Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
›
Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
›
Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
›
Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
›
Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
›
Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
›
Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
›
Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
›

Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

117 parks in 7 regions

Taylorsville MetroPark

Vandalia · Montgomery County · Southwest Ohio
Managed by Five Rivers MetroParks
—acres
—trail miles
1919established

Visiting information you can trust

Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Five Rivers MetroParks (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Taylorsville MetroPark, 2000 US-40, Vandalia
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Hunting is not permitted.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The story of this land

The area that is now Taylorsville MetroPark was once one of the busiest crossroads in the country, where the Old National Road, the Great Miami River, the Miami & Erie Canal and the railroads all met. After the flood of 1913, the Miami Conservancy District built Taylorsville Dam in 1919, an earthen dam 67 feet high and 2,980 feet long that would flood 9,650 acres of the valley when full, one of five dams that protect Dayton.

The park is on the Great Miami River Trail, and its trailside primitive campsite, Point 11 of the Buckeye Trail's Troy Section, is open all year on the south side of the dam. The campground is at 2000 U.S. 40, the old National Road.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp trailside on the Buckeye Trail
  • Walk or bike the Great Miami River Trail
  • Fish and paddle the river
  • See the old canal and National Road crossroads

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Taylorsville MetroPark.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Huffman Prairie Flying Field
  • Eastwood MetroPark
  • Downtown Troy and Piqua

Hiking trails

The Great Miami River Trail; the Buckeye Trail passes through

Wildlife you might see

  • River and floodplain habitat
  • Riverside birds
  • Anglers and paddlers on the Great Miami

Fishing

  • Fishing on the Great Miami River. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Hunting is not permitted.

The Crossroads That Became a Dam

Once, roads, a river, a canal and a railroad all crossed at Taylorsville. After 1913 the valley below it needed protecting, so the district built a great earthen dam across the river and the crossroads became a park.

Behind the dam, the empty floodplain waits for the next big flood.

Behind the legend

The crossroads description is from Five Rivers MetroParks. The dam dimensions and the 1919 date are from Wikipedia's article on the Miami Conservancy District. The camping point is from the Buckeye Trail Association.

If you go

Camp on the Buckeye Trail, ride the Great Miami River Trail and walk the dam.

Historic sites near Taylorsville MetroPark

Forts, villages, furnaces and lighthouses within reach of this park. Tap one for its story and visiting details.

Carillon Historical Park, Dayton

Dayton · Montgomery County · Southwest Ohio
A 65-acre history museum about Dayton's inventions, with the 1905 Wright Flyer III, canal and railroad exhibits and a 151-foot bell tower.
National Register of Historic Places
About 12 miles from this park · 1796 to today; park opened 1950

Waterfalls near Taylorsville MetroPark

Falls inside or within reach of this park. Stay behind railings and on marked trails; wet rock is slick in every season.

Charleston Falls

Tipp City · Miami County
A 37 foot horseshoe cascade over dolomite ledges in a 216 acre preserve near Tipp City, often called Ohio's miniature Niagara Falls.
37 ftEasy walk
About 3 miles from this park

Englewood MetroPark Falls (Martindale, Patty, and Oak Falls)

Englewood · Montgomery County
Three small waterfalls, Martindale, Patty, and Oak Falls, tucked into a 1,900 acre Five Rivers MetroPark along the Stillwater River northwest of Dayton.
Low fallsModerate hike
About 6 miles from this park

The Buckeye Trail at Taylorsville MetroPark

Ohio's 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop passes through or beside this park. Tap a section for its route, camping, water and resupply.

18 Troy Section

52 miles · Greene, Montgomery, Miami, Shelby
Trailside camp on the Great Miami River Trail
3 parksTrail towns

Campsites

Trailside campsite
A primitive site south of the dam along the Great Miami River Trail, Buckeye Trail Point 11; open all year; register with Five Rivers MetroParks
About $7 to $11 a night (older listing; confirm)

On site

  • Parking at 2000 U.S. 40
  • Trail access to the Great Miami River Trail
Register at Five Rivers MetroParks →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to Five Rivers MetroParks, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "Taylorsville MetroPark" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?See Five Rivers MetroParks

Register for the campsite with Five Rivers MetroParks.

Restaurants nearby

41 Grill & Draft House
Bar and grill on Main Street; closed Sunday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Shell
Open 24 hours
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.