Find the top rated walking trails in Lancaster, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail runs interrupted for nearly 18 miles between Reynoldsburg and Groveport on the southeastern edge of Columbus. The trail parallels Blacklick Creek for the vast...
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 Scioto Greenway Trail is an urban greenway at its best. A segment of the Central Ohio Greenways trail network that covers more than 120 miles throughout the state, the 12.2-mile multiuse trail...
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 Kokosing Gap Trail delights visitors with its rich railroad history, which is on display throughout the paved route. Once the corridor of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the rail-trail now connects the...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
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Columbus’ Downtown Connector Trail provides a vital link between neighborhoods and schools on the city’s east side and the downtown area. On its east end, the paved pathway begins adjacent to I-670...
This nearly 5-mile trail system weaves throughout historic Canal Winchester, Ohio, a southern suburb of Columbus. The extensive network links residents with parks, businesses and the city’s high...
The Rocky Fork Trail is a developing pathway in Westerville and New Albany, which are northeastern suburbs of Columbus. The paved trail is currently available in five disconnected segments. The...
The Wellston Bike Path is just under 2 miles, but when combined with the path around Lake Alma, you can make it a 5-mile round-trip. North of town, the path parallels State Route 349, making for a...
Roundtown Trail is a greenway in Circleville, Ohio which opened in July of 2017. It is a linear trail, despite what its name might suggest. The trail stretches from the northwest corner of the Ohio...
The Hellbranch Trail offers a paved route of just over 5 miles in the northwestern Columbus suburb of Hilliard. The pathway connects residential neighborhoods and schools with recreational parks, a...
The Camp Chase Trail plays a role in two of Ohio’s most exciting trail projects: it is a key piece of the cross-state Ohio to Erie Trail and an integral part of the Central Ohio Greenways network...
The Foor Leisure Path is a short, paved trail that links the northern edge of Groveport’s quaint residential core with the Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail. The connection allows Groveport residents to...
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...
More than half of the smooth, flat, 6.1-mile Heritage Rail-Trail has a parallel 4-mile horse trail. The equestrian corridor starts at Hayden Run Road and continues northwest to the Cemetery Pike...
Although the Downtown Connector Trail is short, just a mile through Mount Vernon, it's a key connector between the Kokosing Gap Trail, which heads east to Danville, and the Heart of Ohio Trail, which...
The Paint Creek Recreational Trail is the flagship pathway of a planned trail network in the Ohio counties of Fayette, Ross and Highland. Nearly 35 miles of paved trail are currently open linking the...
The Alum Creek Greenway Trail takes you through a scenic landscape from Westerville through Columbus to Groveport, with easy access to adjoining neighborhoods and a multitude of public parks to enjoy....
Cruising along on the nearly 10-mile T. J. Evans Panhandle Trail (known locally as the Panhandle Trail), you might be surprised to encounter a massive basket seemingly plunked down by a giant. In...
The Ohio Canal Greenway extends south from Hebron on an old Penn Central Railroad right-of-way. Farm fields border the trail on the west, while remnants of the historic Ohio and Erie Canal are to the...
The Alum Creek Greenway Trail takes you through a scenic landscape from Westerville through Columbus to Groveport, with easy access to adjoining neighborhoods and a multitude of public parks to enjoy....
The Pickaway Trail is a developing rail-trail that begins in Circleville, located less than an hour's drive south of Columbus. Currently, the trail spans 2.5 miles along the former...
Roundtown Trail is a greenway in Circleville, Ohio which opened in July of 2017. It is a linear trail, despite what its name might suggest. The trail stretches from the northwest corner of the Ohio...
Located in central Ohio, the 14-mile T. J. Evans Trail is a popular route, attracting both locals and visitors. With its tree-covered canopy that provides respite from the sun on hot summer days,...
The Foor Leisure Path is a short, paved trail that links the northern edge of Groveport’s quaint residential core with the Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail. The connection allows Groveport residents to...
The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is one of southeast Ohio’s hidden trail gems. Tucked into the foothills of Appalachia, this 20-mile trail gives a sampling of the best the Buckeye State has to offer:...
Columbus’ Downtown Connector Trail provides a vital link between neighborhoods and schools on the city’s east side and the downtown area. On its east end, the paved pathway begins adjacent to I-670...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
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 Kokosing Gap Trail delights visitors with its rich railroad history, which is on display throughout the paved route. Once the corridor of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the rail-trail now connects the...
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 Fairfield Heritage Trail winds through and connects the community of Lancaster. It links a college, high school, junior high school and elementary school, as well as numerous parks and shopping...
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...
True to its name, the Heart of Ohio Trail lies in the central part of the state, extending from Mount Vernon southwest to the Knox-Licking County line just south of Centerburg. Along its nearly 16...
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 Meredith State Road Trail is a part of the Ohio to Erie Trail in Centerburg, Ohio. From Meredith State Road, the paved trail heads northeast within a wooded corridor towards the border between...
