The unusually warm weather through early November gave me a chance to go back to the Ohio & Erie Towpath and ride its entire length for the first time. I had a blast! This is one fine trail. Be sure to check out the review if you haven't ridden the newer sections yet.
The completed section from Cleveland to Akron is now 31.2 miles long. The towpath continues to grow as the Ohio-to-Erie Trail construction continues to "fill in the gaps" of this first cross-state trail in Ohio.
Unfortunately, my map resource for this web site has dried up. I'll be working on coming up with another good quality source for trail access maps this winter.
Trail pics are often added to reviews well after they are posted here at Cycling Ohio Trails & Bikeways. (Submissions are also welcome!) Be sure to check back for more trail pics during the off-season
The River Corridor Bikeway and Richand B & O Trail reviews have recently been updated, along with the Kokosing Gap Trail review. Thanks to Phil Samuell for sending in some great Kokosing pics!
Kudos to Sue Leet as well for submitting a new review of the Wolf Creek Bikeway!
Locals are often the best source for the most current, up-to-date trail info. Phil and Sue are regular users of their local bikeways and were nice enough to send in information regarding their trails. Would you like to contribute something regarding your Ohio trail?
Hey, we could even start a "Trail Watchers" program - yeah, that's the ticket. Contact me for further info.
Have you ever planned a trail riding trip only to find the trail closed on the day you get there? I have. I've encountered closed trail sections due to maintenance, construction and even seal-coating. And with fresh asphalt seal-coating, I can tell you that you don't want to go near that stuff until a few days after it's been applied. If you do, you can count on a big cleaning job to remove the sticky stuff from your bike.
How do you keep trail maintenance and construction from ruining your next trail outing?
You can start by checking the latest online news. That's a start. However, online trail information is not updated daily.
The only way to be sure to avoid unpleasant surprises on your trail trip is to go directly to the source, the trail overseers. Go to the trail's homepage (if one is available). You can start here by checking to see if the trail has its own web site. If it doesn't, check these online trail lists that have contact information for most Ohio trails. Give the contact people a call to get the latest info.
If all else fails - no homepage, no contact person - try the nearest CVB (Convention & Visitor's Bureau) to the trail. They should be able to put you in touch with the right person.
It may take a little time to get the information you need, but that's certainly better than ruining a long-awaited trail trip. Particularly if you are planning a long trip to ride a particular trail. You don't want to show up the day they've scheduled a leg of a local triathlon on the trail. That is, unless you planned on competing!
The closed trail section along the Mad River Bikeway and the River Corridor Bikeway has been reopened. Check out this latest update by Jennifer Grusenmeyer.
Also, check out the newly updated reviews of the Huron River Greenway and the Huron Trail by Steven Myers.
Many thanks to Jennifer & Steven! Keep those trail updates coming!
If you've logged on to the Ohio Rails-to-Trails Conservancy site lately to check out the total number of open Ohio trails, you've seen the number 45. Here the current number is posted as 52. So, what gives?
Here open trail sections or segments that have their own name are counted individually. In some cases these trail sections are destined to become part of a bigger trail. When that occurs, trail names are often dropped or changed.
But fear not! You can still find information on many of the trail sections by their original names by using the Ohio Trail List
Another factor in the trail count is what types of trails are counted? Cycling Ohio Rail-Trails & Bikeways generally includes trails that are known as multi-use trails that hold some sort of official status
If you're like me, you enjoy reading all about new Ohio trails & trail extensions. But often it's difficult to visualize where these trails are in proximity to one another and how they may eventually link together. That's because good online trail maps are REALLY hard to find.
Here's a fine trails map of the Dayton area. You can download/print out the PDF version. Southwest Ohio is where trail building is spreading like wild fire right now. Maps like this one give us a much better perspective on how all these projects are coming together.
Have you found another great Ohio trail map online? Send in the url!
A Springtime weather rollercoaster is getting Ohio's 2001 cycling season off to a shaky start. We've seen it all this Spring - high winds, fog, long periods of rain and drizzle, cool and warm temps... the typical mixed bag that Ohio offers this time of year.
