Find the top rated trails in Bellefontaine, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Hoover Scenic Trail continues north from the paved Genoa Trail to Weise Road just south of Galena. The trail follows the northwestern shoreline of the sprawling Hoover Reservoir within a scenic...
The paved Prairie Grass Trail stretches 29 miles between London and Xenia, generally following US 42. The northern trailhead is located in London, behind the senior citizen's center, and has a picnic...
The Darby Creek Trail is currently available in two disconnected segments that parallel Big Darby Creek, a State and National Scenic River on the western outskirts of Columbus. The northern 3.5...
The Creekside Trail is an important connector in Ohio’s Miami Valley trail network, a system of 330 miles of paved, off-road trails. This 15-mile route cuts a swift route from Xenia to Dayton, passing...
The James Ranch Connecting Spur provides an important link between two major trails spiraling out of the trail hub of Xenia. On its east end, the trail connects to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which...
The Alum Creek Greenway Trail follows a north–south route along a riparian corridor of its namesake creek, connecting neighborhoods and commercial districts. The 22-mile route was completed in October...
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Wolf Creek Trail is a well-maintained asphalt trail that is currently open in two disconnected segments. It’s part of the 330-mile Miami Valley trail system, one of the largest paved, off-road trail...
Caution: The Olentangy Trail is currently closed between Worthington Hills Park and Olentangy River Parklands at Wilson Bridge Road. This section is scheduled to reopen some time in 2017. Refer to...
The paved Tecumseh Trail skirts the quaint city of New Carlisle. The trail takes users through some beautiful wooded areas along a former railroad corridor and connects to Smith Park. At the popular...
The Galena Brick Trail follows a former rail bed from the Blackhawk golf course to Miller Park, which offers a small playground. Of historical significance is the nearby Galena Shale and Brick...
Piqua City Linear Park was constructed on an abandoned railroad bed from the city's easternmost point to its westernmost point. Midway, it connects to the Great Miami River Trail and is part of the...
The Simon Kenton Trail is a tribute to the hardworking volunteer group that built and maintains the corridor, once part of the Erie-Lackawanna rail line. The western Ohio rail-trail stretches 35.5...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a planned 320-mile route via several existing trails that span the state of Ohio from the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland to the Ohio River in Cincinnati. When complete, the...
The Greenville Creek Trail is a nice, albeit short, retreat through suburban Greenville. The paved path follows its namesake creek, passing under streets and linking neighborhood parks with downtown....
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...
The Lima Rotary Riverwalk trail follows the southeast bank of the meandering Ottowa River between Heritage Park southwest of Lima and Schoonover Park northeast of city center. At its north end, the...
The Celina Coldwater Bikeway is an early rail-with-trail project from the 1980s. Long a popular trail, users follow the Penn Central Railroad between the village of Coldwater and the city of Celina,...
The Franklin Township Greenway Trail runs on flat terrain through conservation, agriculture and residential areas just beyond the southern shoreline of Grand Lake, Ohio’s largest inland lake. Portions...
The Xenia–Jamestown Connector Trail links these two eponymous communities, and travels east beyond Jamestown to the Greene/Fayette county line at Rosemoor Road. It's part of Ohio’s Miami Valley trail...
The Camp Chase Trail is a paved, 16-mile pathway stretching from Lilly Chapel to southwest Columbus in Ohio's Madison and Franklin Counties. In Columbus, you can easily pick up the nearby Scioto...
Mad River Trail offers a paved, 7-mile route along its namesake river in northeastern Dayton and is part of one of the nation's largest network of paved, off-street trails. Its western end begins...
The Darby Creek Trail is currently available in two disconnected segments that parallel Big Darby Creek, a State and National Scenic River on the western outskirts of Columbus. The northern 3.5...
The Great Miami River Trail runs from Piqua all the way south to Fairfield, linking numerous towns and cities throughout four Ohio counties. The idea for such a trail was conceived by Dayton’s Horace...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a planned 320-mile route via several existing trails that span the state of Ohio from the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland to the Ohio River in Cincinnati. When complete, the...
