Explore the best rated trails in Sylvania, OH. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the University/Parks Trail and East-West Connector Trail. With more than 34 trails covering 305 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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The Border-to-Border Trail is a work in progress, which when complete, will stretch across Washtenaw County from its border with Livingston County in the northwest to Wayne County in the east. Much of...
In 1875, the Bowling Green Railroad Company operated its first train from its namesake city in Ohio south to Tontogany on rails made from the wood of the local slippery elm tree. The trees were...
The East-West Connector Trail is true to its name, providing an important off-road connection between several trails in the Downriver Linked Greenways network, which enables cyclists and pedestrians...
Providing nearly two and a half miles of paved trail through a mixture of suburban and industrial land, the Brownstown Township Trail may not be much of a destination trail, but it is a great resource...
Running from the city of Monroe's popular Munson Park, through the city's charming historic downtown, and out to Sterling State Park - one of the most-frequented of Michigan's state parks - the River...
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Canton's ITC Corridor Trail makes use of a power-line utility corridor, converting this space that previously served as a barrier between neighborhoods into a means of connecting various parts of the...
The aptly-named North-South Connector Trail provides a paved trail connection between the communities of Gibraltar and Trenton, in the area south of Detroit known as the Downriver. Part of a...
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 Wabash Cannonball Trail in northwest Ohio is actually two trails in one: its North Fork runs east–west for 46 miles and its South Fork makes up the balance of this nearly 63-mile trail. The forks...
The I-275 Metro Trail began back in the 1970s as the Michigan Department of Transportation's response to the then-fuel crisis. The original trail linked Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties along a...
Stretching from the small riverside community of Rockwood to the East-West Connector Trail north of the city, the Rockwood Pathway provides a great way for cyclists and pedestrians to get around town...
This trail is actually composed of two trails: the 2-mile Rouge River Gateway Greenway and the 17.5-mile Hines Park Trail, which create a seamless 19.5-mile connection between Dearborn and...
The Russell Street to Patterson Street Trail links the two roads via a former railroad corridor in Tecumseh. Located in a residential area nearly equidistant between downtown Tecumseh to the north and...
The Grosse Ile Trail is a smooth, paved route running nearly the entire north–south length of Grosse Ile, which rests in the Detroit River between mainland Michigan and Ontario, Canada. The trail...
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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 Sylvania River Trail follows the Ottawa River as it flows through the heart of town. The trail is a pathway for residents to get closer to the river and enjoy nature's scenic beauty just steps...
A popular destination year-round for residents across the Detroit area, the Lake Erie Metropark offers a wide variety of activities and recreation sites across its 1600-plus acres. Nestled along the...
This trail runs from the Matthaei Botanical Gardens two miles south to Parker Mill Park. It was conceived in response to the need for a safer alternative for non-motorized travelers. Dixboro Road only...
A paved path, suitable for walking and cycling, the Trenton Walking Path follows the small but tranquil Frank and Poet Creek through a series of parks and green space that cuts right through the heart...
The Wabash Cannonball Trail Connector is a short, but valuable, paved route on the west end of Maumee that connects historical attractions, a popular park, and a rail-trail that spans more than 60...
The East-West Connector Trail is true to its name, providing an important off-road connection between several trails in the Downriver Linked Greenways network, which enables cyclists and pedestrians...
The new Riverbend Preserve in southern Washtenaw County features 58 acres of wetlands on both sides of the Raisin River. The area is a common resting place for migratory birds on their trek across the...
Canton's ITC Corridor Trail makes use of a power-line utility corridor, converting this space that previously served as a barrier between neighborhoods into a means of connecting various parts of the...
Providing nearly two and a half miles of paved trail through a mixture of suburban and industrial land, the Brownstown Township Trail may not be much of a destination trail, but it is a great resource...
The Grosse Ile Trail is a smooth, paved route running nearly the entire north–south length of Grosse Ile, which rests in the Detroit River between mainland Michigan and Ontario, Canada. The trail...
You won’t find this trail’s name on the ground: the continuous stretch is actually made up of the scenic trails within Oakwoods Metropark, Willow Metropark and Lower Huron Metropark, as well as a...
