Lancaster City Bike Trail:
Ohio
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Description:
The Fairfield Heritage Trail winds through and connects the community of Lancaster. It links a college, high school, junior high school and elementary school, as well as numerous parks and shopping and dining opportunities along its 7.5-mile path.
Well-maintained, the asphalt trail begins at the Ohio University-Lancaster campus parking lot and heads south along the edge of campus. A small waterway, Fetters Run, borders the trail to the east. One-third of a mile from the trailhead is the John Bright #2 covered bridge, built in 1881 in nearby Carroll and moved to this site in 1988. Continue on your way to reach John Bright #1, another bridge-this time metal-and historic structure built by the Hocking Metal Bridge Company.
Beyond John Bright #1 you pass Lancaster High School with its many athletic fields and tennis courts, an exercise course and the football stadium, all paralleling Arbor Valley Drive.
After another quarter mile you cross Fetters Run via the donated and painstakingly restored McCleery Covered Bridge and reach Thomas Ewing Junior High School. A well-signed crosswalk guides you across Fair Avenue where the trail then goes through a beautiful grove of trees before coming out in a neighborhood. The route becomes a painted bike lane once you turn south onto Franklin Street. At mile 1.5, cross 6th Avenue and ride through Lanreco Park where the separate paved bike trail begins again.
A quarter mile around the park brings you to a busy crossing of Cherry Street, so use caution at this junction. The trail then passes over Baldwin Run on a bridge, at which point the trail transitions to a sidewalk. Keep an eye out for Goslin Street, which you follow for a short distance until the asphalt trail reappears on the right of the street. A shopping center anchored by a Kroger grocery store dominates the landscape to the left of the trail, which then dips beneath Main Street and continues south to a new bridge crossing of Baldwin Run into Mary Burnham Park, which has baseball fields, a basketball court, children's playground equipment, a picnic area and parking for park and trail users.
At mile 2.5 you leave Mary Burnham Park and cross active railroad tracks. For the next quarter mile the trail runs along the same tracks, a nice section of rail-with-trail. The trail then veers off the active corridor and, for the next mile, crosses several streets while hugging the banks of the Hocking River. At mile 3.7 you come to Cenci Park and Cenci Lake where people fish and observe wildlife. There are parking facilities and a half-mile paved loop trail around the lake.
After leaving the park the trail continues for just over another mile past Maher Park, across a well-preserved rail bridge, the Talmadge School, and then to Olivedale Park where the trail ends.
The trail has now been expanded an additional 2.5 miles through the city. Past Olivedale Park the trail goes through Martens Park and then takes a short hop onto West Main Street. At the Hocking River the trail leaves the street and runs along the River past the ballfields and city pool at Miller Park. A connection has been built at West 6th Street to connect General Sherman Junior High to the trail. After passing under 6th Street the trail keeps on the riverside, goes under Fair Avenue and then crosses the river once more to end at the Lancaster Plaza shopping center.
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Parking & Trail Access:
To reach the trailhead at Ohio University-Lancaster, from Interstate 270 take US Route 33 south toward Lancaster. After 14.2 miles follow Business Route 33 to Lancaster. Go 7.3 miles and turn left onto Main Street Take another left after 0.4 mile onto High Street. After 2.1 miles turn right onto College Avenue. The trailhead is on the left at the university campus.
To reach the Olivedale Park trailhead, from Interstate 270 take US Route 33 south toward Lancaster. After 14.2 miles follow Business Route 33 to Lancaster. Go 7.3 miles and turn right onto Lincoln Avenue. After 0.6 mile turn left onto Boving Road. Olivedale Park is a quarter mile down Boving on the right.
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By rooter in January, 2011
A very pleasant walk along side of a small creek. The trail is easily accessible and clearly marked. If there's any elevation change I'd consider it as "extremely mild".
Although I was only able to walk it from OUL trailhead to the Fair Ave intersection (about a mile) before the path was too icy to walk along. The area behind the high school across the creek is wooded and very pretty. I especially liked the bridges that were transported and preserved on site.
Take it for what it is, a paved urban trail, and it can be very enjoyable. Time your arrival so you can avoid the busy school hours and it's downright peaceful.
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