Of the 265 miles of water trail our region offers, Five Rivers MetroParks manages nearly 39 miles. The 185-acre Eastwood Lake and many smaller lakes and ponds in the Miami Valley are home to many great paddling opportunities. Paddling a kayak, canoe, stand up paddleboard (SUP) or other paddlecraft is a great way to explore nature and enjoy the region's various water features.

Featured Locations

Eastwood Blue Lake

1401 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Directions >

Porta John

This small, sheltered lake at Eastwood MetroPark is a great place for beginners to try paddlesports for the first time. Use the 1401 Harshman Road entrance, and drive to the other end of the park.

View Gallery

Eastwood Lake

1401 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Directions >

The 185-acre Eastwood Lake, also known as the “hydro bowl,” is the perfect place to take your paddling to the next level. This lake is often windy, which can create decent-sized whitecaps, and has motor boat traffic, which also creates wake to make your paddling more challenging. There are numerous locations to put your canoe, kayak or other vessel into the lake. You can paddle on Eastwood Lake any day of the week — but please note that motor boats use the lake on even-numbered days, and personal watercraft (Jet Skis) use the west end of the lake on odd-numbered days.

View Gallery

Eastwood Lagoon

1385 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Directions >

The Eastwood Lagoon is three-quarters of a mile long, has seven islands, several docks and a ramp. The lagoon can be accessed from the docks near the restroom or from the ramp at the corner of the last parking lot. This is a great body of water for beginning paddlers to explore.

View Gallery

Mad River Harshman Road Access

1385 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Directions >

Porta John

Looking for a trip on the Miami Valley’s only whitewater river? Then the 4-mile stretch of the Mad River between Eastwood and RiverScape is for you. This access point at Eastwood includes a changing booth, porta john and parking. Carefully cross the bike path and put your boat into the river.

View Gallery

Mad River Access

1401 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Directions >

Access Mad River Run feature from river right in the pool above the passageway.

Great Miami River Taylorsville MetroPark Access

Take your watercraft out upstream of the Taylorsville dam from the 8-mile Tipp City section of the Great Miami River at the 2005 U.S. 40 entrance to the MetroPark. Put your craft in downstream of the dam, using the boat ramp at the 2000 U.S. 40 entrance to Taylorsville MetroPark for the 9-mile section of river to Island MetroPark. This section gives you great views of the river’s forested edge and the downtown Dayton skyline. Take your Great Miami River Water Trail Map and beware of portage around the low dams below Needmore Road and below Island MetroPark.

Great Miami River Island MetroPark Access

101 E. Helena St., Dayton, OH 45404 Directions >

Carry your boat to or from the parking lot at Island MetroPark to access the Great Miami River. This access point serves as a takeout location for the Taylorsville section of the Great Miami and gives you a chance to paddle in the pool above the low dam and next to the Dayton Canoe Club. Beware of the low dam just downstream of the rowing dock.

RiverScape River Run

RiverScape River Run opens the downtown river to a beautiful seven-mile paddle from Eastwood MetroPark on the Mad River, through downtown to the Carillon Historical Park and University of Dayton area. A dangerous low dam in the Great Miami River located near the Dayton Art Institute was removed and two structures that span the river have been built, each with two passageways: one smooth-water passageway for novice paddlers and one whitewater play feature for more experienced paddlers. The project also allows people to fish, sunbathe and enjoy the river downtown in new ways.

Learn more about the River Run

Stillwater River Englewood MetroPark Access

100 Lienesch Rd., Vandalia, OH 45377 Directions >

Take your watercraft out upstream of the dam from the 8-mile West Milton section of the Stillwater River at the Lienesch Drive entrance of Englewood MetroPark.

Stillwater River Aullwood Gardens MetroPark Access

955 Aullwood Rd., Vandalia, OH 45377 Directions >

Put your watercraft in the Stillwater River downstream of the Englewood dam, using the boat ramp at the 955 Aullwood Road entrance to Aullwood Gardens MetroPark for the 5-mile section of river to Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. This is a scenic section of river to paddle, with several small rapids, but it typically has a short paddling season, from spring through early summer.

