Great trail - coming from hilly Pennsylvania this was a truly enjoyable ride. I rode the Trumbull County portion of the trail from the trailhead near Champion, going far enough into Ashtabula County to read one of the Underground Railroad information boards (a nice touch for this history buff). Magnificent rural scenery - farms, wetlands, woods. Certainly not a heavily-used trail on a Tuesday afternoon/evening, but that made it great for a hard workout.

I did a 40 mile out and back on the Trumbull County side. It was a hot day, and a few mosquitos and gnats were swarming. We parked at the Champion trailhead, which is very nice indeed, with a little picnic area by a small pond. Someone has given this trailhead serious consideration, and it shows. The trail is very well maintained. Rough portions are spray painted. There is often a very nice tree canopy overhead to provide shade and cooler temperatures. Take water and food, because portions are pretty remote and there is a definite lack of places to secure water (other than the locals' houses). I saw a mama duck herding her still cottony young peeps across a road, with her wings sheltering them. Pretty special. Lots of red cardinals and little chipmunks sprinting across the path.

I'm planning on doing the Ashtabula side this next week, staying at the Holiday Inn Express to get a jump on the day, and fully expect to be just as charmed as I was on the Trumbull County side. Very nice trail indeed.

I rode this trail on Cinco de Mayo and it was fantastic. The other reviewers are accurate about how level and easy this trail is to ride. I started my ride at the Sunrise Trailhead in Champion, rode the additional mile south to the end of the trail and then headed north towards Orwell and Rome. I estimated that Champion to Rome and back would be about 44 miles total.

As I started my ride, I was truly impressed with how debris-free the Trumbull County side was. It had a few small pieces of branches on the trail but it was otherwise clean. The ride was fantastic and the scenery was beautiful. There were marshes, blogs, and thickly wooded areas all along the trail. Birds are abundant and there were a couple of beavers, rabbits and chipmunks to watch as well.

As I continued into Ashtabula County, there was a lot more debris on the trail. I found out from another rider that the trail is maintained solely by volunteers and I did see 3 elderly gentlemen cutting up fallen trees along the trail. My hats go off to these volunteers for keeping the trail in rideable condition.

I continued north until I reached Orwell and was told about a good restaurant (Jen's Restaurant and Flea Market) about a quarter of a mile East on Rt. 88. I went in to have some lunch and was pleasantly surprised. It was good food, at a good price with a great atmosphere. The waitresses were friendly and the locals are very inviting. The restaurant/flea market is closed on Mondays.

I continued north crossing over 2 more intersections and had to stop and turn around because a massive, unchained dog came out of a yard and I didn't want any trouble. I went back south and stopped at the wonderful observation deck where you can see geese, birds, and beavers.

When I got back to the Sunrise Trailhead, I had gone exactly 40 miles in about 3 hours. I will ride this trail again with my family. Truly an enjoyable ride.