Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Ohio / Southwest Ohio

Twin Valley Trail

Germantown and Twin Creek MetroParks, Five Rivers MetroParks (near Germantown, south of Dayton)

The Twin Valley Trail links Germantown and Twin Creek MetroParks, part of Five Rivers MetroParks south of Dayton. Five Rivers says the trail runs about 27 miles through rolling hills, creek valleys, and wildlife habitat, with three overnight camping areas, and Hiking Project calls it an easy three-day, two-night trip at a relaxed pace.

Its backcountry camps are reserved through the MetroParks, and the trail crosses about 2,600 acres, according to the Germantown MetroPark page.

The hike

The trail is built as two loops joined by a connector. BackpackOhio describes a loop of about 9 miles in Germantown MetroPark on the Green, Yellow, and Pink trails, a southern loop in Twin Creek MetroPark on the Orange, Purple, and Silver loops, and a 5.5-mile connector hiked both ways, for 28.5 miles total. Hiking Project says much of the connector is paved multipurpose path and public road, and that the backpacker signs marking the route can be hard to spot.

Backpacker’s 2011 trip description, written a few years after the trail opened in 2008, starts at the parking lot off Eby Road and follows a mowed path through a cedar glen, then a wide path along a horse farm and a stretch along Sugar Street past the village of Germantown before returning to hardwoods beside Twin Creek. It passes Germantown Dam, which BackpackOhio describes as a flood control structure that holds back water only during heavy rain, the Germantown nature center and a quarter-mile elevated boardwalk, and on the second day, Hopewell earthworks, a prairie, and Dogwood Pond.

BackpackOhio lists other landmarks: the High View area, Sunfish Pond in Germantown MetroPark, large floodplain trees, meadows, constructed wetlands, and restored prairie. It rates the trail moderately easy, with a few steep climbs, and says the biggest climbs and drops rarely top 100 to 150 feet. Hiking Project’s statistics show about 1,635 feet of total climbing.

Hiking Project calls Twin Creek one of Ohio’s healthiest waterways for plant and animal diversity. Backpacker suggests watching for bobcats around dusk and Dutchman’s-breeches in April and May. One Hiking Project hiker in 2019 found the trail muddy and “definitely a challenging hike” with a full 45-pound pack.

Overnight parking is allowed at several trailheads, including High View at 9688 Eby Road and the Spillway lot in Germantown MetroPark, according to BackpackOhio and Hiking Project.

For a state park backpacking trail farther south, see East Fork.

Tips

Camping

Backcountry camping is allowed only at the designated hike-in sites and requires a permit, reserved through the MetroParks’ online system or by phone (Five Rivers MetroParks). The Twin Creek page says each site fits two small backpacking tents and has an outhouse and a shared area for cooking and gathering. BackpackOhio names three camps, each with three sites: Pine Ridge in Twin Creek MetroPark, Oak Ridge off the Yellow Trail in Germantown MetroPark, and Cedar Ridge off the connector. Frontcountry sites near the trail, such as Camp Hook, also need a permit and allow fires with provided firewood.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific site were found. Backpacker’s 2011 itinerary spent the first night at Cedar Ridge and the second at the Pine Ridge sites, about 0.3 mile past a trailside spigot.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Two-tent sites at Cedar Ridge:

Each Twin Valley backcountry site fits two small backpacking tents. If you want a wider pad for side sleeping, our tips say to check that it fits your tent first.

Get the side-sleeper tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.