Explore the best rated trails in Gambier, OH, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Fairfield Heritage Trail and Canal Winchester Trail System . With more than 46 trails covering 4405 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.
Highly recommend this beautiful and well kept trail. Beautiful to ride along the trees and over the 2 epic ohiopyle bridges.
This trail is good for local people and college students and staff to get to various places close to the Ohio Wesleyan University. A few people were using it at mid-day on a Wednesday during April. It was in fairly good condition. Warning lights help with street crossings. I parked in the lot off of S Liberty St and then biked in both directions.
I am definitely biased, but having this trail a quarter of a mile from my house is a gift. The crushed limestone parts are very smooth and any bike will work. It does get rough for much of the trip. A mountain bike or gravel bike is needed. I have a hardtail mountain bike and that is perfect. I hope in the future they complete the trail with crushed limestone. But if they don't I will still be happy it's there.
Good trail takes you from urban Hilltop District, Columbus to just west of rural Lilly Chapel. Lots to look at along the ride. Crosses several roads along the way where you will need to stop for traffic. Some railroad crossings but they are even. Special call out to stop at Amy's Donuts on Georgesville Road (Amazing and huge selections of donuts, bike parking, right on the bike path, restrooms, great service). Some cautions:
1. I have had to dodge homeless hanging out on the trail and/or their possessions on the trail in the section in Columbus.
2. At Darby Creek Metro Park, there is about 1/2 mile that is rough rock and not paved. If riding a road bike, I advise walking it.
We rode the roughly 30 miles from Fredericksburg to Killbuck and back. Paved trail with some nice views and lots of shaded areas. It’s a shared trail with horse/buggies and there are a lot of Amish on E-bikes pulling carts but the path is very wide. My only complaints are the bumps in some areas and the need to constantly dodge horse manure.
The lower section below rock cut rd is now paved to Ellis Dam. There is also a section in town that goes by the river, it isn’t highlighted on the map, but the name is there if you zoom in.
Really love this trail. Mostly shaded and they have ground down the tree roots but could use more road markings and signage at road crossings. The electric bikes and scooters are really becoming a problem.
Holmes County trail has recently been extended an extra 4 miles from the Glenmont trailhead. Killbuck trailhead is now approximately a 3 mile highway ride from the end of this new addition.
I parked at the school close to US 40 and rode the trail out and back in June. It passed farmland on the southern end and residential and businesses on the northern end, crossing several bridges and some streets. The trail was in fairly good shape. There is a bike fix-it station by the historic National Road Station. There are no restroom/port a pots available. I would encourage the park to put at least a port a pot near the southern end, but maybe it has been tried. A good trail for the area and probably a good training trail since there is a high school at each end.
I took the trail during the last week in August, starting at the west end. It was trashy under the first bridge just at the beginning, but otherwise the trail was fine. I didn't have any problem seeing the chain link fence.
Views of the Basket Building are best going west, especially when even with the white-roofed greenhouses. Longaberger Basket closed in 2018 and it is now empty.
I could not find the parking lot on the west end as mentioned when I was on the corner of E Main St and S Morris St. I ended up parking at the St Vincent De Paul Thrift Store with permission. If one is going to do the whole route, there is better and obvious parking about midway at Marne and Licking Valley Rd NE as mentioned by others. There is a bike fix-it station less than a minute's ride from that parking lot at the trail side of the church. This would be a good place for a port a pot, since there are no restrooms along the way. The east end doesn't have parking either where the trail just ends.
There are a couple fast food restaurants and a convenience store off the path a couple miles from the west end. Some are at the bottom of a hill, so keep in mind you have to go back up the hill to get on the trail again.
Overall a good trail for the area.
Been awhile since I rode this trail. Started at Ernie’s in Massillon and rode into Dalton. The trail has a noticeable incline going from East to West and the wind is typically from West to East. The 10+ bridges are in good shape. The trail has had some improvements but around the 3 mile mark after riding new asphalt the section of about 3/4 is somewhat bumpy The scenery is nice and both ends of trail have stopping places to eat
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