Spring is always a good time to lay out plans for trail riding the coming summer months. So here's what's coming up this season:
I'm making a much anticipated departure from the asphalt to ride 2 major (mostly) unpaved Ohio trails this year, the Bike & Hike Trail and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. It's reported that these 2 trails draw a large number of visitors each year. Many accounts also regard both as "scenic," a word not commonly associated with many Ohio bikeways. So, I'm looking forward to these rides.
The Bike & Hike and Towpath Trail are on the top of my "trails to visit" list, so check back soon for the new reviews. I'll also be posting a couple of reviews left over from last season's trail rides.
Your input is always welcome (and encouraged!) here at Cycling Ohio Rail-Trails & Bikeways. Post your special trail event on the newsboard. Feel free to send in a trail update or review.
Tired of seeing that same typo every time you visit? Email any corrections or errors you find. My proofreader for these pages is on permanent hiatus... like you couldn't tell, right?
Well, well, it sure has been an interesting winter. The plug was pulled on this web site sometime in October, 2000. This happened when some smart guy moved some of the web page files to a different server, but didn't tell me. He didn't move ALL the files (too logical) so neither site location worked properly for some time.
I didn't discover the problem until January of this year. I contacted my (then) local ISP and web page host to try to remedy the problem and get the site back online. Unfortunately, the company was less than helpful (or competent) at correcting the problems.
Did I say problems? Certainly, there were more problems. There were about 4 versions of this web site online in January. That's right 4! Each had a slightly differently URL and 2 of the sites even resided on a different server. I couldn't access all the clone sites that the ISP created. As a result, at least 2 of the clones started aging rather quickly as they couldn't be updated. Good grief, what a mess.
By the time I noticed the problems, in January, the damage had already been done. The "original" site had been dropped by many internet search engines since it hadn't been working for a few months. The clones, however, were still out there... damn them. There may still be one out there as you read this. In fact, many of the original links from other web pages to this site are now links to the one, remaining clone. He's a popular fella I tell ya.
Now that this site is online again, I'll pursue terminating the final clone.
Murphy's law also came into play during this fiasco. After my last web page update in October, 2000, I decided it wasn't necessary to perform a weekly check of the web pages to make sure everything was up & running. Big mistake.
After finding a new home for Cycling Ohio Rail-Trails & Bikeways, I decided to clean house before putting it back online. I've given the site a new look and added and updated links, etc. The database on trail information here has grown substantially, making this a long, slow process. The Spring cleaning continues...
I've been slow to get new reviews posted this season and the backlog has begun to build up a bit. Here's a list of new reviews that will be added in the upcoming weeks: Buck Creek Trail, Cochocton Trail, National Road Bikeway and the Conotton Creek Trail. A few trail updates will also be added.
"Freshness" dates are attached to comments and updates toward the top of each review page. At the bottom of these same pages you'll find Help update or correct this page!. Use this email link to submit new or current information regarding a trail.
Ok, so it's been a while since I've added some new reviews. For those of you who check this site regularly for new info, my apologies. But the wait will soon be over, here's what's coming up:
Reviews on the University Park Bike-Hike Trail and the east end of the Emerald Necklace Trail. Also, info on the North Coast Inland Trail/Wabash Connector and a report on the construction of the North Coast Inland Trail section in Elmore, Ohio.
Thanks to everyone who has sent in updated info on trails! These updates will soon be added to the trail reviews.
The maps that accompany reviews on this site have been changed. Newer maps have a map button that appears on the review page allowing the page to load faster. Now when you click on a map button a map appears with current weather info posted just above the map!
Some of the older maps that appear on review pages are only links to the Mapblast! site at this time and do not have browsing capability. Originally all review maps had browsing capabilities, but as changes are made to their site of origin, functionality is also affected. Time permitting, these may be updated in the future.
For better map viewing, checkout map notes.
I've added camera icons next to the trail reviews on this site that have trail pics. You no longer have to scroll-scan reviews to see if they contain pictures.
As spring quickly makes its way toward summer, another great trail cycling season is beginning to take shape! Normally by this time of year I've eagerly started planning my periodic "escapes" to trails all across the state, with my sights set on many new trails to explore.
Though my eagerness to trail explore has not waned, my available time to do so (at this early point in the season) is not getting with the program. I've started off my cycling season by riding close to home, primarily due to these time constraints.