The Creekside Trail is an important connector in Ohio’s Miami Valley trail network, a system of 330 miles of paved, off-road trails. This 15-mile route cuts a swift route from Xenia to Dayton, passing...
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Findlay lies at the heart of Hancock County's 17-mile Heritage Trail. From the city center, the trail extends west to Litzenberg Memorial Woods and east to Van Horn Cemetery. The trail mostly follows...
Hydraulic Canal Run begins in picturesque French Park, where stands of mature trees provide the perfect shady spots to picnic. From here, you can also connect to Piqua City Linear Park, a rail-trail...
The Franklin Township Greenway Trail runs on flat terrain through conservation, agriculture and residential areas just beyond the southern shoreline of Grand Lake, Ohio’s largest inland lake. Portions...
The paved Prairie Grass Trail stretches 29 miles between London and Xenia, generally following US 42. The northern trailhead is located in London, behind the senior citizen's center, and has a picnic...
The Genoa Trail runs between Northgate Way in Westerville and Plumb Road south of Galena, paralleling the east side of State Route 3. The trail is separated from the road by a nice corridor of trees,...
The Greenville Creek Trail is a nice, albeit short, retreat through suburban Greenville. The paved path follows its namesake creek, passing under streets and linking neighborhood parks with downtown....
The Oakwoods Trail system runs through a 155-acre nature preserve bordering Interstate 75 southwest of downtown Findlay. The preserve features a small lake, woodlands and meadows. The trails form...
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The 7-mile Iron Horse Trail (open in two disconnected segments) utilizes approximately 2 miles of former Penn Central right-of-way, providing users a pleasant route through neighborhoods, as well as a...
The Towler Road Spur is a short but pleasant route in the trail hub of Xenia, Ohio. Although the paved pathway parallels the roadway, it's separated from traffic by a wide grassy median dotted with...
Piqua City Linear Park was constructed on an abandoned railroad bed from the city's easternmost point to its westernmost point. Midway, it connects to the Great Miami River Trail and is part of the...
The Simon Kenton Trail is a tribute to the hardworking volunteer group that built and maintains the corridor, once part of the Erie-Lackawanna rail line. The western Ohio rail-trail stretches 35.5...
The paved Tecumseh Trail skirts the quaint city of New Carlisle. The trail takes users through some beautiful wooded areas along a former railroad corridor and connects to Smith Park. At the popular...
The Scioto Greenway Trail is an early urban greenway at its best. The 10-mile multiuse trail hugs the banks of the Scioto River and connects parks, links with other trails and offers fabulous views of...
The Miami & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1845, an engineering marvel stretching from Cincinnati to Toledo. This canal was heavily used until competition from the railroad caused the decline...
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...
The Creekside Trail is an important connector in Ohio’s Miami Valley trail network, a system of 330 miles of paved, off-road trails. This 15-mile route cuts a swift route from Xenia to Dayton, passing...
Mad River Trail offers a paved, 7-mile route along its namesake river in northeastern Dayton and is part of one of the nation's largest network of paved, off-street trails. Its western end begins...
The 3.5-mile I-670 Downtown Connector Trail parallels Interstate 670 and Leonard Avenue in Columbus on its winding route from Ohio Dominican University to the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center...
The Greenville Creek Trail is a nice, albeit short, retreat through suburban Greenville. The paved path follows its namesake creek, passing under streets and linking neighborhood parks with downtown....
The Simon Kenton Trail is a tribute to the hardworking volunteer group that built and maintains the corridor, once part of the Erie-Lackawanna rail line. The western Ohio rail-trail stretches 35.5...
Hydraulic Canal Run begins in picturesque French Park, where stands of mature trees provide the perfect shady spots to picnic. From here, you can also connect to Piqua City Linear Park, a rail-trail...
The Scioto Greenway Trail is an early urban greenway at its best. The 10-mile multiuse trail hugs the banks of the Scioto River and connects parks, links with other trails and offers fabulous views of...
