I have been on here a few times, it’s pretty busy, and the closer you get to the city the more homeless there are sleeping or wandering the trail.. it’s pretty sketch..

The northern trailhead in North Lake Park (Mansfield) would benefit from better signage or markings. We rode around the lake looking for access to the bike trail. A map posted near the picnic pavilion directs you up the ramp, over the bridge and onto the trail.

My husband and I rode an 8 mile section from the trailhead parking lot by the intersection of route 60 and route 20, by the old historic bridge there. The path crosses route 60, which jogs towards Vermilion, and passes a nice pond and small park area with covered benches, a work out station and a portable restroom. Wakeman has a pub, a coffee shop and an East of Chicago Pizza right uptown near the Gazebo at the park for refueling.

Had a very enjoyed day on the trail. There were more users on the trail, than I thought there would be… but everyone was spread out and hardly noticeable. The trail had some debris all along the trail, but nothing that made the trail impassable. Plenary of benches spread out… but the only restroom facility was an port-a-John at the very beginning of the trail in Marion.

FWIW I use this trail a lot and enjoy it. However, certain parts are in need a a repaving as it’s either dirty or cracked (and soon after a rainstorm parts remain flooded for up to a day). Additionally, it’s crowded but not enough to hinder my ride normally.

Alright, let's get the lion out of the room - this isn't a continuous trail that you can ride for hours like the Olentangy, Alum Creek, or Scioto. That's probably why it has far fewer reviews, and generally less traffic.

But if you instead look at it from the possibility of an after work ride, perhaps with dinner in Creekside Gahanna, which connects up with it very well, then it's quite nice. The sections by the river are just as scenic as the Alum Creek Trail, and the bluebells in the forest are in full bloom this time of year.

The Gahanna section is also de facto connected, contrary to what TrailLink shows. The Central Ohio Greenways map at http://centralohiogreenways.com/interactive-map/ is more up-to-date, and shows that the only on-residential-road segment is on Nob Hill Drive. There's also one very short sidewalk-or-street section on Cherry Bottom Road just north of Johnstown Road; the full-width trail resumes north of Springbook Drive, one street later. But aside from that, you can get from Morse Road to I-270 by the airport on trail the whole way.

Signage could be better; it's very good for telling you which parks different cutoffs lead to, but not so good for telling you which way to go if you want to follow the main Big Walnut Trail. Gahanna could study what Columbus has done on the Alum Creek and Olentangy Trails for the next level of signage improvements; in the meantime have your preferred map available on your phone.

Longer term, it would be nice if more of this trail were connected; Big Walnut Creek appears to have the potential to support a trail rivaling its more well-known cousins. But until then, consider checking out the Gahanna section for a nice relaxed evening ride.

I rode this route on 4/23, for the second time overall but first this year. It's a beautiful trail. Shade most of the way, so a good option in the summer. As you get towards Newark, it parallels Raccoon Creek. The trail is in good condition, and Wildwood Park on the west side of Granville (10 miles from Johnstown) makes for a great place to stop for a break on the way.

I'd put this trail up along the top Central Ohio trails for scenery and relaxing rides, alongside the Kekosing Gap and Alum Creek trails.

Johnstown is at a higher elevation than Newark, so if you want the second half to be downhill, start at Newark. It's only about 300 feet difference, but the steepest part is by Johnstown, so if you start there you'll hit the elevation right when you're most tired.

There's a connector at 40.04666448775512, -82.47659987791373 that lets you get close to downtown Newark, or to OSU Newark (the "Newark Trail" on TrailLink); or take an alternate route back via Newark-Granville Road in Granville (not on TrailLink, but a dedicated bike path most of the way). This would be a good area to add a sign with directions.

There's also a short connector to Raccoon Valley Park near Granville, which isn't on the map but would be another valid area to park and start if you aren't from one of the communities along the route.

This is 5.4 miles from Newell Park on County Line to Hartford Rd just east of Sunbury. You can get thru Sunbury and pickup Sandel Trail. Now, if they go north from Newell Park about a mile it will connect to Heart of Ohio.

I rode the Sawmill Parkway Trail on 3/20/2022, starting just north of US-750, and going to the northern terminus, and exploring some of the connecting trails in Powell on the return. Slightly longer than TrailLink reports; my odometer (which tends to slightly underestimate) reported 8.7 miles one way, and I started just north of the official southern endpoint.

The trail's condition is generally very good, although a small section near Olentangy Liberty High School is worn. It should be suitable for all bikes.

The southern half (4.5 miles) is along a relatively highly trafficked part of Sawmill Parkway, with just a strip of grass between the trail and the road. You aren't close enough for it to feel risky, but you're constantly aware of the traffic, and it just isn't very fun to ride. It's kind of like the section of the Olentangy Trail that parallels 315 in that regard, but four times as long. Some shrubberies or other small plants would improve that part of the trail.

The northern half is much more scenic, in part because there is much less traffic once you get past the last subdivisions. It's a calm, relaxing ride, and as you approach the northern end you'll likely see some Cessnas, maybe a Learjet, flying overhead. Once you get to US-42, cross both zebra crossings and continue along the path, taking a right at the dead end. You'll be able to watch planes taking off and landing at Delaware Airport. Definitely a cool experience that most trails don't offer.

Once you return to Powell, you'll find a surprising amount of connecting trails; Powell has done a good job with building trails, and if they aren't at the level of Westerville or Dublin yet, they're at least well on their way. It should be fairly easy to find a place to eat, or you can just explore at random. Only downside is bike parking hasn't always caught up with the trail.

Which leads to the other point - other than the parks that connect within Powell, there isn't much supporting infrastructure north of route 750. A few small parking areas (and I did see a few people out walking who had parked there), but no water, restrooms, or signs. At 17 miles round trip, it might be nice to have some amenities partway through - or if there are some via a branch, then signs to them.

Recommended if you're local, or if you've already done the Olentangy/Alum Creek/Scioto/Genoa Township trails and want to ride somewhere new.