So, in the event that this terrible situation should continue, I encourage all you Ohio trail riders to answer my plea for help. Send in your trail news or reviews! Keep the dream alive! I thank you.
Trail building in Ohio is becoming fast and furious with projects in-the-works all across the state. To attempt to keep you informed on the latest developements, a trail news section has been added to this site - a virtual news bin of all the major online sources.
Another new addition this month is the news board. The board will serve as a place to read about trail happenings around the state. Would you like to announce a trail event or post some trail news? Or maybe you'd like to find a good trail-building project to sink your teeth into, eh? The news board is where it's at! The board is being provided to trail users and trail developers alike to promote an information exchange and bring more Ohio trail info online. Check the guidelines for posting to the board and take advantage of this free service!
Speaking of news updates, the RTC Ohio Field Office gave their web site a much needed update. They now have a great site which includes info on trail projects that are currently in progress!
Good news! Contributions in the form of trail info and reviews have been coming in to Cycling Ohio's Rail-Trails & Bikeways recently. This is greatly appreciated and adds to our ever-growing database of useful and practical trail information.
For those of you who have taken the time to send in information, many thanks! For those who would like to submit a trail review or other info, please see help wanted.
A little web site beautification has begun here as well. I've started adding pics to some of the reviews to break the monotony of all text and maps. Look for more pics next season.
This summer's drought hasn't been good for Ohio farmers, but has benefited cyclists to a large degree. Few area cyclists have had their trips rained on this summer making it a good, long season for cycling. It's definitely been good for me as I've managed to add 8 new reviews to this site in '99 (and still counting) and have updated several more.
If all continues to go well, I expect to have virtually all of the major paved Ohio Bikeways reviewed on this site by late this year or early next year, depending on how long the warm weather holds out. Many of the shorter paved trails will be included as well.
I'm happy to report that the newest Ohio trails I've ridden this year are improved designs in comparison to older trails. Many of these newly paved trails are now 12+ feet wide. This helps reduce gridlock from occasional trail traffic and the potential for collisions by giving everyone more room to navigate by one another.
The addition of spurs or connecting paths to bikeways is also becoming more commonplace. The significance of connecting neighborhoods to a trail is broadened by the fact that many of these trails are also becoming part of regional trail networks. So a simple connecting spur/path today may become a link to a regional trail network tomorrow.
Perhaps the biggest single improvement I've noticed this year is the improved signage on the new trails. Signed road crossings are becoming commonplace and some connecting paths are also being marked. Overall, signage is better than ever. However, one important element is still being left out - the distances between destination points. (I've seen a trail or two that has listed this info on kiosks at the end of the trail, but trail signs have yet to include this valuable info.) The current thinking appears to be to post street and village signs only at their destination points. That's fine. But the distance info most needed by cyclists while on the trail still remains -- "how far is the next stop/town?" This will become increasingly more important as trails are extended and linked together, encouraging cyclists to travel farther.
So get out and enjoy some of these fine trails while the weather is still good. To check out several newer trails that converge at the same point, plan a trip to the Xenia Station in Xenia, Ohio. It's currently Ohio's biggest bike trail junction.
I'm adding a new section this month called " Trailside." This page will consist of my pontifications on many and varied cycling and bikeway subjects. Trailside ramblings, if you will. The subjects won't be listed in any particular order of importance. In the future this section may contain other features as well.
"Warning, Will Robinson. The trail you want to ride may not exist!"
The trails listed on the "Ohio Trail List" on this site are taken from a number of different sources which include: trail books, various online sources, magazines and other literature. As I visit these trails I write reviews which are included on this web site. Imagine my surprise when I tried to visit a trail on my list that wasn't there!
The Marblehead Trail, that connected the communities of Lakeside and Marblehead along the shores of Lake Erie, is no longer in use. Actually, it is being used by property owners who have claimed the corridor and incorporated it into their lots by putting parking lots or storage sheds on the former abandoned rail line. There may still remain some small open segments of the path which are used by locals, but the trail certainly no longer holds any official status of being open to the public or even being intact. At least that's the conclusion I've come to after spending a couple of hours searching its former path and speaking with a shop owner in Marblehead whose property borders this former line.
