By
7802mark
in
11/12/2012 12:21:45 PM
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The parking lot at HL Morrison Station on West Ave. in Ashtabula looked rather uninviting. My wife insisted we go to Herzog Rotary Park, on Woodman Ave. instead. The Herzog parking lot was just fine, though there are no services beyond parking. The trail is asphalt paved and, except where buckled a bit by occasional tree roots, smooth. The first 3 or 4 miles south out of Ashtabula have a noticeable up grade (southbound). South of I-90 it becomes pretty flat. There was a portapotti at Austinburg and a permanent vault toilet at the Lampson Road trailhead. Most of the road crossings are in good condition. All have ample views of traffic, so crossings can be made safely. A couple of road crossings had bumps and/or gravel at the road-trail junction, making a bit of care necessary. In Rock Creek, the trail runs on roads for a half mile or so, in a U-shaped detour to the west. These roads do not seem to have much traffic, but their paving is not in great condition. Because of the road crossings, the occasional bumps in the asphalt and the roads in Rock Creek, I would not recommend this trail for narrow tired bicycles. If you are lightweight, cyclocross width, 32mm, tires would probably be OK. We were on 35mm and 1.5 inch tires and were fine.
By
7802mark
in
9/10/2012 11:03:49 AM
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Not quite as scenic as the sections north of Massilon. Also, the trail surface is rougher, especially south of Navarre. South of Navarre, narrow tires are not a good idea. We road 35mm and 1.5 inch tires and were OK, though the ride was a bit rough. There is one bad spot, where gravel and mud has washed down on to the trail. There are warning signs, so, take them seriously, and, if you don't have really fat tires, be prepared to dismount for a few yards. The section in Massilon is not great, but is passable, if you know in advance roughly what the route is. Study the map, and then keep your eye on the signs and painted road markings. The trail crosses the river twice, on ordinary sidewalks that are part of road bridges.
I don't think the section in Massilon is good for younger children, and the sidewalks over the bridges might be tough for trailers and trikes.
On the plus side, the trail heads are well constructed and have at least a portapottie at each. Stark County Parks appear to be committed to maintaining and improving the trail. It would really be a big improvement for Massilon to work on an improved routing through town.
By
7802mark
in
6/16/2012 11:52:41 AM
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My wife and I rode the full length of this trail, round trip, in May 2012. We very much enjoyed the ride. This is a very nice trail. Good, varied scenery. Good surface. Well maintained. You do not need knobby tires. We have 35mm and 1.5 inch tires and were just fine. You would be fine with a bit narrower tires.
Here are the caveats:
1. There are no toilets along the trail. The town of Punxsutawney is in the middle of the trail and has several toilet opportunities. We used the public library before the ride and Joe's Drive In during. Joe's is also good for a snack. The library is not near the trail. Joe's is only a couple of blocks from the trail. Print a map before you go. Google maps shows Joe's and the trail. Search Google Maps for Joe's Drive In.
2. There is some on road riding, both in Punxsutawney, and east of town at Chloe. The on road sections are not quite as clearly marked, in town, as one might like. You have to keep your eyes open for signs. A trail portion in town is marked for pedestrians only. This accounts for part of the on road section. All in all, the on road sections are not troublesome. They add some variety to the ride. The on road sections are probably too difficult for very young riders. A 9 year old, confident rider, should be OK.
3. The eastern trailhead is a bit hard to find while driving a car. The instructions say Winslow Road, but the corner where you turn off of Rte 36 may be labeled Jackson Run Road. It is County Road 2001, but, although a sing is there, Pennsylvania persists in making their county road markers so small that they are quite difficult to read while driving a car. (They would be fine if you were driving a buggy.) Print a map.
4. The eastern trailhead is pretty basic. There is a gravel and dirt parking area, and the trail. It's fine, if not muddy, and all you want to do is unload bikes. It's not a picnic spot. (The western trailhead has a nice, large gravel lot and a large, nice picnic shelter.)
5. The eastern 3 miles or so of the trail slope up to the east at a fair grade. It is enough to make a casual rider know he is working hard, and may be the excuse for a few stops to view the scenery. If I were planning another round trip ride, I'd start at the western end, so the uphill grade came in the middle rather than the end of the ride.
By
7802mark
in
1/14/2012 5:11:32 PM
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I did not see this for myself, rather, I emailed the trail organization. They say the sewer work that had some of the trail torn up last summer is complete and the trail surface has been restored to standard condition with crushed stone. I have yet to ride the northernmost part of this trail, but the part I have covered is very nice. I'm going to give it 5 stars now that the sewer work is out of the way.
By
7802mark
in
12/11/2011 4:28:16 PM
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First I want to correct a statement in a previous review. There are public toilets, and probably water, though I didn't look for that, at the picnic / boat launch areas on the lake's southwest side. These are state maintained facilities, and may be closed in winter.