The Sylvania River Trail follows the Ottawa River as it flows through the heart of town. The trail is a pathway for residents to get closer to the river and enjoy nature's scenic beauty just steps...
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 Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail closely follows the river for 4 miles through the town of Canton, located between the urban centers of Ann Arbor and Detroit. The compacted crushed stone pathway...
The University/Parks Trail is a wide, paved trail that extends from Toledo into its western suburbs along a former railroad corridor. More than half the trail also parallels an active freight...
This trail runs from the Matthaei Botanical Gardens two miles south to Parker Mill Park. It was conceived in response to the need for a safer alternative for non-motorized travelers. Dixboro Road only...
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...
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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...
The Baw Beese Trail, named in honor of a former chief of the local Potawatomi population, connects the Michigan communities of Hillsdale and Jonesville. The paved trail is a model of efficient land...
For much of its 9-mile length, the Towpath Trail traces the scenic Maumee River, paralleling US 24 (at some distance), on the southwestern outskirts of Toledo. It traverses three parks as it follows...
A popular destination year-round for residents across the Detroit area, the Lake Erie Metropark offers a wide variety of activities and recreation sites across its 1600-plus acres. Nestled along the...
The Border-to-Border Trail is a work in progress, which when complete, will stretch across Washtenaw County from its border with Livingston County in the northwest to Wayne County in the east. Much of...
Running from the city of Monroe's popular Munson Park, through the city's charming historic downtown, and out to Sterling State Park - one of the most-frequented of Michigan's state parks - the River...
A paved path, suitable for walking and cycling, the Trenton Walking Path follows the small but tranquil Frank and Poet Creek through a series of parks and green space that cuts right through the heart...
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The Kiwanis Trail occupies an old railroad bed between Adrian and the southern edge of Tecumseh. The trail is currently the only open component of a much longer proposed regional greenway trail. In...
The I-275 Metro Trail began back in the 1970s as the Michigan Department of Transportation's response to the then-fuel crisis. The original trail linked Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties along a...
This trail is actually composed of two trails: the 2-mile Rouge River Gateway Greenway and the 17.5-mile Hines Park Trail, which create a seamless 19.5-mile connection between Dearborn and...
For much of its 9-mile length, the Towpath Trail traces the scenic Maumee River, paralleling US 24 (at some distance), on the southwestern outskirts of Toledo. It traverses three parks as it follows...
The East-West Connector Trail is true to its name, providing an important off-road connection between several trails in the Downriver Linked Greenways network, which enables cyclists and pedestrians...
Stretching from the small riverside community of Rockwood to the East-West Connector Trail north of the city, the Rockwood Pathway provides a great way for cyclists and pedestrians to get around town...
In 1875, the Bowling Green Railroad Company operated its first train from its namesake city in Ohio south to Tontogany on rails made from the wood of the local slippery elm tree. The trees were...
The Chessie Circle Trail (formerly Westside Corridor Rail-to-Trail) provides a paved (and compacted stone), 11-mile north-south route through western Toledo built along the former Toledo Terminal...
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...
You won’t find this trail’s name on the ground: the continuous stretch is actually made up of the scenic trails within Oakwoods Metropark, Willow Metropark and Lower Huron Metropark, 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...
This trail runs from the Matthaei Botanical Gardens two miles south to Parker Mill Park. It was conceived in response to the need for a safer alternative for non-motorized travelers. Dixboro Road only...
The Kiwanis Trail occupies an old railroad bed between Adrian and the southern edge of Tecumseh. The trail is currently the only open component of a much longer proposed regional greenway trail. In...
The Border-to-Border Trail is a work in progress, which when complete, will stretch across Washtenaw County from its border with Livingston County in the northwest to Wayne County in the east. Much of...
The new Riverbend Preserve in southern Washtenaw County features 58 acres of wetlands on both sides of the Raisin River. The area is a common resting place for migratory birds on their trek across the...
The Dr. Richard D. Ruppert Rotary Trail circles International Park along the east bank of the Maumee River in East Toledo. The trail runs between the Main Street bridge and Navarre Avenue, where it...
The University/Parks Trail is a wide, paved trail that extends from Toledo into its western suburbs along a former railroad corridor. More than half the trail also parallels an active freight...