The Zane's Landing Trail—also known as the Zanesville Riverfront Bike Path—extends north from downtown Zanesville on a former railroad corridor wedged between the Muskingum River and an active rail...
The 29-mile Prairie Grass Trail is one of four rail-trails that radiate from Xenia Station, the hub of a vast, paved trail network in southwestern Ohio. The site is a former Baltimore & Ohio (B&O)...
The Village of Sunbury makes its own contribution to the expansive Ohio-to-Erie Trail with the Sandel Legacy Trail. The trailhead on Columbus and Vernon Street offers an early treat: a model railroad...
The Moonville Rail Trail is planned to be a 16-mile route that utilizes the former Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad that began service in the 1850s. This railroad provided only industrial service,...
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 Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is one of southeast Ohio’s hidden trail gems. Tucked into the foothills of Appalachia, this 20-mile trail gives a sampling of the best the Buckeye State has to offer:...
Although the Downtown Connector Trail is short, just a mile through Mount Vernon, it's a key connector between the Kokosing Gap Trail, which heads east to Danville, and the Heart of Ohio Trail, which...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a colossal project, not just for the state of Ohio but also nationally. Dreamed up more than 25 years ago, this route will eventually connect the Ohio River in Cincinnati to...
Columbus’ Downtown Connector Trail provides a vital link between neighborhoods and schools on the city’s east side and the downtown area. On its east end, the paved pathway begins adjacent to I-670...
The Scioto Greenway Trail is an urban greenway at its best. A segment of the Central Ohio Greenways trail network that covers more than 120 miles throughout the state, the 12.2-mile multiuse trail...
Beginning at a connection with the T. J. Evans Trail, this 3-mile paved pathway heads through Newark's western neighborhoods along the scenic Raccoon Creek to Flory Park. For much of the route, the...
The Pickaway Trail is a developing rail-trail that begins in Circleville, located less than an hour's drive south of Columbus. Currently, the trail spans 2.5 miles along the former...
True to its name, the Heart of Ohio Trail lies in the central part of the state, extending from Mount Vernon southwest to the Knox-Licking County line just south of Centerburg. Along its nearly 16...
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 Village of Sunbury makes its own contribution to the expansive Ohio-to-Erie Trail with the Sandel Legacy Trail. The trailhead on Columbus and Vernon Street offers an early treat: a model railroad...
The Old Town Creek Trail is a short but scenic pathway in Logan, the gateway to the Hocking Hills region of southeast Ohio. The trail links the county fairgrounds not far from Logan’s downtown to...
The Fairfield Heritage Trail winds through and connects the community of Lancaster. It links a college, high school, junior high school and elementary school, as well as numerous parks and shopping...
The Hellbranch Trail offers a paved route of just over 5 miles in the northwestern Columbus suburb of Hilliard. The pathway connects residential neighborhoods and schools with recreational parks, a...
The Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail runs interrupted for nearly 18 miles between Reynoldsburg and Groveport on the southeastern edge of Columbus. The trail parallels Blacklick Creek for the vast...
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 Rocky Fork Trail is a developing pathway in Westerville and New Albany, which are northeastern suburbs of Columbus. The paved trail is currently available in five disconnected segments. The...
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 29-mile Prairie Grass Trail is one of four rail-trails that radiate from Xenia Station, the hub of a vast, paved trail network in southwestern Ohio. The site is a former Baltimore & Ohio (B&O)...
I've rode it 3-4 times. It is a nice in the woods for most of it. The drawback is that it is not connected on either end with any other trails or parking. I understand that someday soon, the HOOT will link to it from the north. That would be great!
Note that this trail goes one long block further into London now: It ends at Walnut st instead of Maple. Might not seem like much, but it really helps as riding 665 at the Maple intersection was kind of hazardous!
It's hard to beat an urban trail like this one. I started in northern Westerville and rode the Galena trail south to the Big Walnut trail to get to the Alum Creek trail. Unfortunately there was construction along Polaris Parkway that forced me to use some surface streets and sidewalks to do this. Be aware that most maps read Alum Creek trail in Westerville, but these are really just sidewalks with traffic lights for crossing major intersections. I used a sidewalk to enter the Senior Center grounds a avoid a grade crossing by biking below a bridge.
Although water sources are shown on the map, I could not find them on this, my first ride on the Alum Creek trail.
The many graceful bridges made the ride rewarding. The contrast between urban riding and country riding was also dramatic. Connecting to the Blacklick Creek trail was very obvious. I rode on to the northern end of the Blacklick Creek and then back to Westerville. I found water at the Westerville fire department. The citizens of Columbus can feel proud and fortunate to have this gem. The very friendly riders I met along my journey really made a positive impression.
Be aware that there is a potentially dangerous dip in the center of the trail about a mile south of East Main St. on a downhill when headed south.
