Plan your spring and summer around the Great Miami River

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner, so now might be a good time to start planning a day trip to the Great Miami River for some fun in the water or on a riverside trail. The Great Miami Riverway is a national water trail that encompasses the Great Miami River and stretches for 99 miles through the Dayton metro area, offering not only kayaking and paddlesport adventures but miles of hiking trails, fishing, eagle watching and several breweries and restaurants.

“The Great Miami Riverway was created as a conduit to spread information to visitors about river recreation and also all the great historic downtowns with their shopping, restaurants and craft breweries,” says Sarah Hippensteel, the manager of watershed partnerships with the Miami Conservancy District. “So it’s really about providing something for any kind of visitor that comes here.”

The Riverway has several public boat launches for visitors with personal canoes, kayaks or propelled boats. Several rental companies can provide a floatation device along with transportation to and from drop-off and pickup points.

For people looking to stay dry and still enjoy the river, they can enjoy what Hippensteel says is the nation’s largest paved trail network with more than 300 miles for visitors to bike or hike, allowing them to never have to worry about mixing with vehicle traffic.

Wildlife recreation is a major activity along the river, adds Hippensteel, and the Great Miami is a great place to catch small-mouth bass and to go eagle watching.

For folks simply looking for a bite to eat and a cold drink to enjoy while watching the river flow by, the Riverway is home to several breweries and restaurants that are located within the many towns and communities that line the banks, including Smith’s Boathouse in Troy.