Explore the best rated trails in Ashland, OH. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Bike and Hike Trail and Hoover Park Connector Trail. With more than 36 trails covering 4413 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
The Huron River Greenway MetroPark Trail has two separate segments, each just under 1 mile long. The northern (Huron) segment runs from DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve off River Road and heads...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a colossal project, not just for the state of Ohio but also nationally. Dreamed up more than 25 years ago, this route will eventually connect the Ohio River in Cincinnati to...
Big Creek Reservation All Purpose Trail provides a paved pathway connecting the Mill Stream Run Reservation, Big Creek Reservation, and the Fern Hill Picnic Area. At its southern end, you can connect...
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The North Coast Inland Trail is a series of trails across multiple northern Ohio counties that, as they expand and connect, are emerging as an impressive long-distance trail between Cleveland and...
The Loudonville Pedestrian and Bicycle Pathway is nestled in a scenic valley in a small town nicknamed the "Canoe Capital of Ohio." The trail begins in downtown Loudonville, crosses the Blackfork...
The Olde Muskingum Trail parallels the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canalway between Cherry Street in Canal Fulton and Forty Corners Road just north of Massillon. The 6-mile scenic trail has a...
Holmes County, located in northeastern Ohio, is the heart of the state’s Amish country. Visitors to this rural enclave will find meandering country roads and bucolic natural areas, as well as the...
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Northern Ohio's Freedom Trail currently offers more than 7 miles of tree-lined pathway along the former Freedom Secondary Railroad. From Eastwood Avenue in eastern Akron, the paved trail follows a...
The Chippewa Rail Trail runs for 2.4 miles between Chippewa Road (SR 50) in Chippewa Lake to suburban Wycliffe Drive southwest of Medina (Lafayette Township). The trail is mostly rural in feel,...
The Lester Rail Trail in Ohio's Medina County runs 3 miles between Abbeyville Road and Lester Road in York Township. The trail passes through bucolic farmland with scattered remnants of prairie, where...
For nearly 9 miles, the Mill Stream Run Reservation All Purpose Trail runs through a wooded park in Berea, a western suburb of Cleveland. Though the trail loosely parallels Valley Parkway, you will...
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The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
Traveling just over 18 miles through some of the most scenic areas of the Buckeye State, the Richland B&O Trail is an ideal way to immerse yourself in the region. Built partially as a result of the...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The Brecksville Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a pleasant paved pathway connecting the community of Brecksville with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, a well-loved 81-mile route from...
True to its name, the Heart of Ohio Trail lies in the central part of the state, extending from Mount Vernon southwest to the Knox-Licking County line just south of Centerburg. Along its nearly 16...
The Rocky River Reservation All Purpose Trail parallels Valley Parkway through several western suburbs of Cleveland, but this is no traditional suburban side path. Instead, the winding trail through...
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is an amazing trail journey that takes users from the heart of this country’s industrial might in cities like Cleveland and Akron, to some of the most beautiful...
The Brideway Trail is found within the Black River Reservation, a park in Lorain County, where you can walk, jog, inline skate, cross-country ski or bike. The trail runs between Day's Dam in Lorain...
The Mohican Valley Trail runs for nearly 5 miles along a former right-of-way of the old Penn Central Railroad on the eastern edge of Knox County, between Brinkhaven and Danville. The trail features...
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The North Coast Inland Trail (NCIT) represents a regional collaboration among park districts across the Buckeye State to connect trails linking Ohio to Indiana and Pennsylvania. Begin this section...
The Coshocton Three Rivers Bikeway provides safe and direct access from the City of Coshocton to the Coshocton Lake Park Recreational Complex and historic Roscoe Village. Two crossings under US 36...
The Steel Mill Trail is a 2-mile continuation of the Bridgeway Trail, which lies within the Black River Reservation, a scenic wooded park in Lorain. The Steel Mill Trail picks up at the north end of...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
True to its name, the Heart of Ohio Trail lies in the central part of the state, extending from Mount Vernon southwest to the Knox-Licking County line just south of Centerburg. Along its nearly 16...
The Kokosing Gap Trail delights visitors with its rich railroad history, which is on display throughout the paved route. Once the corridor of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the rail-trail now connects the...
