Miranda's Ice Cream Shoppe: Best Stop on the Little Miami Trail

Morrow, Ohio is one of those small towns you roll through without thinking much about it — unless you're on a bike, in which case you've probably already heard the name. Miranda's Ice Cream Shoppe is right there on Main Street, about 20 yards from the Little Miami Scenic Trail, and it's become one of the best reasons to stop pedaling for a while.

The trail context matters here. The Little Miami Scenic Trail runs 78 miles from Milford all the way to Springfield, cutting through some of the prettiest river valley countryside in Ohio. Morrow sits right along it, and Miranda's has positioned itself as the go-to refueling stop for cyclists, hikers, canoeists, and horseback riders who need something cold and a reason to sit down. They have bike racks out front, electric bike charging stations free with a food purchase, and a water cooler outside to fill your bottle. The whole setup tells you exactly who they're built for.

The building itself has a story. It's a former bank, and the historic interior is part of what makes the place feel different from your average ice cream stop. You can actually go inside the old vault. There's local memorabilia throughout, a spacious open dining area, and an outdoor patio out back with a fire pit, lawn games, and enough room for families and groups to spread out. They even rent the party room for birthdays and events. It's the kind of place you walk into planning to grab a cone and end up staying an hour.

The ice cream earns that extra time. Miranda's does hand-dipped and soft serve alongside house-made gelato with flavors that rotate and surprise — rhubarb, banana pudding, Heath toffee, Buckeye Blitz, coffee chocolate chip. These aren't flavors you find everywhere. Shakes, malts, blends, sundaes, banana splits, and floats round out the frozen side of the menu. If you want something savory first, the food menu covers pulled pork sandwiches, meatball hoagies, Cincinnati-style chili done three, four, and five ways, chili dogs, slaw dogs, mac and cheese, and stadium pretzels. It's more food than the name suggests, and regulars know to come hungry.

Morrow is about 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati on US-22, an easy drive through Warren County river trail country. If you're not biking, it's still worth the trip. But if you've been looking for a reason to finally do the Little Miami Trail, Miranda's is a pretty good one.