Holmes County Trail (Fredericksburg - Killbuck):
Ohio
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Description:
If traveling through Ohio's Amish country and sharing space with bicycles, buggies, and abundant wildlife sounds like an idyllic day to you, then you will enjoy the 15-mile Holmes County Trail . A good place to start is the trail's Hipp Station trailhead in Millersburg, which features the beautifully restored Millersburg train depot. The historic depot, which serves as the trail's headquarters, offers a visitors center with wildlife displays, trail information, restrooms, vending machines, a covered picnic area and a playground.
Millersburg is in the heart of Ohio's Amish country; it is just as common to pass a horse-drawn buggy as it is to pass a cyclist or walker. The trail surface has adjacent paths, one paved and the other of chip and seal , which is a bit rougher for bicycles but accommodates horses. Be sure to review the etiquette rules posted at the trailhead so you can share the trail safely with its myriad of users.
The trail meanders north out of Millersburg at a very easy, even grade. The corridor passes picturesque swamplands for long stretches. Wildlife abounds among the water and trees. You will likely see turtles, snakes, and birds, including cardinals, doves, and hawks. Given the trail's wet terrain, there are numerous stream crossings, a couple over well-restored railroad bridges.
A well-designed square tunnel takes you underneath County Road 83 at mile 6 just before the small town Holmesville. When you enter Holmesville, near mile 6.5, you follow quiet community streets for about 1 mile until the rail corridor picks up again. The bypass is very well-marked, and the streets are extremely quiet, little used, and easy to navigate. Once through Holmesville, the trail continues for another 4 miles along a wonderful mixture of farm fields and tree-lined streams to the Fredericksburg trailhead and the trail's north end.
The newest section of trail leads south from Hipp Station. This route will take you out of Millersburg and through more great country. Much of this section allows you to ride alongside the banks of Killbuck Creek while passing through wonderful wetlands and long cut-off channels of the creek itself. Six miles after leaving Hipp Station you will arrive at the current southern terminus in the town of Killbuck.
The Holmes County Trail began its life as a spur of one of Ohio's earliest railroads, the Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and the tracks reached Millersburg in 1854. A catastrophic flood in 1969 washed out sections of railbed and killed 22 passengers and crew members, leading to the line's abandonment. Fortunately with the conversion of the railway to a rail-trail in 2003-2004 a new generation of users-bicyclists, walkers, inline skaters and horse and buggy riders-can now roll along this picturesque corridor.
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Parking & Trail Access:
To reach the Millersburg trailhead at Hipp Station, begin on State Route 39. Turn on North Grant Street and follow it north for 0.1 mile and then head west on West Clinton Street which dead-ends into Hipp Station Trailhead.
To reach the Fredericksburg trailhead, take State Route 83 to Harrisson Road east and go 4 miles. Turn right onto West Water Street; the trailhead is immediately on the right.
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Reviews: [9 trail ratings]
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Immaculately maintained and very nice
By tjwagner in May, 2011
I rode this trail from Fredericksburg to Killbuck. The trail was exceptionally smooth, pleasant to ride, and worth a visit. It's in an Amish area, and most of the trail is divided with one half for buggies and one half for bikes/pedestrians. Care is always required when passing horses, but the other trail users were very courteous and allowed me to pass.

Conditions:
Fully paved. One short section in Holmesville takes you on some quiet country roads, but it was well marked.

Scenery:
Rolling farmland and small towns.

Access/facilities:
Trailhead in Fredericksburg is not marked and was a bit tough to find. The parking lot is next to the elementary school/baseball fields, but the trail is across a bridge and not visible from the parking area. I had to ask for directions. There were several outhouses along the trail.

Recommendations:
Trail should be very easy on a road or mountain bike. It is almost totally flat so it doesn't much matter which end you started at. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen as several sections are totally exposed with no shade. Bug spray would also be a good idea.
Fredricksburg-Millersburg
By surlygirl in May, 2011
This is a terrific rural trail- paved and well maintained. I rode this section in early May and was delighted by the trilliums in bloom along the way. This section is delightfully rural- peaceful farmlands, woods, streams and the small towns along the trail make for a bucolic ride. Trail is flat- if you want terrain this is not it. Flat is OK with me. (my main trail is the Canal Towpath between Cleveland and Akron and that is more diverse in both terrain and scenery.)

I plan to ride the Millersburg-Killbuck section very soon- maybe today! it was not entirely finished several years ago the when I first rode this trail- Google satellite images look very woodsy and isolated once you pass the Walmart. Restrooms and water are not frequent so take advantage of them when you can. Luckily the Millersburg station is right in the middle of the trail.

Millersburg has great little shops to visit- I always antique there even when biking the trail!
Serenity in Amish Country
By Mrspinney in April, 2011
This is the 5th Rail-to-Trail that I have ridden in the last year or so. With that being said, it is easy to fault all of the little problems with each trail, but I would like to point out the good features about each trail i ride.

The first point about this trail is the ease of the ride. This trail is relatively flat and in very good condition. The few potholes that are on the trail have been marked with orange paint and are easy to avoid. I started my ride in Fredericksburg, rode through Holmesville, Millersburg,and ended in Killbuck. I then rode back to Fredericksburg. The ride is 15.3 miles each way, 30.6 miles total, and I know this because there are pavement markings indicating the distance. That is a nice feature of the trail, especially if you are riding with someone who is always asking, "Are we there yet?"

The second nice feature of this trail is the dual paths for bikes and buggies. It was neat to see the buggies coming at me and realize that the buggies are safer riding on this trail than out on the road being passed at breakneck speed by cars and trucks. The "road apples" other reviewers were commenting about were on the buggy side of the trail and not an issue at all.

A final comment about the "facilities" along the way. If you plan on starting in Fredericksburg, there aren't any restrooms at the trailhead. You need to use the restroom in the Laundromat in the center of town. I also found a really neat produce shop (Roger's Produce) right in front of the trailhead. It has great fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price. Roger is also a neat fellow to talk to. He is open weekends. Also, when getting directions on where to start riding the trail, use the Frederickburg Elementary School because the trailhead starts right next to it.

There is also a good pizza shop in Millersburg where I stopped for lunch. The steak salad was enough for two people. It was reasonably priced and very friendly.

I think this trail is fantastic and would definitely ride it again. My hat goes off to those who maintain it because they are doing a great job.
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