The Olde Muskingum Trail parallels the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canalway between Cherry Street in Canal Fulton and Forty Corners Road just north of Massillon. The 6-mile scenic trail has a...
The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
The Rocky River Reservation All Purpose Trail parallels Valley Parkway through several western suburbs of Cleveland, but this is no traditional suburban side path. Instead, the winding trail through...
Hoover Park Connector Trail sits between Applegrove Street to the north and Maple Street to the south in the heart of North Canton, Ohio. The limestone and asphalt trail winds from west from the...
The Zoar Valley Trail winds along the Tuscarawas River between the village of Schoenbrunn in the south and Fort Laurens State Memorial in Bolivar in the north. The path offers a mixture of rolling...
The Brideway Trail is found within the Black River Reservation, a park in Lorain County, where you can walk, jog, inline skate, cross-country ski or bike. The trail runs between Day's Dam in Lorain...
Holmes County, located in northeastern Ohio, is the heart of the state’s Amish country. Visitors to this rural enclave will find meandering country roads and bucolic natural areas, as well as the...
The Heartland Trail is a developing rail-trail project that will one day connect the northeastern Ohio communities of Orrville and Clinton. A mile of the pathway is already on the ground in Orrville,...
For nearly 9 miles, the Mill Stream Run Reservation All Purpose Trail runs through a wooded park in Berea, a western suburb of Cleveland. Though the trail loosely parallels Valley Parkway, you will...
The North Coast Inland Trail is a series of trails across multiple northern Ohio counties that, as they expand and connect, are emerging as an impressive long-distance trail between Cleveland and...
The Meredith State Road Trail is a part of the Ohio to Erie Trail in Centerburg, Ohio. From Meredith State Road, the paved trail heads northeast within a wooded corridor towards the border between...
Northern Ohio's Freedom Trail currently offers more than 7 miles of tree-lined pathway along the former Freedom Secondary Railroad. From Eastwood Avenue in eastern Akron, the paved trail follows a...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is an amazing trail journey that takes users from the heart of this country’s industrial might in cities like Cleveland and Akron, to some of the most beautiful...
The North Coast Inland Trail is a series of trails across multiple northern Ohio counties that, as they expand and connect, are emerging as an impressive long-distance trail between Cleveland and...
The Coshocton Three Rivers Bikeway provides safe and direct access from the City of Coshocton to the Coshocton Lake Park Recreational Complex and historic Roscoe Village. Two crossings under US 36...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
Cleveland Metroparks’ Lake to Lake Trail links Lake Isaac and Lake Abram in Middleburg Heights via an asphalt- and boardwalk-surfaced path. The two lakes are the largest remaining glacial wetlands in...
The Chippewa Rail Trail runs for 2.4 miles between Chippewa Road (SR 50) in Chippewa Lake to suburban Wycliffe Drive southwest of Medina (Lafayette Township). The trail is mostly rural in feel,...
True to its name, the Heart of Ohio Trail lies in the central part of the state, extending from Mount Vernon southwest to the Knox-Licking County line just south of Centerburg. Along its nearly 16...
The Kokosing Gap Trail delights visitors with its rich railroad history, which is on display throughout the paved route. Once the corridor of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the rail-trail now connects the...
The Zoar Valley Trail winds along the Tuscarawas River between the village of Schoenbrunn in the south and Fort Laurens State Memorial in Bolivar in the north. The path offers a mixture of rolling...
The North Coast Inland Trail (NCIT) represents a regional collaboration among park districts across the Buckeye State to connect trails linking Ohio to Indiana and Pennsylvania. Begin this section...
The Huron River Greenway MetroPark Trail has two separate segments, each just under 1 mile long. The northern (Huron) segment runs from DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve off River Road and heads...
The Brideway Trail is found within the Black River Reservation, a park in Lorain County, where you can walk, jog, inline skate, cross-country ski or bike. The trail runs between Day's Dam in Lorain...
The short North Olmsted Walking & Bike Trail parallels Interstate 480 and provides an alternate, non-motorized route linking neighborhoods with green spaces and business districts.
The Marion Tallgrass Trail is a developing rail-trail which will extend from Marion westward on a former Erie Lackawanna Railway corridor. The line was part of the Erie Lackawanna’s main line that...
