Troy Section

Troy Section Description:

Along major rivers, on canal towpaths, along railroad tracks, under two Interstate Highways and near a monument commemorating the Wright Brothers' flying fields, the Troy Section of the Buckeye Trail offers hikers a glimpse into the evolution of transportation in Ohio. It follows in close proximity to the Great Miami River, using the same basic trail the Shawnee and Miami Indians blazed to their ancient hunting grounds in Kentucky. This trail was later used by immigrants settling the Northwest Territory from Cincinnati and eventually by the Ohio Canal Commission, which began construction of the Miami & Erie Canal in 1826. The BT starts in Fairborn Ohio and travels west running juxtapose to Wright‐Patterson Air Force Base, the largest single source employer in Ohio with over 30,000 positions in high tech logistics, test and research facilities and a squadron of C‐17 transport aircraft.

The trail counties on the northern edge of the Wright State University campus. As you leave the campus you come to a short side hike that will take you up a bluff to the Wright Brothers Memorial and the view of Huffman Prairie Flying Fields where the Brothers perfected controlled flight. As you finally leave the Base area, you will view the National Museum of the United States Air Force. A museum with an incredible display of aircraft and aviation and has free admission.

The Buckeye Trail continues down the Huffman Dam, one of five dams built 100 years ago to control the rivers in the Miami Valley after the devastating flood of 1913. The trail continues along the Mad River that flows into the Great Miami River. Near Point 4 on the Troy Section Map is the Eastwood MetroPark. In the summer of 2021, the Park became home to one of three new primitive campsites, all within a few steps of the BT, open to the public by Dayton MetroParks. Hikers and backpackers can register for these campsites at https://www.metroparks.org/things-to-do/camping/. Once on this page, scroll down and look on the right side of the website and you will find trailside camping with links to Eastwood, Island and Taylorsville MetroParks. The campsites are open all year round with a small fee. The sites are first come, first serve with only one person/group allowed to camp each day. All the information you need to register is on the website.

As you cross the bridge from Island to Triangle Park, look to the west at the baseball field. If you are a fan of professional football, you must find the historic marker just outside the left field fence. This marks the location, confirmed by the National Football League, of the former football field that hosted the first professional football game ever played. It took place between the Dayton Tringles, who won the game 14-0, and Columbus Panhandles on Oct 3, 1920!

As part of an 8-mile stretch of the Great Miami River Recreational Trail (GMRRT), the BT follows the Great Miami River, under I-70 and enters the Taylorsville Reserve MetroPark. Just before you hike up the Taylorsville Dam, the second of the three Dayton area dams, you will ascend/descend on the BT, you will find the third Dayton MetroPark campsite on the west side of the trail, with facilities close by on the east side.

The BT continues to follow the GMRRT through Tipp City, Troy, to Piqua. The BT transitions to the Rivers Edge Trail in the city of Piqua, Point 17, and travels north of Piqua to SR 66 where the Troy Section ends.