Providing nearly two and a half miles of paved trail through a mixture of suburban and industrial land, the Brownstown Township Trail may not be much of a destination trail, but it is a great resource...
Running from the city of Monroe's popular Munson Park, through the city's charming historic downtown, and out to Sterling State Park - one of the most-frequented of Michigan's state parks - the River...
A popular destination year-round for residents across the Detroit area, the Lake Erie Metropark offers a wide variety of activities and recreation sites across its 1600-plus acres. Nestled along the...
The Russell Street to Patterson Street Trail links the two roads via a former railroad corridor in Tecumseh. Located in a residential area nearly equidistant between downtown Tecumseh to the north and...
The north part of this trail is quite nice, but the south half is very rough. The south end has many driveways cut through the older trail surface which makes for a rough ride. I rode this trail with my recumbent trike and will not do it again.
As a disclaimer, the Border-to-Border Trail isn't technically complete yet. There are still connecting pieces of it being worked on and created, but once this trail is complete you will be able to ride from Ypsilanti all the way to Chelsea without once having to turn onto any roads.
I rode this trail a lot in summer 2020, starting in Ypsi and making my way to either Ann Arbor or Dexter. It is a shared trail and goes through some very popular parks, so expect to see more leisurely bikers, runners/walkers and families on parts of this trail. Unless you're heading out very early or very late, this is not the trail to smash PRs or sprint on. It is a wonderful trail for scenic routes, has plenty of places to stop for a snack break (tables available in parks) and has access to restrooms (also available in the parks). There are a couple water fountains in certain sections on the trail for refilling any water bottles and there are also bike stations with air pumps for any needed bike repairs while on the trail.
There are sections that definitely need some TLC - hence the 4 star rating - mainly the section right after the Gallup Park wooden bridge (when heading west). The path here is rough - the pavement is rutted, not smooth and often I have to ride in the middle of the path since the edges are worn and broken. The going is very slow here -- but hopefully that will be repaired sometime in the future.
The Ann Arbor "terminus" is at Bandemeer Park. There currently isn't a connection to the Dexter portion of the B2B trail (currently being worked on and not slated for completion until 2022, I believe), so if you wish to continue your journey to Dexter some road riding is needed. You can either ride through the Barton Hills neighborhood (the first left outside of Bandemeer Park) to Huron River Drive, or take a shorter route through the Barton Nature Area to connect to Huron River Drive. The route through Barton Nature Area is short while the ride through Barton Hills is longer and has some steep hills (especially near the Barton Hills Golf Course). Still a pretty ride, though. Once you get to Huron River Drive -- there's no bike lanes but it's a popular road cycling route so drivers are usually familiar with seeing cyclists there. It's about 6 miles of curvy road riding on Huron River Drive before you can connect to the Dexter portion of the B2B trail. Ypsilanti to downtown Dexter is the longest section of the trail I've ridden so far, so I can't comment on the Dexter to Chelsea route.
Overall I highly recommend this trail, and I really commend the cities of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Dexter and Chelsea for creating and managing it. You can ride select parts of the trail or all of the trail -- since the B2B goes through main parks it's easy to drive and park at different spots to start. And since the trails also pass through or near each of the cities' downtown areas, you can also easily hop off to check out any restaurants, events or sites in town. My favorite stops are the Argo Cascades in Ann Arbor (you can pull to the side of the trail and watch the kayakers and tubers go down the river -- and even take a dip in the river if it's a particularly hot day), the local Dairy Queen in Dexter during the summer, the Dexter Cider Mill in the fall, and Go! Ice Cream in Ypsilanti any time of the year. When I'm doing shorter, leisurely rides with others I like to pack a lunch and bike from the east end of Gallup Park (off N Dixboro Road) to the Argo Cascades and stop to have lunch on the river bank and bike back, or bike from Ypsilanti to Gallup Park, have a picnic at Gallup Park and then bike back to Ypsilanti.
As one last head's up there is a local bike shop near the Ann Arbor B2B trail if you have any major bike issues during your trip - Sic Transit Cycles - only about 200 feet from the trail, right by the Argo Cascades.
I live a couple miles away and I ride this trail often. Only a couple miles long but you get a nice mix of forest, marsh, and lakeside views! Path is smooth and cleared very quickly after snowfall, highly recommend!