Though not far from two of Ohio’s largest cities, Cleveland and Akron, the Bike and Hike Trail passes alongside beautiful natural areas, including the 65-foot Brandywine Falls, a stunning cascading...
Although the Downtown Connector Trail is short, just a mile through Mount Vernon, it's a key connector between the Kokosing Gap Trail, which heads east to Danville, and the Heart of Ohio Trail, which...
The Brecksville Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a pleasant paved pathway connecting the community of Brecksville with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, a well-loved 81-mile route from...
Hoover Park Connector Trail sits between Applegrove Street to the north and Maple Street to the south in the heart of North Canton, Ohio. The limestone and asphalt trail winds from west from the...
The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
Northern Ohio's Freedom Trail currently offers more than 7 miles of tree-lined pathway along the former Freedom Secondary Railroad. From Eastwood Avenue in eastern Akron, the paved trail follows a...
Great trail... I’ve worn my own path on it! Walked, biked, ran! Awesome place to relax!
Love the north inlet trail and a jog around the wetlands. It’s an amazing trail.
The Meredith State Road Trail is a new, isolated section of the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET). At present it does not have a trailhead or any parking along its length. On my recent southbound ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail, I had to road ride for several miles from the end of the Heart of Ohio Trail in order to connect to and ride this trail. Because the trail is new and is not directly connected to any other part of the OTET route, the trail signs posted on the trail do not indicate the milage to other destinations on the Ohio to Erie Trail. This is a nice, flat, smooth trail that will be a great trail addition to the Ohio to Erie Trail when it is connected to other nearby trails. This 1.5 mile trail will help to close the current on-road gap between trails in the area north of Columbus, Ohio.
The Heart of Ohio Trail is a 15.7 mile trail that goes from Mount Vernon, Ohio and travels southwest through the towns of Mount Liberty and Centerburg before ending at Huffman Road about 2 miles southwest of Centerburg.
The trail pretty much parallels US-36 from Mount Vernon to Sunbury. It is paved and again is a typical rail-trail in terms of how hills are smoothed out into a manageable gradient. While this trail, to me, lacks the same level of natural beauty that the Holmes County and Kokosing Gap Trails have, it makes up for that with some very interesting sights along the way.
The first of those sites is the Ariel-Foundation Park right in Mount Vernon, Ohio. This park starts at Mount Vernon Station, right after you cross S. Main Street and continues through the park which is built on the site of an old Pittsburgh Paint & Glass (PPG) factory. The park features, some hiking trails, sculptures, an event center/concert venue, some remanent buildings from the PPG days, and probably the most interesting feature is the observation deck that is built around the 280 foot reinforced concrete chimney that was once part of the plant. If you climb to the top you can overlook the entire park, the city of Mount Vernon, and look for miles in any direction.
The second interesting site is drag racing strip several miles beyond Ariel-Foundation Park. I have ridden past the strip when there were still some cars and racing teams at the track, but I have yet to witness any racing going on as I passed by.
As you come into Centerburg, you have to cross over US-36. This is a busy road, so even though the rail-line crossed this road at an angle, they have re-routed the crossing so it is perpendicular to the roadway, and have placed a push button flashing signal to alert drivers of someone crossing. almost immediately after crossing US-36 For southbound travelers, almost immediately after crossing US-36, you come upon a marker stating you have just reached the highest point on the Heart of Ohio Trail. The trail then descends into Centerburg passing by Hillair Township Park/Memorial Park until you come to N. Clayton Street. Here you will find see the grain elevators and a pizza place called Pizza Burg. There are other places to eat in town if you chose to turn left and head to the center of town.
The Heart of Ohio Trail now gets you through Centerburg completely, and while you still will need to quite a bit of road riding, there are now pieces of trail between Centerburg and the Hoover Scenic Trail, south of Sunbury, that are in place and waiting to be connected to other nearby trails with construction going on right now. I think 3 years from now there will absolutely no road riding between Mt. Vernon and Columbus.
When you enter Mount Vernon, Ohio on the Kokosing Gap Trail you have to cross over Mount Vernon Avenue. If you go straight ahead you end up in Phillips Park, a recreational baseball park and picnic area. This is where the Kokosing Gap Trail used to end. If you turn left after crossing over Mount Vernon Avenue you are on the Downtown Connector. This one mile trail follows the Kokosing River and connects directly with the Heart of Ohio Trail. It also brings you to South Main Street and the southern end of the city's business district. There is a Comfort Inn hotel right at the end of this trail which makes it very convenient for bikers.