Stillwater River Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark Access

1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. , Dayton, OH 45414 Directions >

Take your watercraft out after paddling the 5-mile Aullwood Gardens section or put in for the 3-mile section of the river down to Island MetroPark near the confluence with the Great Miami River.

Twin Creek Germantown MetroPark Dam Access

7981 Creek Rd., Germantown, OH 45327 Directions >

Twin Creek is a popular canoeing and kayaking location, although water conditions vary considerably. All watercraft should be launched from the river access site downstream of the dam, using the 7481 Creek Road entrance. An access site to pull out is 7 miles away at Carmody Park. This scenic section of the one of the cleanest rivers or creeks in Ohio takes you through hills, forests and picturesque Germantown.

Mad River Run

1385 Harshman Rd., Dayton, OH 45431 Directions >

Opened in 2013, the Mad River Run in Eastwood MetroPark not only improves public access to the river for recreational purposes, it also improves the aquatic habitat and safety characteristics of the Mad River.

Learn more about the Mad River Run

Paddle in these MetroParks:

The Dayton region offers abundant opportunities for paddling! The following parks offer river or flat water access where paddling is permitted:

Regional Water Trails

A water trail is an official state designation given to a river or creek primarily used for recreational canoeing and kayaking. For a stretch of water to garner official state designation as a water trail it needs to include a public planning process, maps and signage, access points, management/stewardship commitment, safety information, and local government partnership.

The Great Miami River, Mad River, and Stillwater River were designated as state water trails in August, 2010 and all three water trails were designated as a national water trail in 2016. These three water trails are managed in partnership with the Miami Conservancy District, and other local government organizations.

Getting Started

Signing up for an instructional program is a great way to get started in local paddlesports. Five Rivers MetroParks offers programs for a variety of paddlesports, designed to build familiarity with our local waterways and help you build your confidence in getting on them. See our program overview below to find your niche.

Download Great Miami River Water Trail Map Download Stillwater River Water Trail Map Download Mad River Water Trail Map

Programs & Events

Building Your Paddling Skills with MetroParks Programs

Our programs build on one another (Discover then Develop then Do) — all striving to empower you to feel comfortable and confident in the activity.

What's your interest?	Discover	Develop	Do	Enhance
Recreation	Try Paddlesports Try Kayaking Kayak Exploring Discover Paddlesports River Access Van Tours	Kayak 1 Kayak 2: River	Try these facilities: Eastwood MetroPark: Lake, Blue Lake, & Lagoon Great Miami River Water Trail Mad River Water Trail Stillwater River Water Trail	Kayak Camping Kayak Navigation River Rescue Knots Ohio Boater Education Course ACA Kayaking Instructor Certification
Whitewater	Try Paddlesports Try Kayaking Discover Paddlesports River Access Van Tours	Kayak 1 Kayak 2: Whitewater	Try these facilities: RiverScape River Run Mad River Run	Kayak Camping Kayak Navigation Swiftwater Rescue River Rescue Knots Ohio Boater Education Course
Touring	Try Paddlesports Try Kayaking Discover Paddlesports River Access Van Tours	Kayak 1	Try these facilities: Eastwood Lake Great Miami River Water Trail Mad River Water Trail Stillwater River Water Trail	Kayak Camping Kayak Navigation Kayak Touring Rescue Clinic Ohio Boater Education Course Backcountry Gourmet Cooking
Stand Up Paddling	Try Paddlesports Discover Paddlesports River Access Van Tours	SUP 1 SUP 2	Try these facilities: Eastwood Lake Eastwood Blue Lake Huffman Lake	Kayak Camping Kayak Navigation Kayak Touring Rescue Clinic Ohio Boater Education Course Backcountry Gourmet Cooking
Canoeing	Try Paddlesports Discover Paddlesports River Access Van Tours		Try these facilities: Eastwood Lake, Blue Lake Lagoon Great Miami River Water Trail Mad River Water Trail Stillwater River Water Trail	Kayak Camping Kayak Navigation River Rescue Knots Swimwater Rescue for Paddlers Ohio Boater Education Course ACA Canoe Instructor Certification