Five Rivers MetroParks will celebrate with the City of Dayton, the Buckeye Trail Association and the North Country Trail Association the official designation of Dayton as “Trail Town”. The event will take place Friday, October 25, at 11:00am at Deeds Point MetroPark. The event is free and open to the public.
The North Country National Scenic Trail and the state-wide Buckeye Trail have partnered to improve access, strengthen interest in outdoor activities, and boost economic benefits by providing recognition to local businesses. Together, they strive to build a community that values outdoor recreation for the health of the environment, the people, and the economy.
“We are so happy to have Dayton as the newest Trail Town along the North Country National Scenic Trail. Dayton is a great example of how an urban area can embrace a trail culture, providing a superb recreational resource for its citizens while benefiting it’s economy and the health of the environment,” said Andrea Ketchmark of North Country Trail Association. “This partnership will do great things for the Trail and for Dayton!”’
“Trail Towns” are built on a relationship between a municipality, the Trail, and its supportive volunteers. For Dayton, the partnership will help to establish and nurture relationships that are mutually beneficial for trail users and the public-at-large within the City of Dayton and the surrounding area.
“We are ecstatic to be only the second city in Ohio to receive this designation,” said Dayton City Commissioner Nan Whaley. “This reinforces our ongoing efforts to make Dayton a vibrant community that realizes the importance of outdoor recreation.”
The Buckeye and North Country National Scenic Trails are co-aligned through the Dayton area, following the Mad River and Great Miami Recreation Trails. The trails are marked by 2×6 inch blue blazes along the route.
The North Country Trail is the longest of the 11 National Scenic Trails and stretches 4,600 miles from North Dakota to New York and follows much of the Buckeye Trail as it wraps through Ohio. Crossing seven northern states, the trail is not only a national asset, but it is accessible from many communities making it a valuable local recreational resource.
The Buckeye Trail is a 1,400 mile trail circumnavigating the state travelling through 48 counties. Volunteers of the Miami Rivers Chapter of the Buckeye Trail Association help 
maintain sections of these trails in the Dayton area, working closely with land managers from Five Rivers MetroParks and Miami Conservancy District.
“The Buckeye Trail Association is excited to partner with the community of Dayton, one of the largest and most supportive along Ohio’s State Trail,” shared Andrew Bashaw of the Buckeye Trail Association. “By working together we hope to promote this amenity to the quality of life around Dayton and encourage Dayton area residents to engage in using the Buckeye and North Country National Scenic Trail nearby and around Ohio!”
Working together to provide this premier off-road walking path is a partnership of trail volunteers, land managing agencies, the National Park Service, private foundations, civic organizations and businesses.
For more information about hiking trails throughout Montgomery County, visit MetroParks.org.
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