As a result, I've dropped the (former) Marblehead Trail from my list. I've also dropped the Gates Mills Trail as info on this trail came from the same publication and has yet to be corroborated elsewhere. (I'll gladly put it back if I can determine that it does exist.) So the bikeway count on this site has temporarily dropped from 44 to 42.
But fear not, there are little known trails in Ohio that haven't yet appeared in any publications or online trail lists. The National Road Bikeway in St. Clairsville is one example. I'd recently read about its opening in a RTC flyer. Unless articles about phantom bike trails are becoming popular, it does in fact exist!
Remember that this site only covers official rail-trails and bikeways, so coverage of more obscure, or "unofficial" bike trails is not included. And there are many of these trails, particularly inside parks. To find some of Ohio's unofficial bikeways, checkout ODOT's regional bike maps.
The Buckeye State also has marked bike routes that traverse the state using existing roads.
Initially I hadn't planned on reviewing (or riding) short Ohio bikeways that cover only a couple of miles. After all, how much can one say about a two mile trail ride? Ok, not much. But since many of these trails have expansion possibilities (like the Oberlin Bike Path), along with the fact that checking them out gives me an excuse to visit new places, well, I thought I'd give it a go.
Many of these short ride reviews will be more like "trail summaries," essentially only information sheets. But when there's something worth reporting (good or bad) I'll be sure to throw it in. Here are some new "shorty" reviews this month: Zanes Landing Trail, Heritage Trail, and the I-670 bikeway.
Spring has arrived and the 1999 outdoor cycling season is off and running... er.... uh..... pedaling! I've knocked the cobwebs off my touring bike and started trail riding, much to my pleasure. This year I plan on visiting many Ohio bikeways that I've never ridden in order to add more trail information to these pages and to find a gem or two I can add to my ever-growing list of "yearly trail rides." Trail review updates have already begun.
I'm still working on getting this web site decent exposure by listing with various search engines. (After all, what good is an informational resource if you can't find it... ?) I'm discovering this is a sloooow process at best. Most of the major searchers claim it takes 3-4 weeks to post a site from the time you submit the URL (I found it usually takes much longer - yikes!). Thanks to Alta Vista for listing this site almost immediately.
As you may know, there's a construction boom currently underway in Ohio. No, not your typical housing boom, but rather a trailway construction boom. Trails and bikeways are being built, expanded, extended and connected in many different parts of the state. Many communities that have existing trails are doing feasibility studies for further trail expansions.
It's an exciting time right now for bicycle enthusiasts across the buckeye state with new trails popping up every year. With at least one trail program that's expected to span the entire state by the year 2003, the Ohio-to-Erie Trail, it's beginning to look like the concept of an eventual state-wide network of connecting trail ways may not be a pipe dream after all. But you may be thinking, "Yeah, sounds great. But why didn't someone do this sooner?" Ah, fair question. From what I've read it seems the evil bike trail enemy, for lo these many years, has taken the form of that insidious evil mechanism we call "red tape." Apparently, some funding for bikeways and bike lanes has existed for some time. But when it came time to distribute those funds... well... let's just say there were loopholes in the system.
But thanks to the efforts of organizations like the National Rail-to-Trails Conservancy, positive changes are being made to help those funds reach their intended destinations. Ohio is one of the best examples of this successful turnaround.
These pages have evolved from my hobby of riding Ohio's rail-trails and bikeways, an activity I enjoy more with each passing summer. Initially I found there wasn't much information on Ohio's bikeways other than a trail book or two. If you wanted current info on new trails or trail projects... well, you were out of luck. But thankfully that's beginning to change. With sites like this one and Tom Recktenwalt's Miami Valley Rails-to-Trails Pages, cyclists are getting closer to being linked to all the info they need with a few mouse clicks. Much of the online Ohio trail info is more current than traditional sources like trail books, though resource books are still very useful.
This site is designed to be a gateway to info regarding Ohio's bikeways (see overview). If you find that info here has been helpful to you, or perhaps just enjoyable reading, please help maintain this site by reporting dead links, corrections, as well as providing suggestions for improvements. Feedback will make this site even better. If you'd like to contribute even more, perhaps a trail review, please do!
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