Akron, Ohio is home to two major bikeways, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath and the Akron Bike-Hike Trail. While the towpath enters from the southwest corner of the city, runs through downtown and exits a bit to the northwest, the Bike-Hike ties together a number of suburbs along the north and northeastern portions of Akron. When all the trail connections are complete, there will be a number of areas where one can jump onto a trail and take a short ride or an extended journey.

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Just as the Dayton and Xenia networks are connected by trail, so too are the Akron bikeways and a major Cleveland multi-use trail network, the Emerald Necklace Trail. A key difference is that many of the reservations in the Necklace are connected by roads instead of contiguous trail. Our experience has been that the parkway roads have lower speed limits and are bike friendly.

Cycling Through Ohio's National Park

Both bikeways make their way to the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park which lies only a few miles north of Akron. Not only is this a great way to visit the valley, but it also means that more bikeway miles are just up the trail as you draw nearer to the Cleveland suburbs and the Emerald Necklace Trail to the north.

To make the connection, stay northbound on the Bike-Hike if you wish to travel further east along the Necklace. At Alexander Road where the Bike-Hike ends, jog right than left as shown on this map to make your way through the Bedford Reservation. To ride west through the Brecksville Reservation, take the towpath to Station Road Bridge at the Brecksville Station. Here you'll cross the railroad tracks and Riverview Road and pick up the trail in short order.

The scenic railroad passes through the station as well. To jump between the Bike-Hike and towpath, look for the connector at Holzhauer Road, again shown on the same map. Be sure to request maps from the Metroparks before visiting their trail system as navigation can be tricky. Call Cleveland Metroparks at: 216-351-6300 to make your request.

Expansion Plans

Future plans call for connecting the Akron Bike-Hike with the Portage Hike & Bike Trail. This will add more communities, including the city of Ravenna, to the existing trail network.