sustainable, purposefully designed routes, providing residents with a scenic and responsible way to enjoy the woods and river.”
Great Parks says the trail will require minimal materials to build with internal labor, and it’s investing in a sustainable trail alignment that will mean less maintenance and provide access to experience the forested river floodplain habitat. The terrain is also relatively flat, making it an ideal spot for beginning mountain bikers.
Learn more about the trail and other projects at greatparks.org.
