Bellefontaine-Urbana Completed this portion with my daughter. The tar and chip was much nicer than I expected. (Fine chip and well compacted). Only bad part was a stretch with deer flies.

We have ridden quite a few of the long rail-trails (GAP/C&O, Katy, Couer d'Alene, Chief Ladiga/Silver Comet, White Pines, Pine Creek, Greenbrier, Northbend) and The OTET is unmatched for the variety of things to see and do along the way. The landscapes vary from the lake to the industrial history of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, The Towpath, Amish country, Columbus, the soybean and cornfields of western Ohio, the Little Miami River and Downtown Cincinnati.

The trail will be finished next year in Cleveland and there will be only a small road section on W25th and Franklin. Then its path all the way to Dalton (once the temporary construction of the CSO project in Akron is complete and the trail restored and the detour removed). The 17 miles on the back country roads between Dalton and Fredericksburg were pleasant with very little traffic. Same with the 10 mile section between Centerburg and Sunbury. The Downtown Connector Trail between Alum Creek and the Scioto River had its interesting moments but wasn't bad (but it wasn't rush hour when we did it). The Camp Chase Trail is temporarily rerouted along Wilson Rd but pay attention to the detour signs so you don't get off track. Only other section that was a little rough was Just east of Cincy on Wooster Pike - rough road, and fast moving traffic that doesn't like to give you 3'. But its only a couple miles.

All in all a wonderful trip. We took 4 days to do it but we had ridden most of the sections in the last few years so were less compelled to stop. If this is your first or only time take a few extra days, make a lot of stops and enjoy all this route has to offer.

Comments cover 26 July 2020 round trip from Robinson Rd. to trail end in Chillicothe, which constituted roughly half of a 120-mile ride.
- Might need to get an orthodontist appointment and get my wheels re-trued after yesterday's thud-fest over root incursions, pavement holes, and tree debris--especially treacherous when the debris was hiding those incursions and holes. Trail might be OK for trail bikes or road bikes with wider tires, but if you're using 23-25 mm tires, plan on going slower than you probably normally would. I can't believe I didn't break a spoke. I've ridden thousands of miles on the trails extending from Xenia to Urbana, Piqua, Columbus, Cincinnati, and the county line east of Jamestown, and I can unequivocally say that this trail is the worst I've ever been on. I won't be back unless I'm walking.
- So glad I drove down the evening prior and stashed water bottles in a couple of places. If I hadn't, I'd probably still be out there lying in a ditch praying for rain or for a coyote to put me out of my misery.
- I did enjoy the relative isolation--less chance of others hearing me swear every few minutes about my bike and molars getting beat up.
- Lots of nice shade, but you pay for all those trees. Did I mention root incursions and debris? Conversely, some folks may consider the open sections through farmland to be extensive, so they should be sure to use sunscreen (even when it's cloudy!) and plan for hydration.
- When there's a known closed section of the trail, seems like signage at the nearest road crossings and/or trail spurs would be a good idea. Why put the first indication of a closure at the closure itself, miles from the nearest road, forcing users to backtrack? Can you imagine if the highway department did that with motorists? Why not alert folks before the closure and give them a chance to detour at the last available detour route?
- I'll also echo what several others have said about route signage and markings: Pay attention or have the route memorized. Maybe I'm a doofus, but the brief on-road portion heading west-to-east at the Marathon station on Clinton Rd. in Chillicothe snookered me. I missed the trail continuation on the other side of the road (possibly because cars waiting at the light were blocking my line of sight) and needlessly rode up the hill before realizing something was wrong. I did appreciate the occasional sign showing mileage to various cities.
- Finally, maybe I was hallucinating on my way back, or maybe my eyeballs had come loose from their sockets, but I swear some of the painted mile markers on the trail were repeated. For example, when I passed mile 15, I expected the next one to be 15.5, but I think the next one was 15 again.

The north segment of 5+ miles is great surface, easy crossings at roundabouts. South of Hyatts Road, the path is narrow, section torn up by development, narrow and bumpy.

We rode this trail from Toulon to Princeville today. It was great! The path was very good. It is mostly shaded. Excellent. We stopped in Wyoming on our way back for lunch. Ate at 111 Coffee Shop. Don’t be fooled, this is NOT just a coffee shop. The lunch was delicious. And it is decorated all with bikes! Perfect for us bikers. And check out the bathroom. Cute!!! Can’t wait to do more of the route from Princeville going south.

A small parking lot on Inskeep-Cratty holds about six cars. Wide trail. Straight and relatively flat. Mostly covered w a few patches of sun. It would be five stars if it had a water faucet/fountain. No facilities.

Great way to ride both trails. I started at the Railroad Depot in Mount Vernon and did the whole Heart of Ohio Trail. When I got back to my truck I grabbed another water and took the Connector Trail to Kokosing Gap Trail. On the Connector Trail I stopped and watched them play softball and tennis for awhile.

It’s a short ride and you can split it even more with turnoffs and entrances and exits along the way.

There is a washout on the south side of this trail, and a bridge closure on the north side. The date I was there was July 11, 2020. The center section of the trail is open, but there are no warnings that the trail has been closed.