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ganimrj

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  • Bike and Hike Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: OH
    Length: 33.5 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    The Bike & Hike Trail is a rambling, rolling 33.5-mile rail-trail peppered with bridge crossings and neighborhood road riding in both a rural and suburban setting. Unlike most flat rail-trails, this route has delightful dips and rises, but small children and level-ground lovers may not enjoy the challenge this trail presents. This terrific trail offers a ton of green space and fresh air. Playgrounds and restroom facilities are ample too, though you may want to stock up on drinking water and snacks before striking out for the day.
    Starting at the northern tip, you experience a beautiful, mostly secluded, multiuse, paved trail much of which borders Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For many miles you are treated to intermittent glimpses of enormous exposed stone ledges. With an early enough start, you might see some deer grazing at the trail's edge. As the trail winds south, it passes through some beautiful neighborhoods on the way to the more rugged Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The flatness of the trail falls away as you travel the on-road sections, and bikers and inline skaters are treated to a fun descent before the payback of heading uphill.
    As with all the on-road sections, look for the green trail signs to guide you along the route. An observation deck over on the Cuyahoga River in Munroe Falls is a universally accessible area with lovely scenery and offers fishing in addition to walking, cycling and inline skating. Once you complete the southern loop you can finish the trail by heading back to the northern trailhead.
    If you still have energy to burn after the return trip north, complete your day's adventure exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park. With miles of hiking trails, breathtaking views and wildlife ranging from bald eagles to coyotes, the national park is the perfect complement to the host of northeast Ohio nature this rail-trail serves up.

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Illinois & Michigan Canal NHC
An Interesting Ride

By ganimrj in 7/1/2011 10:00:37 PM |

I rode this trail roundtrip from Rockdale to Peru (61 miles) over two weekdays in late June, 2011 and pretty much had the trail to myself. You can park your car overnight at the Brandon Road trailhead. The trail is about 70% shaded so it’s comfortable on a hot day. The eastern part of the trail is much better maintained than the western segment. I saw workers applying new crushed limestone for a very smooth ride on part of the eastern segment.

Directly across from the entrance to Buffalo Rock State Park there’s a gate and a sign that the trail is closed west of that point. I kept going and found a long stretch to Utica that has not been maintained in awhile - a bumpy ride on my Raleigh hybrid. A mountain bike would have been better here. From Utica west, the trail was much better.

The worst segment of the trail starts just west of Marseilles. There, the canal and the trail are at the same level in a number of areas so there are many wet, muddy spots. I could get through but mud splattered the bike (and rider). I don’t think this would be at all passable during spring rains. The trail needs to be raised here. On the way back, I took Dee Bennett Road (which was not busy Friday morning) from Utica to the state park entrance where I rejoined the trail.

There are a lot of old locks and dams, some restored buildings and several working aqueducts (where the canal was carried over a river) which make for an interesting ride. The state publishes an excellent map, “I&M Canal Passage”, which details the entire route.