The trail's northern terminus at Lebanon is at the station of the Cincinnati Railway Company, which operates an excursion train, and is near the Golden Lamb Inn. The trail merges into Deerfield Road for a section that is newly paved and more clearly marked for safer use. The trail continues now connected with the bicycle trail near the Ralph J. Stolle Countryside YMCA. The southernmost portion of the trail runs over the former Middletown and Cincinnati Railroad right-of-way.
Cautions
The trail portions north of the converted railway portion include some hills that are considerably steeper than the shallow grades typical of rail trails, and may present a challenge to less-fit cyclists. The largest hill has an abrupt turn and stop at the bottom, and an awkward cross of two intersecting streets, Turtlecreek Road and Kingsview Drive. Stopping at the bottom of the hill may be difficult for inline skaters who lack expert braking skills. Where the trail merges into Deerfield Road, it may be difficult for first-time users to recognize and follow. However, as of 2012, bike lanes and improved shoulder paving have been added to Deerfield Road in both directions where it connects the two sections of the Countryside Trail.
Map links
The shows the Lebanon Countryside Trail as a dotted line, but the trail is complete now. Below are links to maps showing some locations along the trail, arranged from south to north. Note that satellite and aerial photos may pre-date construction of the trail, so the trail may not be visible on the photos yet. Also, the trail does not appear on most road map sites yet, and might never, as most of them only show roads.
Intersection of Kingsview Drive and Turtlecreek Road
Here the trail makes an awkward cross of both streets at the bottom of a valley. The elevation at this intersection is about. The northbound cyclist must now climb a steep hill along Kingsview Drive, which levels off around. The trail gains more elevation as it heads north and then east, but over gentler grades.
Intersection at Deerfield Road (south)
This is the south intersection of the trail with Deerfield Road. The elevation at this point is about. The satellite and aerial photos show the playfields and buildings of the to the south. This is the end of the southern portion of the trail. Many trail users who entered from the Little Miami Scenic Trail at Middletown Junction may stop here and turn around, not realizing they may turn left on Deerfield Road to reach the northern portion of the trail that leads to downtown Lebanon.
Intersection at Deerfield Road (north)
This is the north intersection of the trail with Deerfield Road. The elevation at this point is about. The trail heads west, across Justice Drive, and then north along a slope between State Route 48 to the east, and government buildings to the west.
