Kokosing Gap Trail Updates & Comments

Resize A A A

Condition Report

9/8/10 by Ohio Bikeways

The trail surface has developed some small bumps and cracks scattered along the route in the last season or two, much like the B & O Trail just to the north.

Some efforts have been made to address this issue. Close to Gambier a few of the bumps have been ground down and resealed with asphalt. At this time none of them are large enough to pose a hazard.

Trailside mowing toward the Danville end of the trail is less frequent than the western section. But that is mostly a cosmetic note as the vegetation was not encroaching on the pathway during our last visit.

Howard Trailhead

8/23/10 by Ed Arnold

The Howard stop on the trail has a kids playground with monkeybars and swing along with a restroom.

If you go up to S.R.36 there's a BBQ joint, Grillier's Barbeque, that serves very good bbq pulled chicken, smoked pulled pork and bbq beef sandwiches.

Our Favorite Trail

9/19/09 by Jim Jensen

Today again we enjoyed a ride on the trail. This is our favorite trail in Ohio. The maintenance of the trail is superb. We are so impressed and grateful for all the volunteers who keep the trail in such wonderful condition.

The usage of the trail is huge. Today we saw many, many bicyclers (I think there was a Kenyon College Bicycle Club ride), walkers and runners, a rollerblader, two people in wheelchairs, many chipmunks, a groundhog and many birds.

We are sending our annual contribution to the trail.

Incredible Trail!

5/30/09 by Susan Westbrook

Incredible trail! No bumps, no holes in the surface. Clean bathrooms at Gambier (not so at Mt Vernon or Howard). Lavender, purple and white flox in bloom along much of the trail. We rode Mt Vernon to Howard on May 23. Saw eagle sitting in the top of the tree just west of Howard. Talked to man at Gambier rest stop who had biked Portland to New York in celebration of his retirement!

A Real Beauty!

4/30/09 by Dave

My hats off to those that maintain this path. What a beauty! My wife and I rode it on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 and were quite pleased.

Danville Trailhead Improvements

8/7/08 by Ohio Bikeways

The Danville Trailhead has been updated. The road has been paved and a portable toilet and a shelter with a picnic table have been added.

It seems maintenance has dropped off a bit at this end of the trail. High trailside weeds were the first indicator during our most recent visit. But it's also possible that the trail mowing is done in segments at different times and we happened by just before the cut along the eastern end of the trail.

New Surface Review

6/19/07 by Ohio Bikeways

We took a ride on the resurfaced trail and found it to be in excellent condition, with one small problem. For some reason the most recently paved section, from Howard to Danville, has a few tiny fissures and a number of small bumps in the new pavement. At this time they are too small to be of concern, but it's odd to find such irregularities in a newly resurfaced bikeway. But don't worry, it doesn't prevent this trail from being a primo ride!

Trail Worth Revisiting

4/16/07 by Bill Watts, Columbus, OH

I've had the priviledge to ride this trail a couple of times last summer.

I happened by this trail quite by accident in the Spring of '06. The trail is very smooth and traverses the Kokosing River a number of times. The bridges over the river are old railroad tressels and some of the old train mile markers are left in place. Gambier has the old restored train station...pretty cool with the restored train engine. The trail was flat and the miles flew by...trees provided lots of shade from the sun. The more interesting portion of the trail ran from Mt. Vernon to Howard...the portion running between Howard and Danville was just flat farmland. I'll definitely be riding this trail again in '07.

Resurfacing Completed

12/11/06 by Ohio Bikeways

The Ohio-to-Erie Trail fall newsletter confirms that the Kokosing's 3-year trail resurfacing plan has been completed in '06.

Improvements

6/27/05 by Ohio Bikeways

The trail has been resurfaced with new asphalt from Gambier to Howard, Ohio. Last year saw paving from Mt. Vernon to Gambier. Next year should see the resurfacing completed to Danville as outlined in their three year plan.

Along with the resurfacing in '05, the recently paved ('04) Mt. Vernon to Gambier section has already been seal coated! This demonstrates the commitment to quality of the folks overseeing the Kokosing Trail. Their maintenance program is top-notch.

A large facility is currently under construction within sight of the trail in Gambier. Its architecture suggests an indoor sports complex. At this spot a road crossing has been removed from the trail leaving only one road that bisects the Kokosing at the campus grounds. This is welcome since Ohio Trails sometimes suffer from numerous bisecting roads and driveways that can leave a trail ride feeling anything but continuous.

