Bike Paths
There are more than 150 miles of connected bikeways in the Miami Valley. These bikeways link together most of the cities within the valley, with major hubs in the cities of Dayton and Xenia.
MetroParks
The Five Rivers MetroParks is an urban park system managed by the city of Dayton. The 19 parks in the system offer recreational opportunities such as hiking, walking, canoeing, mountain biking and fishing.
Rock Climbing
Southwestern Ohio and rock climbing may not seem to go together, but opportunities for rock climbing actually do exist in the Miami Valley. The most popular outdoor destination for rock climbers in the area is John Bryan State Park. There are six designated routes for rock climbers in the park, as well as one rappelling site. Bouldering is not allowed in the park.
Canoeing
Given the number of rivers in the area, it should come as no surprise that water-based activities abound in the region. Popular river activities include canoeing, kayaking and raft trips. There are a number of outfitters in the region that offer equipment rentals for hourly and daily rates. Rental rates start around $20 and depend on equipment rented and rental period. A few options include:
Bellbrook Canoe Rental
(937) 848-4812
Little Miami Canoe Rental
(513) 899-3616
Rivers Edge Canoe Livery and Outfitters
(937) 862-4540
Geocaching
Geocaching refers to a treasure hunt-type activity that uses GPS receivers to locate and hide containers called caches that often contain small trinkets or other objects. There are more than geocaches hidden with the region's MetroPark system. There are also other geocaches hidden throughout the Miami Valley region..
Article Written By Susan Berg
Based in Philadelphia, Susan Berg has more than 10 years of experience as a writer and editor. Her work has been published in both print and online media, including the "Dayton Daily News," BioZine and Wcities. Berg earned a Master of Arts in journalism from Indiana University.
