With the completion of brush-clearing and creek bridge construction, the Heart Of Ohio Trail opened in 2009. The trail connects Centerburg with Mt. Liberty, Bangs and Mt. Vernon to the east.

At this time, the trail endpoints are Johnson Avenue in Mt. Vernon and about 1/2 mile west of Clayton Street in Centerburg. This stretch is about 13.5 miles long. When the corridor is completed, it will be approximately a 16-mile section of the Ohio-to-Erie Trail.

3.5 miles of new asphalt were laid in 2011, bringing the total to about 7.5 miles of paved bikeway. The last paving, phase 3, tied Centerburg with the continuos ribbon of pavement heading east to Mt. Liberty.

The new tarmac extends the ~4 mile section laid in 2010 from Bishop Road east to a point just short of Graham Road. The two new completed sections now combine for a total of 7.5, or roughly half the distance from Centerburg to Mt. Vernon along the corridor.

Memorial Park is the only location with facilities along the trail at this time. That should change when the trail reaches Foundation Park on Mt. Vernon's southwest side.

The trail alongside Memorial Park does have an ashpalt base. But don't bring your rollerblades. Rather than a smooth surface, the pavement serves more as a base for future paving.

We traveled further west to find the trail endpoint which was west of Clayton Street. This last segment is a blanket of vegetation that has overgrown the old railbed. It stops short of another road crossing, with a footpath leading further on.

Heading east out of Centerburg, the trail surface is wide double track with a dark crushed stone and/or cinder surface. The transition to asphalt begins when you reach Updike Road.

After crossing the rural highway, the paved trail slices through a crop field and adjoining property before it heads back into the cover of trees and brush.

There's a small gravel parking lot in Mt. Liberty, along with a trailside shelter. The structure, along with a bike rack and picnic table are nearby, courtesy of a local scout troop.

Vegetation has started to encroach on the trail here. Fallen nuts and small twigs were signaling the last days of summer as leaves also adorned the surface.

Further east the trail takes on a more raw condition when the asphalt ends, just shy of Graham Road. Now the corridor consists of medium-sized, loose stone (perhaps original ballast) with varying patches or blankets of vegetation grown through. Mowing along the trail creates a 12-16' swath in most areas, with a narrower section or two along the route.

Just outside of Mt. Vernon the trail moves alongside a drag strip where the trail appears to have been moved over slightly to accomodate the raceway.

Where the trail currently ends at Johnson Avenue in Mt. Vernon, the corridor continues on but is occupied by a fence line and shrubs that reside there. Perhaps we could have gone a bit further, but without any signs suggesting otherwise, we had to assume that this segment was not yet open to the public and perhaps still privately owned.

New bridge structures over the many creeks along the route had to be completed before the trail was opened. They are first rate. They are made of concrete, which if properly supported, will far outlast their wooden-decked counterparts that become rough, uneven and even dangerous when not maintained properly.

Kokosing Construction is paving the trail and doing a fine job. The quality of the pavement matches nicely with the solid creek bridges installed earlier. The total trail build here is impressive and of top quality.

The relatively speedy progress of paving the trail (7.5 miles within 1 year) is a delight to trail users eager to cycle from Centerburg to Mt. Vernon by trail. At this rate, it shouldn't be long before the corridor is completed and connected to the nearby Kokosing Gap Trail.

Trail Specs:

Class: C3+ & A3-

Length: 14.1 miles (Approx. 16 when complete) / 7.5 mi asphalt segment

Condition: Excellent (Unpaved sections vary from relatively smooth to rough - MTB recommended)

Facilities: Porto-johns in Memorial Park in Centerburg. Water spigot just east of the band shell. Trailside shelter in Mt. Liberty.

Food: In town in Centerburg or Mt. Vernon. A gas station mini-mart just south of the trail crossing at Rt 314.

Parking: Trailside at Memorial Park in Centerburg off Rt 314; Simmons Church Rd in Mt. Liberty; Thayer Rd west of Mt. Vernon.

Centerburg Mt-Liberty Bangs Johnson-Ave Kokosing-Gap

14.4mi 9.9mi 5.6mi 2.1mi 0mi

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