Montgomery County is located in the Till Plains ecoregion. The Great Miami River splits the county from north to south. It is joined by the Mad River from the NE (see Rivers of Montgomery County). It is entirely within the Great Miami River Watershed, which drains south into the Ohio River.

Places to Visit

• Taylorsville MetroPark – There are two parking areas that provide access to the Great Miami, both on the west side of the river, accessible off U.S. Route 40. There is good clubtail habitat at both locations, north and south of the dam. Noteworthy species include Handsome, Rapids, Cobra, Ashy, and Midland Clubtails, Dragonhunters, and Eastern Ringtails. Swift River Cruisers and Springtime Darners can also be seen at this location.

• Germantown MetroPark – The area around the dam has good habitat for late spring clubtails, including large numbers of Ashy, Midland, and Rapids Clubtails and Dragonhunters, and small numbers of Handsome and Pronghorn Clubtails. The dam area also has populations of Gray Petaltails, Springtime Darners, Swift River Cruisers, and small numbers of Arrowhead Spiketails. There are parking lots on both sides of the river near the dam, and portable toilets on the south side. A short drive from the dam, there is a parking lot with a trail that leads back to Sunfish Pond. There are good populations of Blue Corporals and Banded Pennants at the pond.

• Crain’s Run Nature Park – There are two parking lots and portable restrooms. The north parking lot provides access to a large pond, with good habitat for Cyrano Darners and Banded Pennants. The south parking lot provides access to a bike path along the Great Miami. The riverbanks are steep near the parking lot, but a short walk further south along the bike path leads to an area where wading is possible if the river is low. Eastern Ringtails and Cobra Clubtails have been found here in small numbers, and this is also a good site for Swift River Cruisers.

• Great Miami River access at Miamisburg – There is ample public parking in the city’s riverfront on the east side of the river. A short walk along the bike path leads to a good river access point just north of the 725 bridge. In late spring, there are good numbers of Cobra and Midland Clubtails here, and small numbers of Rapids Clubtails. Later in summer and early fall, there are Eastern Ringtails and Russet-tipped Clubtails at this location. On the west side of the river, there is a gravel parking lot at the Case Landing boat ramp (GM River Mile 66.0, on the west side of the Linden Ave. bridge). The same clubtail species can be found here, but the riverbanks are steeper on the west side and the river is not quite as accessible, except at the boat ramp.

• Cox Arboretum – There is ample parking and restrooms. Three large ponds are located in the front of the park, with typical pond species and easy walking trails. The best odonata habitat is at the back of the prairie (called Conservation Corner on the map), which is accessible by the red trail. There are two shallow wetlands here. Six species of spreadwings have been documented in the wetlands, including a resident population of Great Spreadwings. The wetlands also host Blue-faced Meadowhawks, Comet Darners, saddlebags, and gliders. Occasionally, interesting migrants like Four-spotted Skimmers, Painted Skimmers, and Great Blue Skimmers have been documented here.

• Stillwater River Water Trail Map shows river access points, and facilities.

• The Great Miami River Water Trail Map shows river access points, and facilities.

County Observation Activity

This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in brown, with the average for all Ohio counties in blue. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.