Beautiful trail that traverses Alum Creek via multiple, cool bridges. If you’re starting at the north end of the trail, plenty of parking at the Westerville Sports Complex/soccer fields. Very low gradient as you ride with the current of the creek southbound. Trail is in great shape/completely paved. Utilizes several boardwalks which are very slippery when wet. Roughly 15 miles in(if you start at the northern end), you can hop off of the trail and visit the Franklin Park Conservatory. Immediately before that, you can crossover the Broad St bridge or the ped bridge to the Old Bag of Nails pub, which has a wooden deck overlooking the creek. At least 50% of trail is shaded
The description said it was paved. It I was glad we took our hybrids. A lot of people were riding road bikes but too bumpy for my taste of riding road. Easy ride. Scenery was amazing! Would definitely do trail again.
Not a bad trail, too short if you want a serious ride. Nice Scenery and overall a very mellow ride.
My husband and I biked this trail taking the advice of other reviewers by starting at the southern end in Newark which for us was a good decision. The scenery was very nice, a tunnel of trees a lot of the way. Some parts were recently paved but I think at least 25% needs repair with lots of bumps and some sections the maintenance could have been improved. There was a section where the greenery was grown out over the trail. Would have been nice if there were a restroom somewhere along the trail!
Rode the trail from West State Street Park to Nelsonville, and back, about 14 miles each way. To reach the trail, follow W. State St. straight through the park, all the way to the end where it loops around the last baseball diamond. There is parking along the diamond loop. The trail is along the outer edge of the loop.
Riding the trail towards Nelsonville, the trail initially has a short downhill section (moderate) and then levels out quickly. The whole way out, I kept feeling like I was riding ever so slightly downhill, but the ride back felt just as easy. I wonder if the overall grade of the trail might be close to neutral, with sections that offer mild gradients periodically.
This section of trail is generally tree covered, providing nice shade. The portion through Athens itself, for the short portion I tried, seemed more open and exposed.
The trail does have some areas of root ridges, but they generally seemed to come it small clusters, and then be fine for a while. The trail otherwise seemed very smooth. There are periodic points when the trail must cross a road. Do follow the signs to stop/yield, but most crossings were easy. Mile markers are painted on the trail pavement, and while the numbers are not large, they are part of a stripe across the width of the trail, making them more pronounced.
I didn't really see any restroom facilities at West State Street Park, which seems odd for its size. Later, I found that if you follow the trail towards Athens for at most a quarter mile, after you go through the small parking lot and cross the street, there is a small red and white building on the trail that had signs noting it has water and restrooms available dawn to dusk (did not go in to verify). There also were port-o-potties along the trail by the road crossing at the Eclipse Company Store (mile 7), the Beaumont trailhead (mile 11), and in the Hocking College parking lot by the historical village (mile 16.5). The northern end of the trail runs between the Hocking College building and its parking lot. If you really had to, you could probably quickly run into one of the college buildings to find a restroom. The trail through Hocking College, by the historical village, also had a water fountain/bottle fill station, and a picnic pavilion to take a break. The signage at Nelsonville indicated restroom and water, but I didn't go into town to verify.
There are several points along the trail to park. They appear well illustrated on the trail's official pamphlet map (http://athensohio.com/wheretoplay/hockhocking-adena-bikeway-2/).
This trail overall just felt like a really nice ride. Very glad I tried it.
This is a very nice trail system. It has some sunny and some shady areas, and keeps pretty well to Alum Creek. I have never been on this trail and was a weekend visitor. What I want to share is that I felt like the signage for the trails at the junctions was not adequate. Well, nonexistent. There were several side trails to various athletic areas and parks, but no real signage to direct the rider. I looked over the online map before venturing out. But if you don't have a map in front of you, it is easy to get turned around. I actually went up a driveway that had the same asphalt as the trail. Oops. Anyway, its not intuitive for an out-of-towner.
We are in our 60s and like paved trails such as this one. We parked at the Athens Community Center and city park, under the solar collectors. Its just north of highway 50 as you come in to town from the east. We biked 18 miles to Nelsonville and back in one day. Great trail, well maintained, and goes thru beautiful scenery and wildlife along the Hocking River. Only one place to get food or water once the trail leaves Athens, and that's the Company Store bar a few miles north of Athens. At the north trail end in Nelsonville there are plenty of food choices. There are mile markers every half mile. At Nelsonville, the trail kinda dumps you onto a back street at the end, but you are near a great outdoor supply store that has a café! We highly recommend this trail. Thanks to those who maintain this trail!
A one and one half hour drive to Athens to ride this trail from our home in Huntington, WV is always well worth it. The majority of the trail is canopied and keeps the temps 10 - 15 degrees cooler than what is reported. Only the campus of Ohio University is entirely in the open and can be hot in mid summer days with a cloudless sky. A stop at The Eclipse Company Store, at mile marker 7.5, is a must for cold libations and fuel for the ride- before, during or after. We have found that starting at Nelsonville makes for a better and more enjoyable ride as this is the most shaded part of the ride and less headwinds, coming or going.
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