A flatbed car has also been added to the restored railroad exhibit in Gambier. (The display now consists of four cars: Engine, coal car, flatbed & caboose.) It's another example of how the trail is valued by the volunteers who maintain it, and the locals who enjoy the KoKosing Gap.

Trail Specs:

Class: A2++

Length: 13.4 miles - approx. 10' wide

Condition: Excellent

Facilities: Restrooms & water stations in Mt. Vernon at Phillip's Park, Gambier and at the stone arched bridge in Howard. Howard also has a parking lot & small playground.

Mt. Vernon sporting fields and tennis courts are now connected to the trail by way of a spur that runs along the Kokosing River Dike at Mt. Vernon Ave.

Food: Several places in Mt. Vernon on Main St. (St. Rt. 13) about 3/4 to 1 mile from the trail.

A dairy stand (may not be open on Sundays!) & a couple of stores lie a couple blocks from the trail's end in Danville. When the trail ends, turn right and follow the bike route signs. You'll see a 'bike route ends' sign just before you reach Market St. (Rt. 62). A market and Subway store are located just to your right at Progress & Market St.

Ed Arnold adds, "If you go up to S.R.36 [in Howard] there a BBQ joint, Grillier's Barbeque, that serves very good bbq pulled chicken, smoked pulled pork and bbq beef sandwiches."

Sandy Boone writes, "There is the Ice Cream Station in downtown Howard [within] walking distince from the trail. The Hangout on Market Street in Danville has a large menu with very reasonable prices: Tue-Fri 11am-1am; Sat-Mon 5pm-1am; kitchen closes Sun-Thur @ 9pm, Fri/Sat @ 10pm. The Rusty Turkey [& LuLu's Cafe on] Market St. in Danville offering a full menu Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; closed Mondays."

Parking: Parking is available at both ends of the trail and in Gambier & Howard. Most popular lot is off Mt. Vernon Ave. in Mt. Vernon. Phillip's Park is a few hundred feet away at trail's end in Mt. Vernon, but can only be accessed by car via Liberty St.

Mt-Vernon Gambier Howard Danville Mohican-Trail

13.8mi 9.6mi 4.6mi 0mi (.4mi)

