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Village of Morrow Becomes the Latest Buckeye Trail Town!
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by Diane Wright
With the Buckeye Trail going straight down Main Street along The Little Miami State Park Trail, easily accessible camping, restaurants, stores, a brewery and an historic
ice cream parlor, The Village of Morrow makes for a perfect stop on a through-hike, or the perfect place to begin or end a section hike. Almost a year ago, Olga, the owner of Miranada’s Ice Cream Shop in Morrow, found out about The Trail Town program and began
sharing that idea with other local residents. Tracy Sterling, who had also fallen in love with Morrow and moved to the Village, formed a group called Memorable Morrow, and this group of business owners, citizens, and local government officials undertook the
task of applying to be a Buckeye Trail Town. Their application was approved by The Buckeye Trail Association, and on Saturday, May 16, 2026, a celebration was held at Miranda’s Ice Cream Shop.
The program included presentations by Tiffany DeChant-Hunt, Manager of Little Miami State Park and Caesar Creek State Park; Becky Retzer, President of Friends of Little Miami State
Park; Tracy Sterling of Memorable Morrow; Mark Middleton, Vice President of the Buckeye Trail Association Board; Carol Whitacre, Village Administrator; and Village Mayor Mitchell Fisher.
What does it mean to be a Buckeye Trail Town? A Trail Town is a place where the local leaders and citizens have pledged to support those who use the Trail, ensuring hikers and others who follow The Buckeye
Trail can find supplies, food, camping, and friendly faces. Buckeye Trail Towns are highlighted on the
Buckeye
Trail website, and receive publicity and support through an ongoing partnership with the Buckeye Trail Association.
The ceremony on May 16 is simply the beginning of a wonderful partnership. Congratulations to The Village of Morrow!
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Tiffany DeChant-Hunt, Diane Wright, Carol Whitacre, Becky Retzer, Olga Feolechking, Tracy
Sterling, Mayor Mitchell Fisher, and Mark Middleton.
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Mayor Mitchell Fisher and his son
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Diane Wright, volunteer section supervisor with The Buckeye Trail, and Carla Grimm, of Girls
Who Hike Ohio in front of Miranda's Ice Cream Shop
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Camp Dennison Celebration
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On April 28, Camp Dennison was recognized with placement of an historical marker, noting the area's contribution to the Civil War.
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The repavement of the section of the LMST from the Lebanon Spur south to the Fosters trailhead is complete! Thanks for all the donations and hard work and collaboration that made this happen. This section
of the trail was the oldest, being 46 years old, and needed to be repaved. Doesn't it look great!
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Safe Trails:
Defensive Driving
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by Erick Wikum
Editor's Note: This is an article originally published in 2018. The author feels the message is worth repeating 8 years later for newer readers and trail users.
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Reflecting on having authored the Safe Trails column in Trail Mail for more than a year has caused me to wonder what, if any, difference I have
made. Perhaps I am preaching to the choir, since most readers of this newsletter likely have some commitment to using the trail safely. When using the Little Miami Scenic Trail, I still encounter far too many users who are overly aggressive, discourteous,
unsafe, helmetless and clueless when it comes to etiquette. And yet, if I have caused even a few readers consciously to think about safety and to alter their behavior, I would consider my contributions to be a success.
Trail Mail’s distribution list now exceeds 2,000, but the trail is used by tens of thousands of people. The simple truth is that behaving safely
is not sufficient to keep us safe. Others’ actions and natural events pose dangers that we must address. As when operating a motor vehicle, we must practice “defensive driving,” anticipating what might happen and either acting proactively or reacting appropriately.
Expect the unexpected from people (especially children), dogs and wild animals. Slow down and be prepared to stop; announce your presence, give a wide berth and identify an escape route.
I would love to give the green light for trail users, especially bicyclists, to proceed at speed. The reality, however, is that we must contend
with other users who don’t share our knowledge of or focus on safety. As a result, we must be defensive. Having to slow down or stop can be frustrating, but injuring ourselves or others is far worse. Be patient and stay well.
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The Thursday Crew hard at work.
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The Thursday Crew, led by Rick Forrester, successfully cleared some downed trees in April.
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The new excavator clearing a tree root. Ripping out the roots along the trail keeps the root from lifting a section of pavement. Fewer bump grindings needed in the future.
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Join our Trail Sentinel Team!
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By Becky Retzer, President
Help keep the Little Miami State Park Trail safe, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone by becoming a Trail Sentinel. We’re looking for volunteers who care about the park and want to make a positive difference
through visibility, awareness, and community support.
Trail Sentinels commit to riding the sections of trail they already know and enjoy. FLMSP provides a vest that identifies you as a Trail Sentinel, along with brief training on the responsibilities of the
role and the key do’s and don’ts.
If you’re interested to be a new volunteer, please visit our website to fill out the online volunteer application. You will also receive an email with the current ODNR waiver that has to be filled out prior
to volunteering. Current volunteers may contact Don Outterson at donaldo...@yahoo.com
for more information about adding Trail Sentinel to their volunteer duties.
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Editor: A reader sent this note which is worth passing along. There are some patches of these "pretty posies" along the trail.
. .and a caveat to those who might
unknowingly desire to ‘pick a few posies.’ SOME of them are poisonous! The Poison Hemlock looks to the untrained eye like Queen Anne’s Lace (its common name) but can be deadly to the unsuspecting. Let the pretties grow and if you simply MUST pick, make it
a PIC-ture (with your camera )!
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/invasive-plants/poison-hemlock
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by Little Miami State Park
A 3.5-mile section of the Little Miami Scenic Trail within Little Miami State Park between the Lebanon Countryside Trail connection (MM 34.1) and Stubbs Mill Road (MM 30.6), will be closed
beginning June 1, 2026 through July 2027 (as construction concludes, we will post exact opening dates as we know) due to
the Second Phase of the South Lebanon Sewer Infrastructure Project.
This major infrastructure project will involve large construction equipment and active work zones along the trail corridor. As construction progresses, many portions of the trail will
become impassable and unsafe for public access. For the safety of all trail users, access through the closed section will not be permitted.
Visitors are encouraged to plan and utilize alternate routes independently prior to their trip, as no designated detour route will be provided through the closure area. Please obey all
posted closure signs and avoid attempting to bypass barricades or enter active construction zones.
We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation as this important infrastructure project is completed.
For additional information and trail updates, please contact the Little Miami State Park office at 513-897-3055.
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