The Canal Feeder Trail begins at Graceland Cemetery on the south end of Sidney and continues southwest on a former historical canal towpath dating back to the 1840s. The paved trail parallels the...
The Miami & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1845, an engineering marvel stretching from Cincinnati to Toledo. This canal was heavily used until competition from the railroad caused the decline...
The Blanchard River Greenway Bike Trail runs along a former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad corridor on the riverfront in downtown Findlay. The trail primarily courses through woodlands, with highlights...
The paved Prairie Grass Trail stretches 29 miles between London and Xenia, generally following US 42. The northern trailhead is located in London, behind the senior citizen's center, and has a picnic...
The Great Miami River Trail runs from Piqua all the way south to Fairfield, linking numerous towns and cities throughout four Ohio counties. The idea for such a trail was conceived by Dayton’s Horace...
The Westerville B&W (Bike & Walk Route) is an extensive system of paved multi-use paths throughout the Columbus suburb, stretching from Hoover Reservoir on the east to as far west as Worthington Road....
The Oakwoods Trail system runs through a 155-acre nature preserve bordering Interstate 75 southwest of downtown Findlay. The preserve features a small lake, woodlands and meadows. The trails form...
The 7-mile Iron Horse Trail (open in two disconnected segments) utilizes approximately 2 miles of former Penn Central right-of-way, providing users a pleasant route through neighborhoods, as well as a...
Findlay lies at the heart of Hancock County's 17-mile Heritage Trail. From the city center, the trail extends west to Litzenberg Memorial Woods and east to Van Horn Cemetery. The trail mostly follows...
The Genoa Trail runs between Northgate Way in Westerville and Plumb Road south of Galena, paralleling the east side of State Route 3. The trail is separated from the road by a nice corridor of trees,...
Caution: The Olentangy Trail is currently closed between Worthington Hills Park and Olentangy River Parklands at Wilson Bridge Road. This section is scheduled to reopen some time in 2017. Refer to...
The Roberts Pass Trail runs from downtown London, Ohio, to rural Fairfield Township. The trail passes through farmland for 6.5 miles, although dense tree cover shades the route at all...
The Hoover Scenic Trail continues north from the paved Genoa Trail to Weise Road just south of Galena. The trail follows the northwestern shoreline of the sprawling Hoover Reservoir within a scenic...
The stretch from Bloody Bridge to St Mary's brings you very close to the canal, and the scenic farm land, forests, and ponds make it a memorable hike.
The Bloody Bridge parking situation is pretty carefree, so don't expect too much. Starting the trail from Bloody Bridge and going South is slightly confusing because you can take two routes.
First, you can walk next to the canal until you get to 66, but this part does not have gravel (at least when we went) and the grass may be high if they haven't mowed lately. Your other option is to walk the road that parallels the canal, until it dead ends into 66. We did both, but will probably stick to the road in the future because the path has some sink holes.
The big stops on this stretch are Lock 14, and the massive 40 acre ponds. Lock 14 is very scenic, and worth stopping to investigate. Per the Canal Booklet - Originally wooden, this lock was converted to concrete in 1907. The 2003 renovation includes a pedestrian bridge and parking lot. The booklet also mentions the 40 acre ponds were created as a result of the canal crossing the St. Marys river flood plane. The area next to the ponds is very peaceful, and is a standout feature on this part of the trail.
The Bloody Bridge to St Marys stretch of the Miami & Erie Canal Towpath really provides a nice scenic walk by the canal that I highly recommend. If you're looking for an off-cement walk, next to a canal and several large ponds, I think this hike is the perfect site.
I am a new 43 year old rider on a Mountain Bike. I started this trip at Wilson Rd end, I rode to Columbus. This trail was amazing to be on, I encountered many pleasant riders and walkers. The trail did get confusing at I think it was Battelle park where I encountered Mt. Everest (LOL) was not expecting that hill but enjoyed the off-road ride through the woods. Over all I am planning on riding this trail again only starting in London next time. Over all I finished 22 miles and enjoyed it very much.