Trail Basics Trail Safety Bikeway Facilities Trip Planning Rules & Tips Trail Overseers Trail Surfaces & Uses Terms & Definitions Review Notes Trail Classes Articles Submit Updates	Resize A A A Condition Report 9/8/10 by Ohio Bikeways The trail surface has developed some small bumps and cracks scattered along the route in the last season or two, much like the B & O Trail just to the north. Some efforts have been made to address this issue. Close to Gambier a few of the bumps have been ground down and resealed with asphalt. At this time none of them are large enough to pose a hazard. Trailside mowing toward the Danville end of the trail is less frequent than the western section. But that is mostly a cosmetic note as the vegetation was not encroaching on the pathway during our last visit. Howard Trailhead 8/23/10 by Ed Arnold The Howard stop on the trail has a kids playground with monkeybars and swing along with a restroom. If you go up to S.R.36 there's a BBQ joint, Grillier's Barbeque, that serves very good bbq pulled chicken, smoked pulled pork and bbq beef sandwiches. Our Favorite Trail 9/19/09 by Jim Jensen Today again we enjoyed a ride on the trail. This is our favorite trail in Ohio. The maintenance of the trail is superb. We are so impressed and grateful for all the volunteers who keep the trail in such wonderful condition. The usage of the trail is huge. Today we saw many, many bicyclers (I think there was a Kenyon College Bicycle Club ride), walkers and runners, a rollerblader, two people in wheelchairs, many chipmunks, a groundhog and many birds. We are sending our annual contribution to the trail. Incredible Trail! 5/30/09 by Susan Westbrook Incredible trail! No bumps, no holes in the surface. Clean bathrooms at Gambier (not so at Mt Vernon or Howard). Lavender, purple and white flox in bloom along much of the trail. We rode Mt Vernon to Howard on May 23. Saw eagle sitting in the top of the tree just west of Howard. Talked to man at Gambier rest stop who had biked Portland to New York in celebration of his retirement! A Real Beauty! 4/30/09 by Dave My hats off to those that maintain this path. What a beauty! My wife and I rode it on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 and were quite pleased. Danville Trailhead Improvements 8/7/08 by Ohio Bikeways The Danville Trailhead has been updated. The road has been paved and a portable toilet and a shelter with a picnic table have been added. It seems maintenance has dropped off a bit at this end of the trail. High trailside weeds were the first indicator during our most recent visit. But it's also possible that the trail mowing is done in segments at different times and we happened by just before the cut along the eastern end of the trail. New Surface Review 6/19/07 by Ohio Bikeways We took a ride on the resurfaced trail and found it to be in excellent condition, with one small problem. For some reason the most recently paved section, from Howard to Danville, has a few tiny fissures and a number of small bumps in the new pavement. At this time they are too small to be of concern, but it's odd to find such irregularities in a newly resurfaced bikeway. But don't worry, it doesn't prevent this trail from being a primo ride! Trail Worth Revisiting 4/16/07 by Bill Watts, Columbus, OH I've had the priviledge to ride this trail a couple of times last summer. I happened by this trail quite by accident in the Spring of '06. The trail is very smooth and traverses the Kokosing River a number of times. The bridges over the river are old railroad tressels and some of the old train mile markers are left in place. Gambier has the old restored train station...pretty cool with the restored train engine. The trail was flat and the miles flew by...trees provided lots of shade from the sun. The more interesting portion of the trail ran from Mt. Vernon to Howard...the portion running between Howard and Danville was just flat farmland. I'll definitely be riding this trail again in '07. Resurfacing Completed 12/11/06 by Ohio Bikeways The Ohio-to-Erie Trail fall newsletter confirms that the Kokosing's 3-year trail resurfacing plan has been completed in '06. Improvements 6/27/05 by Ohio Bikeways The trail has been resurfaced with new asphalt from Gambier to Howard, Ohio. Last year saw paving from Mt. Vernon to Gambier. Next year should see the resurfacing completed to Danville as outlined in their three year plan. Along with the resurfacing in '05, the recently paved ('04) Mt. Vernon to Gambier section has already been seal coated! This demonstrates the commitment to quality of the folks overseeing the Kokosing Trail. Their maintenance program is top-notch. A large facility is currently under construction within sight of the trail in Gambier. Its architecture suggests an indoor sports complex. At this spot a road crossing has been removed from the trail leaving only one road that bisects the Kokosing at the campus grounds. This is welcome since Ohio Trails sometimes suffer from numerous bisecting roads and driveways that can leave a trail ride feeling anything but continuous. A flatbed car has also been added to the restored railroad exhibit in Gambier. (The display now consists of four cars: Engine, coal car, flatbed & caboose.) It's another example of how the trail is valued by the volunteers who maintain it, and the locals who enjoy the KoKosing Gap. Trail Specs: Class: A2++ Length: 13.4 miles - approx. 10' wide Condition: Excellent Facilities: Restrooms & water stations in Mt. Vernon at Phillip's Park, Gambier and at the stone arched bridge in Howard. Howard also has a parking lot & small playground. Mt. Vernon sporting fields and tennis courts are now connected to the trail by way of a spur that runs along the Kokosing River Dike at Mt. Vernon Ave. Food: Several places in Mt. Vernon on Main St. (St. Rt. 13) about 3/4 to 1 mile from the trail. A dairy stand (may not be open on Sundays!) & a couple of stores lie a couple blocks from the trail's end in Danville. When the trail ends, turn right and follow the bike route signs. You'll see a 'bike route ends' sign just before you reach Market St. (Rt. 62). A market and Subway store are located just to your right at Progress & Market St. Ed Arnold adds, "If you go up to S.R.36 [in Howard] there a BBQ joint, Grillier's Barbeque, that serves very good bbq pulled chicken, smoked pulled pork and bbq beef sandwiches." Sandy Boone writes, "There is the Ice Cream Station in downtown Howard [within] walking distince from the trail. The Hangout on Market Street in Danville has a large menu with very reasonable prices: Tue-Fri 11am-1am; Sat-Mon 5pm-1am; kitchen closes Sun-Thur @ 9pm, Fri/Sat @ 10pm. The Rusty Turkey [& LuLu's Cafe on] Market St. in Danville offering a full menu Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; closed Mondays." Parking: Parking is available at both ends of the trail and in Gambier & Howard. Most popular lot is off Mt. Vernon Ave. in Mt. Vernon. Phillip's Park is a few hundred feet away at trail's end in Mt. Vernon, but can only be accessed by car via Liberty St. Mt-Vernon Gambier Howard Danville Mohican-Trail 13.8mi 9.6mi 4.6mi 0mi (.4mi)	Updates & Comments Featured Review Trail Specs Maps & More Weather Forecast \| Weather Maps