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