A useful trail, but not a trail to travel out of your way to ride.
The Kokosing Gap Trail is one of my favorite Ohio rail trails. I first learned of and enjoyed this trail during my first trip across Ohio back in 2013. On a southbound Ohio to Erie Trial route ride the trail starts in Danville, advances to Howard, then Gambier, and finally to Mount Vernon, Ohio. The first 10 miles are very flat, but after Gambier you begin climbing at railroad grade into Mount Vernon.
Each town has something unique to see along the trail. In Howard there is a unique stone bridge and building combination that carries US-36 over the once former rail line. When you come into Gambier, you come upon Gambier Station and the Kenyon College Athletic facilities. At the station you will find restrooms, a picnic pavilion with tables, and a repair station.
You will also see an 0-6-0 switching steam engine, a flat car, and a caboose on display. A little farther down the trail you come upon Kenyon’s Brown Family Environmental Center. There is a beautiful garden there, quite a few hiking trails, and lots of environmental programming.
After the environmental center you begin climbing toward Mount Vernon while following the Kokosing River. You'll cross two beautiful railroad bridges in the process.
When you reach Mount Vernon you'll have to cross over Mount Vernon Avenue. If you go straight after crossing you'll end up in Phillips Park a recreational baseball park and picnic area. This is where the Kokosing Gap Trail used to end. However, if you turn left after crossing Mount Vernon Avenue you'll ride on the short Downtown Connector Trail. This one mile trail connects directly to the Heart of Ohio Trail.
The Mohican Valley Trail is a short rail trail of 4.8 miles located on the eastern edge of Knox County, Ohio that connects the Holmes County Trail with the Kokosing Gap Trail. I rode this trail on October 1, 2019 as I headed south on the Ohio to Erie Trail route.
The most interesting feature of this trail is located near the town of Gann (or Brinkhaven). This feature is the Bridge of Dreams. It is an old railway bridge over the Mohican River that has been converted into a covered bridge. The bridge is 370 feet long. The bridge is open to pedestrian, bike, and Amish buggy traffic but not motorized vehicles. There is a fairly large trailhead on the eastern end of the bridge with a portapotty and a picnic pavilion. Trail users may camp here near the river.
The rest of this trail is somewhat uneventful. It is a paved tree-lined trail where you get the impression that you are constantly climbing if you are traveling westward. However, It is not one big long climb. Once you get to the small town of Danville, you need to make a very short road ride on a couple of streets in order to make the connection to the next link in the Ohio to Erie Trail route -- the Kokosing Gap Trail.
To me this is a 3-star trail. Perhaps it deserves an additional 1/2 star for the Bridge of Dreams, which is impressive. However, this trail is not of the same quality as the two trails it connects.
I rode The Holmes County Trail as part of my recent southbound cross-state ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail route. This trail is one of the most beautiful trails I have ridden in Ohio. One section runs from Fredericksburg to Holmesville, Millersburg and then Killbuck, Ohio. Another section runs from Glenmont to Brinkhaven/Gann, Ohio. Between Killbuck and Glenmont one must currently ride on OH-520 in order to make the connection to the southern section of the trail. Plans are in the works to complete the rail trail between Glenmont and Killbuck, but it will require an engineering study and plan as the abandoned rail line between these two towns runs through swampy and wet conditions.
What I like about this trail is that in between Fredericksburg and Killbuck it is very wide and flat. One side of the trail is designated for bikes and pedestrians and the other side is designated for Amish horse and buggies. The trail is fairly wide open from Fredericksburg to Holmesville, but after you pass the Holmes County Home south of Holmesville, a canopy of trees engulfs the trail for most of the rest of its length.
From Millersburg to Killbuck the trail is wide and tree-covered. It is surrounded by swamps and Killbuck Creek. I can imagine that at certain times of the day and of the year it can be quite buggy. There are a few spots along the trail in this area where there are wetlands observation decks. Once you reach Killbuck you will road-ride on OH-520 to reach Glenmont, Ohio and the trailhead for the southern section of the trail. Route 520 is a scenic road that meanders and rises and falls on short rolling hills through the Black Creek Valley. There is good driver visibility on this stretch of road but use your head and tail lights as the short hills and curves can create a few blind spots.