Now 11.22 miles long and is a beautiful and well maintained trail. I have rode the trail 3 times this week and have seen plenty of wildlife and heard many types of bird singing along the trail. It is great to see all the new benches and new blacktopped trail. The local community has done a great job developing the trail. I can't wait to see the next section done all the way to the Hardin County line.
A friend and I rode this route in May 2017, from South to North. Signage is excellent in Cincinnati and as far as Columbus. Once we hit the waterfront in downtown Columbus signage was sparse, and we ended up missing the turn onto Neil Rd, which takes you to the area near the Arena, and instead rode several miles along the Scioto River trail before we realized our mistake.
Signage was also sparse (nonexistent) at the Cleveland end. We ended up following signs for the Towpath, which took us through a questionable part of town, and eventually reconnected with the end of the trail, off of Franklin. Signage even after we returned to the route was nonexistent all the way to the end at Edgewater Park.
I will say that the recent maps, issued in February 2017, are excellent and now include designations for bike shops, definitely a plus.
The route was for the most part fabulous riding. We were self-contained and did fairly short days, taking about 10 days to complete the route. We also did a spur up to Springboro, which was gorgeous horse country riding, and although on roads, fairly low traffic. We especially enjoyed riding around Millersburg and sharing the trail with buggies. All the trails were in very good shape, and even the crushed limestone (the Northernmost two days) was well maintained and relatively smooth to ride.
The State of Ohio definitely deserves kudos for what they’ve put together. It’s amazing to be able to ride across a state almost entirely on bike path. We came from California just to ride this route, and it was well worth it.
My husband and I enjoyed biking along this trail for the first time for Memorial Day today. This scenic, well marked trail was a pleasure to ride. We started in Bexley on Main Street and rode approximately 11 miles north to Westerville. Riding along the creek and in the woods provided lots of shade on a sunny day. All the bridges we rode over were awesome. We can't wait to go further north next time as we will start at the Easton soccer fields and venture further north.
We rode this trail because of all the 5 star reviews. Our experience was definitely different. The trail is flat, boring, and exceedingly overgrown, and, there are too few comfort stations. The only bright spots were the towns along the trail and some of the eating and drinking establishments in these towns. We will not return.
The trail could use a little better marking. I never missed a turn by much, but I did miss several as you could not always tell which way to go at a fork. Pretty level and we'll paved. I rode the north and south sections in one ride. I usually don't like to go on a road, but the short road section had no cars in it.
I rode only the northern end (Huber Heights to Piqua and back approx. 60 mi) and found it to be quite scenic and interesting ride. Surface generally in good shape and smooth. The southern portion of my trip, especially in Montgomery county was well signed and easy to follow where the trail diverts and how far to the next notable trailheads. The middle section (especially around Troy) was very poorly signed and more than once did I need to double back to find where the trail continued. The trail is marked every 1/4 mile, so in theory if you go on too far without the next mileage mark, you should wonder if you strayed, but that's not a reliable system. I particularly note the lack of signage at the Eldean covered bridge about the trail crossing the street and going behind a baseball diamond as an example. Signage picked up somewhat around Piqua.
The loop around Piqua made the perfect turning spot and provided many interesting sights throughout town.
Rode it in its entirety today before too many trees have many leaves. Surface is in good/great shape, especially notable in Madison County (north). A cross wind was very noticeable both directions as there is very little to stop a breeze. Also very little to shade the trail and an early case of sunburned arms as a result. Few rest areas and water/bathroom stops --only in London, S. Charleston, Cedarville and Xenia, so be well stocked.
No, the Great Miami River Trail DOES NOT run from Piqua all the way south to Fairfield.
It comes to a dead halt at Middletown, and then picks up again in Hamilton, going south. That's a major gap, with no clear, safe way to bridge it.
It's a fine trail. I've ridden it often. It's particularly pretty along the river from north of Dayton to south of Piqua.
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