We started in Chillicothe. Just north of Mound 25 the trail was closed. Our plan was to go to Frankfurt and head back, about a 30 mile round trip. A bit disappointed...

Rode this trail over the weekend and were surprised at the low number of riders on the outbound. The trail's asphalt pavement is in good shape and there is more shade that we expected. There are a few places for drinks and snacks when you reach Jamestown. Would recommend this ~25 mile ride.

It is certainly a nice trail with a good mix of nature and industrial areas. However, this trail is tough and has constant uphill and downhill. If you want a good workout this is the trail for you.

I really enjoy how they finished this section of trail. I use it as my daily commute and really enjoy it

I rode my bike here and it was just absolutely gorgeous! Beautiful wild life and the trail is very nice and smooth, and pretty flat, not too hilly. Perfect for people who want to enjoy the ride!

This is the best trail I have ever ridden!

I rode the two segments of the Stillwater River Bikeway back in July of this year, but forgot to review here at TrailLink.

I rode this trail a month and a half after a devastating Category F4 tornado tore through the area. Before my trip to Dayton, I just couldn't believe that I kept reading online that the trail was still closed. However, when I rode the southern section of the trail the destruction of what must of been a beautiful tree lined river pathway became more and more evident as I traveled north from Island MetroPark. It will take decades for the trees to grow back to the same conditions you see along the northern section of the trail. The trail it self is in good shape but becomes somewhat rough as the trail shares the park road north of the Wegerzyn Center. Here the road is marked with a number of potholes and rough patches.

In contrast, the northern section of the Stillwater River Greenway in Englewood MetroPark was not affected by the Memorial Day storms. The trail here is heavily shaded but has an excellent surface. There is one significant climb if you want to travel south of the of Englewood Dam but it is eased by one switch back in order to pass by the dam's spillway. There are several beautiful lakes both above and below the dam. One slightly disturbing aspect of the trail in Englewood Park is that in some areas of the park you have to share the single lane roadway with cars. Fortunately, for a Saturday I didn’t feel that the park was particularly busy.

It saddens me to think of how the weather has changed the face of the southern portion of the trail. Here's hoping that the damage caused by the Memorial Day tornado might spark the desire to connect the two sections in this trail. It might now be easier to complete the gap between the two sections of trail. First of all, the downed trees will have to be removed because as the piles of dead trees dry out they will become more and more of a fire hazard. Because these trees are such a jumbled and tangled mess, heavy equipment will need to be called in to remove the debris. This heavy equipment will create pathways for the equipment to move around in the debris field and perhaps these pathways can be turned into a good portion of the missing section of trail. Only time will tell.

I rode the Armleder-Lunken Connector Trail in Otto Armleder Park in Cincinnati, Ohio as part of my southbound Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) route ride. Officially, this trail is not recognized as one of the trails of the OTET route, but I would recommend it to all who are attempting to ride the Ohio to Erie Trail as it avoids a dangerous traffic circle near Lunken Airport. Having ridden the OTET twice before, I consider Beechmont Circle a dangerous intersection for all cyclists because this traffic circle has a number of buildings and trees in its center which block a driver's view of what is up ahead/around the corner in the circle. Combine these blind curves with fairly high speeds within the circle and the interchange can be hazardous to cyclists. Therefore, I have sought out a way to avoid this intersection all together. My solution is to connect to the Lunken Airport Bike Path or Wooster Road/Wooster Pike (depending on your direction of travel) by using the Airport Connector Trail between Lunken Airport and Armleder Park. If you take this trail you avoid Beechmont Circle completely.

I've ridden the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) three times; first in July of 2013, again in May 2016, and most recently in October of 2019. It is interesting to note the progress that has been made in filling in the on-road gaps in the trail between each ride. However, it is frustrating to witness the glacial pace at which this trail is being completed.

Currently, the largest on-road gaps in the OTET exist between the end of the Sippo Valley Trail in Dalton and the beginning of the Holmes County Trail in Fredericksburg; between Killbuck and Glenmont on the Holmes County Trail, and between the end of the Heart of Ohio Trail southwest of Centerburg and the beginning of the Sandel Legacy Trail in Sunbury. There are a few smaller gaps in the OTET among which include, the bike lane in the Ohio River Trail in Cincinnati, the missing bridge over Little Miami River at the end of the Little Miami Scenic Trail needed to connect to the Lunken Airport Bike Path and a less than 1 mile gap between the Prairie Grass Trail and the Roberts Pass Trail in London.

The Ohio to Erie Trail is a paved trail except for the portion of the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail that runs through northeast Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It is unlikely that the National Park Service will pave this portion of the trail due to the canal's historical significance in developing the Ohio territory and helping to expand our nation from the original 13 colonies.

This trail links the three C's of Ohio -- Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. These are Ohio's 3 largest cities. In between you will encounter a variety of cities and towns; rivers, wetlands, and forests; industrial, commercial, and agricultural areas; and different types of topographies. This variety makes the Ohio to Erie Trail unique when compared to the nation's other long-distance trails.

It is important to understand that the OTET is still a work in progress. While some locations have embraced being a part of the trail, others seem to have completely ignored it. Communities that embrace the trail offer bike friendly establishments whether they be bike shops, hotels, Bnb's, restaurants, or trailheads. There just are not enough of them. The state of Ohio should be looking into promoting such businesses along the trail. One thing that is certainly needed are more official, recognized campsites along the trail. Whereas riders of C&O/GAP Trail, or Missouri's Katy Trail can expect to see a campsite roughly every 8 to 12 miles, the OTET has some areas where such campsites are 60 miles apart. Such distances don't make the trail appealing those that would prefer to camp. It also doesn't give riders much wiggle room in their itineraries to explore around the trail or deal with the unexpected such as a flat tire. Perhaps more campsites and other amenities will become a priority once the trail is fully completed.

My complaints are not intended to be a trashing of this trail but rather constructive criticism designed to help improve this into one of America's great trails. With the Rails to Trails Conservancy designating much of the OTET as part of its route for the Great American Rail-Trail through Ohio, I'm hoping that improvement and completion of the trail will become more of a state priority. If you are considering riding the Ohio to Erie Trail, don't hesitate. It is worth every pedal stroke.