Much of the Akron Bike & Hike Trail parallels the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. It also connects with the Emerald Necklace at its northern endpoint at Alexander Road. Not only does this provide three major trails in the area, but easy connections between them means lots of trail miles within this network!
Rural Section
This bikeway had been a mix of different types of trails strung together consisting of crushed stone and asphalt surfaces, as well as some road riding added in for good measure.
The road riding remains, but recent work to pave the last stone sections has transformed the trail to an all-asphalt bikeway.
The terrain ranges from flat to gently rolling with turns. Sections run through rural areas as well as residential neighborhoods. Variety is the key word here. Just as you're settling in and getting a feel for the trail it soon changes... then later it changes again.
The northern section, north of Boston Mills Road, was a fairly rough unpaved ride. But as reported on the updates page, this section received an asphalt facelift in 2003. That began the asphalt transition that was completed in 2007.
This portion of the Bike & Hike has a distinctly different personality from the rest of the trail. Some of it follows a utility right-of-way which leads the path directly between the legs of giant electric towers. At road crossings the trail ramps up slightly to reach street level. Several of these crossings do not provide a good line of sight for cyclists of oncoming traffic, so use caution here.
On our last visit, trail signs were virtually nonexistent here with the exception of the standard "No Motorized Vehicle" signs. But that may have been improved since the updates in '03 and '07.
A short segment of the bikeway has a marked bike route over streets between trail sections. Along this route you'll see a sign for Brandywine Falls. It's right along the bikeway and provides a scenic place to take a break during your ride.
Heading south on the bikeway from Boston Mills Road the trail is generally flat and smooth. Signs at road crossings provide you with street names and the distance to the next crossroad further down the trail. If you think of the bikeway as a main transportation route and the crossroads as "exits," you can see how this provides great information for trail users; particularly if you're inclined to explore the surrounding area.
A short section with rock outcroppings provides interesting scenery on your way south.
Further along the trail takes on a more rolling, turning course. Many of these sections reminded us of the Emerald Necklace Trail. The surface is about 8' wide here and does a good job of avoiding too many sharp turns.
The southern part of the bikeway splits into 2 trails just after you ride over the Rt. 8 overpass. A sign marks the split. Continue straight ahead and you're on your way to Silver Springs Park in Stow. Turn right and you're traveling to Silver Lake and Munroe Falls. Regardless of which route you choose, the entire southern end of the trail is tied together to form one large loop. This is accomplished using bike route signs to direct you along streets between trail sections.
Trail Split That Begins Southern Loop
The southern loop also utilizes the Stow Bikeway. This smooth, 12' wide pathway slices through fine residential neighborhoods. The marked bike route around Silver Lake also gives you a look at the attractive homes along the boulevard as well as a great view of the lake.
Not far from the Stow Bikeway, along the marked bike route, is Kent. A map we were using showed the Towner's Woods Rail-Trail was close by. But after 30 minutes or so of searching without success, we gave up. We're not suggesting the Towner's Woods is hard to find. We simply got turned around and wasted too much time riding in the wrong direction!
The southern most portion of the Bike-Hike Trail makes its way along the Cuyahoga River. Here you'll find access points to the river as well as restroom and water facilities right along the trail.
A trail sign marks the 1.5 mile Kelsey Bikeway that connects to the trail at Munroe Falls. This spur takes you past Kennedy Park and ends at Galt Park.
The Akron Bike-Hike trail is reported to be anywhere from 26 - 29 miles long. That's about right considering our total mileage of 32+ miles included connecting bike routes over streets as well as trail sections. Tack on more miles if you plan to ride the entire trail system and backtrack to your car. We totaled 48.5 miles which included a jaunt over to ride the nearby towpath trail.
In some ways the trail is a miniature version of the Ohio-to-Erie Trail. That is, different types of trails and terrain all strung together to form a long, continuous chain. Like the Bike & Hike, the Ohio-to-Erie will offer some short road routes to connect various trail segments. Therefore, riding this bikeway is a bit of a sampling of what you can expect when riding Ohio's first cross-state trail!
Monroe-Falls Kent Stow Sagamore-Hills
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