Once you reach the Glenmont trailhead the trail climbs over a ridge to get out of the county. The climb is 3.5 miles long but is a very manageable railroad grade slope. The last 500-1000 feet of this climb, get tough as the slope increases quite a bit to get up and over Holmes County Road 75. The next 4.5 miles is a gentle descent on the other side of the ridge which parallels US-62 until it passes through a tunnel under the roadway and connects to the Mohican Valley Trail.
This will be a 5-star trail once the gap between Killbuck and Glenmont is developed.
On September 30, 2019 I rode the Sippo Valley Trail as part of my southbound ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail. This is a 10 mile trail that essentially runs westward from Massillon to Dalton, OH. The Sippo Valley Trail is weird. The ends of the trail in Massillon and Dalton are paved for the city residents but the middle which travels between quite a few farms remains crushed stone. This crushed limestone surface gets softer when it rains a lot, which it did on September 30th. The wet stone surface was passable with my 26 x 2.0 Schwalbe Marathon tires, but the wet stone surface on this day certainly ended up providing increased rolling resistance.
After reaching the end of the Sippo Valley Trail in Dalton, you must currently road-ride to the start of the Holmes County Trail in Fredericksburg, by riding from Dalton to Apple Creek and then Fredericksburg. This on-road section is the toughest section of the entire Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) Route. It is also the largest continuous gap in the OTET. The abandoned rail lines between Fredericksburg, Apple Creek, Dalton, and Orrville certainly exist, but they need to be developed. This may be the area you want to skip if you are riding the OTET. This road route is fairly well signed with Ohio bike route #1 signs at most intersections or change in directions. However, I would suggest that anyone attempting to ride the Ohio to Erie Trail should purchase a set of maps from the Ohio to Erie Trail website.
Finally, a word of warning to all you potential OTET riders. If you are looking to reserve a room in Amish country make sure you make the call before you get into Amish country. Since the Amish don’t use cell phones there are very few cell towers, if any. In addition, the hills in this area can create dead zones, if you are below the tops of the hills. I had hoped that this situation had improved in the 3 years since I last came through this area on a cross-state ride but, alas, no such luck.
The Mohican Valley Trail is often overlooked by cyclists. It is one of three Knox Country trails that are part of the Ohio to Erie Trail. It is definitely one to put on your must-cycle list.
The trail starts on Danville. The best place to park is at the Kokosing Gap Danville trailhead. Ohio to Erie Trail signs direct you the half-mile of quiet small-town streets to the trail.
This trail's surface is similar to chip and seal. It passes through words with only a few crossroads. There is some elevation changes but none are large.
The highlight of this trail is the Bridge of Dreams, a very long covered bridge over the Mohican River. The bridge is 1/2 mile from the trail's end at the Holmes Country line. Be sure to cycle down to the river from the trailhead parking for great photos of the Bridge and scenic river.
You can continue 7 miles beyond the country line on the Holmes County Trail to Glenmont. Plans are in the future to connect this trail section to the Holmes County Trail at Killbuck
I rode 66 miles from the northern most part of this trail starting in Scranton Flats in downtown Cleveland to the the start of the Sippo Valley Trail in Massillon, Ohio. The trail does continue further south to Bolivar, Ohio but the trail south of Massillon is not a part of the Ohio to Erie Trail route. The scenery along this trail is spectacular. You get the tall buildings of downtown Cleveland and Akron, the industrial might of Cleveland's steelyards, chemical, and manufacturing valley, the peacefulness of Ohio's only national park, and the bucolic farms south of Akron. The trail surface varies depending on your location. The trail is paved in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County north of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Inside the National Park the trail surface is primarily crushed limestone, with treated lumber boardwalks in wetter areas. In some spots the trail may be paved for a stretch in areas were erosion of the trail surface has been evident. Outside of the CVNP you will find the trail paved once again through the city of Akron, only to return to crushed limestone/gravel until you reach it's end.
My only complaint relates to the condition of the crushed limestone when it rains heavily or over an extended period of time. The rain softens up this trail surface. I had to work harder to peddle through the the wet limestone. It was pretty soft -- not so soft as to sink into the trail but soft enough to give noticeable additional resistance.
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