This trail, unlike typical rails to trails examples, has several short steep grades and some sharp bends, including some that have both bends and grades. You may well need to brake on the way down, and will probably need to shift down, or even get off and push on the way up. None of the grades is very long, so, even if you have to get off and push, it won't be a long push. On the north side of the lake, the trail is mostly asphalt paved and quite smooth. Several bridges cross little runs. On the south side, some sections share with park roads, and the paving isn't so pristine there, but not bad. On the very western end, you have to ride along a state highway to cross the lake and complete your loop. The highway shoulders are very wide, the pavement good, for adults or older children, it is no problem at all.
Scenery is very nice and varied. The trail runs both right through the grassy emergency spillway and across the crest of the dam. On top of the dam makes a nice place to stop and rest a few minutes.
It is just about 12 miles around the lake. If you want a longer ride, just do it twice, or three times. Reverse direction to add some variety. There is easy access trail parking at the west end on both north and south sides, where Lake Wilhelm Road, SR 1009, crosses the lake.
By
7802mark
in
12/1/2011 2:57:16 PM
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My wife and I have ridden this trail a few times, most recently in October 2011. The trail surface is great. The scenery is good to great. The trailheads at each end are a bit hard to find. Get detailed directions from the trails web site http://www.avta-trails.org/sandy-creek-trail.html
The one shortcoming, and the reason I give the trail only 4 stars, is a total lack of toilets. It's also a bit remote from other public toilets, such as at gas stations, fast food restaurants, etc. Plan ahead a bit. Cut off your coffee consumption well in advance. Locate and visit a public toilet on your way to the trail. You will be happy you did.
By
7802mark
in
11/16/2011 3:16:14 PM
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At the end of October, we rode from the Nesmith Lake trailhead, on the south side of Akron, to the Stark County line and back. This trail is very nice, with varied scenery. The Nesmith Lake trailhead is easy to find and has a spacious and well paved parking lot. The trail surface is partly crushed stone and partly asphalt paving. It is in very good to excellent condition. There are a couple of mild hills near Barberton, nothing to be worried about. Public restrooms are available at several of the trailheads, though not at Nesmith Lake. There is a gap in the trail between Snyder Avenue and Eastern road. (Some maps show it farther, from Snyder to Vanderhoof Road, but we easily found the trail at Eastern.) The on road section between Snyder and Eastern is not great, but not terrible either. Adults and older children shouldn't have any problem. We saw signs of trail construction south of Snyder Ave. The Summit County Parks web site says construction to close this gap is under way. and could be complete as soon as the end of 2011. I rate the trail at 4 stars, but when the gap is completed, it will easily earn 5. Highly recommended.
By
7802mark
in
11/14/2011 3:53:03 PM
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I forgot to do the star rating when I submitted my review. I give it 5 bright gold stars! This is a great trail.
By
7802mark
in
11/13/2011 7:10:34 PM
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In October 2011, we caught the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's first Saturday morning departure at Rockside Road Station. Bikes are welcome, and handled smoothly, and the fare for bikers is not just reasonable, but almost ridiculously low! We rode the train all the way to Akron. From the train station in Akron to the trail is just a very few blocks of on road riding. Traffic in Akron, early Saturday morning, is pretty sparse. About 5 miles north of Akron, the trail runs through a section of suburban strip mall, where we found a small cafe and had quite well made omelets for lunch. The ride from Akron back to Rockside Station is 27 miles. It is a very nice ride. The trail surface is mostly packed crushed stone. A few sections are asphalt paved. It is in very good condition. We only encountered a couple of brief, mildly muddy sections. Generally it is a smooth ride and you can ignore the surface condition. We ride 700x35 and 26x1.5 tires and had no surface related difficulties. The trail runs through varied scenery. A boardwalk runs over several hundred yards of scenic wetland. Szalay's farm market was in full swing, and makes an entertaining break. At the north end, a short on road ride connects the trailhead to the CVSRR Rockside Road Station. Print maps of both ends of the trail, because the on road routes are not marked, and do have a couple of turns, though they are also neither long nor difficult. If you find that you can't do the whole 27 miles, just make sure you have the CVSRR schedule. If you stand, with your bike, on a station platform and wave your hands over your head as the engine approaches, the train will stop and you can finish your trip the lazy way for just a few bucks more. This is a great ride and I highly recommend it. Invite your friends. Make it a Boy or Girl Scout or Church group outing. You can't go wrong with this one.
By
7802mark
in
8/6/2011 10:03:27 AM
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I rode the trail from Freeport to just north of Winfield Road 8/5/2011. The parking area at the southernmost end in Freeport, under the Buffalo Street (PA128) bridge is closed due to construction. The second Freeport parking area, at Old Mill Road is open and in good condition. The trail is fine up to Winfield Road (Cabot). North of Winfield Road, there is sewer work adjacent to the trail. Heavy equipment is using the trail for access. The crushed stone surface is gone and what remains is rough dirt. There is no "Closed" sign, so one can proceed, with caution. I saw a few bike tracks. I think you need fat tires for this. I have 35mm tires and found I didn't want to continue beyond about 300 yards. After rain, this is going to be plenty muddy. The trail website mentions the work as being between Sarver and Cabot. What I saw was north of Cabot, while the Sarver - Cabot section was fine. I do not know when this work will be finished.