TVHamilton | HEY! Hamilton!

The Hamilton Community Foundation will celebrate the expansion of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail with a dedication ceremony at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 1.

A project of the City of Hamilton, this local part of the trail has also received funding from the Hamilton Community Foundation and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Clean Ohio Fund.

In 2001, the Foundation celebrated its Golden Anniversary by providing a series of Legacy Gifts to the community. These long lasting, significant gifts further demonstrated the Foundation’s commitment to improving the quality of life in the community.

The gifts included the Michael J. Colligan Lodge, Foundation Field, Lentil Park and the entrance sign to the City of Hamilton. The local expansion of the Great Miami Recreation Trail is the final Golden Anniversary project to be completed.

The ten foot wide asphalt trail conforms to ADA standards, with no elevation greater than 5 percent and is suitable for runners, walkers, bicyclists and rollerbladers.

Work started in the fall of 2014 on this two mile trail connector trail which connects two existing trails. This connector trail is now finished, stretching from an now go from Rentschler Forest MetroPark to downtown Hamilton and continue south along the Great Miami all the way to Joyce Park.

The connector trail is Phase II of a $5 million project. Phase I, the ten mile stretch from Rentschler Forest MetroPark to Canal Road, was dedicated in June 2012.

It is all part of The Miami Valley Recreation Trail, the nation’s largest network of paved, off street trails. MVRT encompasses more than 300 miles of trails connecting ten counties.

The new connector trail entrance is off Canal Road near Allison Avenue. To get there, take Ohio 4 North; turn left on Allison Avenue and proceed to end of the road. Turn left on Canal Road and the trail will be on the right.

Multiple use trails are Ohioans’ favorite outdoor recreation facilities. Ohioans want more trails close to home and they want those trails to be connected, according to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources study.

HEY! Hamilton! Shop