City of Moraine Development of historic Pinnacles site:
City of Moraine Press Release
The City of Moraine held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, September 21st to open the new 1.1-mile Wright Brothers Pinnacles Historical Hiking Trail. The Pinnacles is a ridge and cliff overlooking the Miami River and is the site in the late 1890’s where the Wright Brothers would watch the flight of large birds on the cliff updrafts. Wilbur Wright obtained his wing warping or roll theory for his future heavier than air airplane wings by watching the birds here. Many photos taken by the Wright Brothers at the Pinnacles are also reproduced on signs. Sketches of trees and wildflowers drawn by Orville Wright and poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar while hiking the Pinnacles with their high school botany class adorn another sign. Other historical signs from the 1890’s are installed along the trail.
The ceremony was hosted by Moraine Parks & Recreation Director Brent Shane. Mayor Teri Murphy stated that the new hiking trail joins several other Wright Brothers related sites in Moraine such as the Dayton Wright Airplane Company that in 1917 developed and built America’s first bomber – the DeHavilland DH-4: and the Wright Seaplane Base, one of the world’s first seaplane bases where Orville Wright conducted over 100 flights between 1912 and 1914. City Councilman Dave Miller spoke on the Wright Brothers historical presence at the Pinnacles, of fossils found along the trail and of a Native American mound and artifacts found at the Pinnacles in 1968.
Brent Shane thanked Mr. Miller for his hard work on the trail as well as other clubs, organizations, volunteers and city staff who contributed in some way to either the maintenance and development of the trail, creating or installing the signage, doing historical research or proving the funding.
The hiking trail has two trailhead entrances. The South Trailhead is off of the Main Street Bike Trail about .4 miles from Wax Park. The North Trailhead is off of the Pinnacle Road Bike Trail, .4 miles from Deer Meadow Park. “People can enjoy the outdoor recreation benefits of this new hiking trail, stated Miller. “and be educated about the rich Wright Brothers history that took place here”.
Notes:
• Parking Option #1: Park at Wax Park 3800 Main Street and walk .4 mile up the Main Street Bike Trail to the WBP Hiking Trail South Trailhead.
• Parking Option #2: Park at Deer Meadow Park, 4321 Pinnacle Road and hike .4 mile along the Pinnacle Road Bike Trail to the WBP Hiking Trail North Trailhead entrance.
• As for the future, sort of a Phase Two, the city is exploring the possibility of constructing parking spaces somewhere closer to one or both trailheads.
Map:
For a Wright Bros Hiking Trail flyer with an enlargement of the map of the trail shown here, and for more info see this link: https://www.ci.moraine.oh.us/pdf/Parks%20&%20Rec/Wright%20Bros%20Hiking%20Trail%20Flyer.pdf
Moraine Parks and Recreation
3800 Main Street Moraine, Ohio 45439
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The Pinnacle Hill is a Site on the Aviation Trail
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