The Greater Dayton region is situated in Southwest Ohio among many rivers and valleys that our leaders over the decades have taken great initiative to protect and make accessible to the public. That legacy continues today.

Over the past couple decades, partners in Greater Dayton have worked together to build the region’s reputation as an outdoor recreation destination — a reputation anchored by our widely diverse trail systems, including the Nation’s Largest Paved Trail Network of more than 350 miles. As we built Dayton’s outdoor recreation facilities and outdoor image, we labeled ourselves the The Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest. The name was almost tongue-in-cheek at first, but as the wealth of outdoor assets grew and became integrated into the fiber of the community, we heard area leaders in economic development, health care and quality of life tout the moniker themselves.

As the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest, the Dayton region has tremendous outdoor recreation opportunities, anchored by myriad trail systems. Our rivers and creeks, along with abandoned rail systems, provide the linear corridors that serve as the architecture for the open space and made many of the trails possible. From our paved trail network to our soft surface trails to our water trails, Dayton offers all tread surfaces and outdoor experiences for every taste within 15 minutes of downtown.

The value of Dayton’s outdoor assets has become pervasive in the community’s culture and self-image. We have remade our region into a town with a bold outdoor image and incredible trail assets that serve the community’s wellness, quality of life and economic development.

We invite you to grab a bike from Link: Dayton Bike Share and cruise around the region, honored as a Bicycle Friendly Community, highlighted by Trail Town and recently awarded as a Best Town by Outside Magazine!

Five Rivers MetroParks is committed to making Dayton a more vibrant place to live by growing the outdoor community through facility development, programs, activities and events such as the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience.

Join us. Get Out & Live!

See the growing list of retailers, organizations, and initiatives at OutdoorDayton.com