I had the chance to ride the whole NCIT from Genoa (newest part of trail) to Elyria. So many great restored train stops, bridges, and even railroad museum right on the trail. Active rail line next to trail for about 10 miles.
Most of trail is paved now but with some sections of loose gravel or even large ballast I would recommend at least a gravel or cross bike/tires.
Great scenery, unsuspecting calmness and tranquility.
I really enjoyed this trail. It was a great way to spend a few hours on the bike.
This was a pleasant trail through the woods and meadow. The surface is mainly wood chips, dirt and grass, which would be more suitable for wider tires, rather than a road bike with skinny tires. I used a touring bike with 28 mm tires and didn't have a problem. It might be harder if the trail was wet. Just depends on how comfortable you are on those types of trails. Definitely a good trail to hike. I biked a few of the loops and did 3 miles total, which didn't take that long. I did not go in the Discovery Center since it was closed at the time.
I rode this trail for the first time a few days ago. It's great and well used. A trail is across the road at the western end point, which is a 1/2-1 mile long. Another cyclist said they hope to extend that trail. Parking at the western end point on King Road is only by businesses. Ask for permission since the signs say they will tow you away. I parked there along the trees with permission and had no problems. Try to take the time to go into Wildwood Preserve Metropark if you can. There is a nice 1.65 mile loop (Walk/Bike Path) there and a spur off of it through a covered bridge over the Ottawa River and beyond to Corey Road, called the Regional Walk/Bike Connector.
On October 7, 2020, I parked at Bowman Park to take the route south. The first approximately 2 miles was on the gravel/crushed stone trail, but then it ended at a road. I checked the trail on Google Map, which led me straight (sort of) onto grass and gravel. That didn't seem right and I knew I couldn't always trust Google, so I checked TraiLink, which I should have done in the first place. The trail zigzagged a bit, crossing the road and onto residential streets. It then went into Ottawa Park. Another section of the trail curved through the wide meridian between opposite one-way streets. Grass and weeds were growing through the cracks, otherwise it would have been a really nice section. Other parts of the route were on sidewalks, some which were narrow, uneven and had grass growing in the cracks. Some places there was an option of using the bike lane on the road. The trail also went on roads through a portion of the Health and Science campus of the University of Toledo. The southern most 1-2 miles was on a really nice wide asphalt trail. I was confused about the mile markers there since I saw 9.25, but then the trail soon ended. I was expecting to go until I saw 11. I didn't think I went that far beyond the 9.25 marker. There is parking there for only a few vehicles. I did not see restrooms of any type there, however there were some in Highland Park, Ottawa Park, and Bowman Park. Some might have been closed due to COVID regulations, but pit toilets were just off the trail in Ottawa Park. The southern portion had more signs (Bike Toledo CC Trail), than I remember seeing once in Ottawa Park and north of it. There were many many road crossings, some which had designated cross walk signals to use. It took me 1.5 hours to go north. I would recommend parking at River Road at the southern end point and bike north, follow the signs and the map on TraiLink. That way if you decide not to do the whole route, you would have done the better part.
On Thursday, we drove to the Wood County Park District’s Rudolph Savanna looking for a trail to explore. I am in a wheelchair. My spouse provides my locomotion. From the Savanna’s parking lot, we accessed a lovely compacted earth/grass pathway, with very modest changes in elevation, that meandered through prairie and forest. At the end of the path, we found ourselves on a portion of the Slippery Elm Trail. We seized the opportunity and completed the section from Rudolph to Greensburg Pike before returning to the Park. We enjoyed The lovely fall colors and native plants and look forward to visiting in the spring.
1) The overpass above the railway line south of Michigan Ave has three spots where the concrete is dangerously unlevel. Beware road bike riders. In the same stretch there are a few areas of collected sand; sand caution. 2) The asphalt path going through the underpass at the rail line near Hannah has dramatic buckling and sinking. It is always narrow and sandy (from unavoidable run off). This feels like mountain biking. Road bikers be cautious. 3) South of Huron the path becomes a jungle; the asphalt is laced with significant mounds of grass. The area is nearly impassable on a road bike without gravel or “knobby” tires. I could not complete the connection to the end, I was forced to turn back. Otherwise, the trail is pretty enjoyable.
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