Five Rivers MetroParks – Twin Valley Backpack Trail
BackpackOhio.com status: Last hiked in July, 2021. Trail Guide download now available.
County: Montgomery
Nearest town: Germantown
Highlights: There are three backcountry camp areas and plenty of scenery including ponds, the Twin Creek valley, mature forest, wetlands and restored prairie.
Length: 28 ½ miles
Difficulty: Hiking is moderately easy with a few steep climbs though no single drop (or climb) is over 150 feet. Route is generally well marked and easy to follow. There is a significant section of paved trail and road walk on the connector trail that connects two loops.
Permit/Fees: Camping is permitted only at designated locations and a permit is required. The Backcountry Camp permit ranges from $3-$5/night. Reservations can be made at metroparks.org or by calling the Metroparks office.
Contact Information: Five Rivers Metroparks Office (937) 275-7275. http://www.metroparks.org/GetOutside/twinValleyBackpackTrail.aspx
Location: There are multiple Trailheads that allow overnight parking for backpackers. Two that are well located are:
High View Trailhead (N39° 36.334′ W84° 21.780′) From I-75, take Exit 47 to Rt 725 West, to left on Rt 4, to left on Eby Road. 9688 Eby Road
Spillway Parking Lot/Trailhead (N39° 38.459′ W84° 24.203′) From I-75, take Exit 47 to Rt 725 West, to right on Creek Rd, continue onto Conservancy Rd to left into park.
Trail Facilities: Latrines are located at each Trailhead. There are three backcountry camp areas. Each include three campsites, a common cooking area and a latrine. All the trails are color coded and well marked. The official Twin Valley Trail Route is also marked with a Backpacker symbol.
Water: Potable water is available seasonally at the Chamberlain Rd Trailhead and at Twin Valley Welcome Center (open whenever the park is open). The trail is often near Twin Creek and also passes by multiple ponds. Always filter/purify water taken from a natural source.
Local Information
The Twin Valley Trail is located southwest of Dayton and is operated by Five Rivers MetroParks. The trail consists of a loop within Twin Creek MetroPark, a loop within Germantown MetroPark and a connector trail between the two. In addition, within each MetroPark are additional trail options to shorten or lengthen the hike. Unless otherwise indicated, the route described is following the official backpack loop.
The Twin Valley Trail is based around Twin Creek. A 2010 report by the Ohio EPA stated the stream is considered exceptional and is “among the best in terms of a balanced biological community.” Topography in the area is often steep, but the climbs and drops rarely extend over 100 feet. In between, the ridges and bottomland sections are relatively flat. Regardless, the trail travels through a wide variety of ecosystems. The floodplain near Twin Creek will be muddy after rains, but contains some impressively huge trees. There are large meadow areas and constructed wetlands and prairie. Multiple ponds add yet another ecosystem.
The variety of habitats support seemingly large populations of various animals. On my hikes it has been commonplace to see not only (the typical) deer and rabbits, but also turkey, heron, red wing blackbirds, finches and on and on. Frogs and toads appear unusually common as well.
There are three Backcountry Camps along the route, each with three campsites, a latrine and a central cooking area. The individual sites are generally well separated. One consideration is that campfires are not allowed at theses sites. However, there are some Frontcountry Camps near the trail that not only allow fires, they come with a small supply of firewood on site. Pricing for these sites is higher than the Backcountry sites. Regardless, any of the sites need to be reserved in advance. This can be done on metroparks.org or by calling the Park District office at (937) 275-7275.
The Hike:
There are several options to hike this trail, especially with the three backcountry camps being well spaced. In Twin Creek MetroPark, the official backpack route includes all of the Orange Loop as well as the shorter Purple and Silver Loops. The Pine Ridge Camp is about halfway around the route from the High View Trailhead. Highlights include High View itself, Dogwood Pond, ancient earthworks and great views of Twin Creek.
In Germantown MetroPark, their Orange Loop was recently extended and now runs over 9 miles. The official backpack route replaces portions of the Orange Loop with Green, Yellow and Pink Trails, but the distance is comparable either way. The Yellow Trail is the option to take if staying at the Oak Ridge Camp. The Germantown Dam and Spillway is an interesting flood control structure as it only holds back water during heavy rains. Sunfish Pond is a stunning body of water and the trail stretches through meadow, prairie and wetlands to showcase a variety of flora and fauna not often seen in Ohio. During dry spells, consider taking the Orange Trail options near Twin Creek if you want to see some huge bottomland trees.
Between the two loops runs a connector trail. This 5.5 mile portion will be hiked twice to complete the entire route. The Cedar Ridge Camp is located off this section. This trail’s single track dirt section near Germantown MetroPark traverses some of the steepest topography of the entire route, it also contains the flattest mileage while on Kercher Park’s paved trail and the road walk….
