The Regional Trail and Bikeway Committee will have a tour event starting from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Talawanda High School, 5301 University Park Boulevard.

Individuals involved in the development of the Oxford Area Trails project will be present, and participants can choose to go on either a foot or bicycle tour. The 1.8-mile walking tour from Talawanda High School to Peffer Park will be led by a staff member from Miami University’s Natural Areas, and a bicycle tour is led by Oxford’s Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene. 

The bicycle tour, roughly a 7.9-mile loop, will include a 5.3-mile stretch to uptown where a free shuttle will be offered to take any bicyclers back to Talawanda High School. Those who would like to continue with the remaining 2.6 miles of the tour will be able to learn more about the planned Amtrak connection.

Since the completion of the first section of the Oxford Area Trail System seven years ago, according to the  Oxford Area Trails website, it has continued to expand. Now, participants of the bicycle tour can find out additional information about the various trail connections from Oxford’s trail system to Miami University’s hiking trails, as well as plans for future connections to the city’s bus terminal.

While on the tour, individuals can observe the Four Mile Creek from a nearby boardwalk, and explore the Black Covered Bridge and the DeWitt Log Home–both featured historical sites.

The Black Covered Bridge, 5401 Corso Road, was built in 1868. The bridge “is unique for its combination of two truss types – Childs and Long–within a single structure,” according to the Oxford Museum Association website.

The DeWitt Log Home, 4830-4868 Trenton Oxford Road, “is now the oldest remaining structure in Oxford Township,” according to the Oxford Museum Association website.

Those interested in the bicycle tour must bring a bicycle to the event, as bicycles will not be provided. Helmets are also required.

For anyone unable to attend, or those who want additional information about the ongoing project, there will be an informal meeting at 5 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 2 West High St.

– Hannah Sander