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Great trail... I’ve worn my own path on it! Walked, biked, ran! Awesome place to relax!
Grin & Bear It race held annually in November to benefit the trail. 300 participants in 3 different races....half-marathon, 10k and 5k. Started at the Leetonia trailhead.
Weather conditions were terrible. Cold and damp since it rained all night. Then add in some wind. But this year was a record breaking attendance to benefit the trail.
New parking lot added which is called the Franklin Square Parking area. The trail was newly paved the first few miles at the Leetonia end. It was much needed!
The Shaker Median Trail is a nice little park trail. It is located between the eastbound and westbound roadways of Shaker Boulevard in the cities of Beachwood and Shaker Heights, Ohio. The trail runs from Friendship Circle in Pepper Pike to Warrensville Center Road in Shaker Heights. This is not a destination trail, nor a trail that is a link to other trails. It simply serves the recreational needs of local residents in Beachwood and Shaker Heights. The path is narrow particularly in the Beachwood City Parks. Despite it being a chilly day there were a number of people out walking on the trail or walking with their dogs. On warmer days, I would imagine that the park would be much busier, so a crowded narrow pathway could be a bit of problem for a cyclist. Signs in the park directed toward cyclists limit your speed to 10 mph. The trail is listed as 3 miles long and I rode an out and back ride trying to incorporate all of the loops within the Beachwood City Parks so my total distance traveled was 7.3 miles.
I enjoyed riding this trail. Due to the chilly weather I think that I did not encounter as many pedestrians as I would have on a warmer day. This left this narrow trail more wide open than it may have been otherwise, so I was able to ride pretty much unimpeded. One thing that I did not enjoy about this trail were the numerous dog droppings that had not been cleaned up by pet's owners. That was disappointing because there were a number of signs posted within the park reminding pet owners of this responsibility. Otherwise this was a nice little ride.
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.
The end of October we had some really warm days in a row. Took advantage of one of them and biked the Western Reserve Trail. Parked in Orwell and biked a little beyond Rock Creek, and back. Then went South for a few miles. Total trip for the day was 24 miles.
Trail is virtually flat and nicely asphalt paved. Though covered with leaves in a lot of places, they were leaf blowing out there that day and doing a great job!
Gorgeous fall foliage along the trail.
The Kokosing Gap Trail is one of my favorite Ohio rail trails. I first learned of and enjoyed this trail during my first trip across Ohio back in 2013. On a southbound Ohio to Erie Trial route ride the trail starts in Danville, advances to Howard, then Gambier, and finally to Mount Vernon, Ohio. The first 10 miles are very flat, but after Gambier you begin climbing at railroad grade into Mount Vernon.
Each town has something unique to see along the trail. In Howard there is a unique stone bridge and building combination that carries US-36 over the once former rail line. When you come into Gambier, you come upon Gambier Station and the Kenyon College Athletic facilities. At the station you will find restrooms, a picnic pavilion with tables, and a repair station.
You will also see an 0-6-0 switching steam engine, a flat car, and a caboose on display. A little farther down the trail you come upon Kenyon’s Brown Family Environmental Center. There is a beautiful garden there, quite a few hiking trails, and lots of environmental programming.
After the environmental center you begin climbing toward Mount Vernon while following the Kokosing River. You'll cross two beautiful railroad bridges in the process.
When you reach Mount Vernon you'll have to cross over Mount Vernon Avenue. If you go straight after crossing you'll end up in Phillips Park a recreational baseball park and picnic area. This is where the Kokosing Gap Trail used to end. However, if you turn left after crossing Mount Vernon Avenue you'll ride on the short Downtown Connector Trail. This one mile trail connects directly to the Heart of Ohio Trail.
The Mohican Valley Trail is a short rail trail of 4.8 miles located on the eastern edge of Knox County, Ohio that connects the Holmes County Trail with the Kokosing Gap Trail. I rode this trail on October 1, 2019 as I headed south on the Ohio to Erie Trail route.
The most interesting feature of this trail is located near the town of Gann (or Brinkhaven). This feature is the Bridge of Dreams. It is an old railway bridge over the Mohican River that has been converted into a covered bridge. The bridge is 370 feet long. The bridge is open to pedestrian, bike, and Amish buggy traffic but not motorized vehicles. There is a fairly large trailhead on the eastern end of the bridge with a portapotty and a picnic pavilion. Trail users may camp here near the river.
The rest of this trail is somewhat uneventful. It is a paved tree-lined trail where you get the impression that you are constantly climbing if you are traveling westward. However, It is not one big long climb. Once you get to the small town of Danville, you need to make a very short road ride on a couple of streets in order to make the connection to the next link in the Ohio to Erie Trail route -- the Kokosing Gap Trail.
To me this is a 3-star trail. Perhaps it deserves an additional 1/2 star for the Bridge of Dreams, which is impressive. However, this trail is not of the same quality as the two trails it connects.
I rode The Holmes County Trail as part of my recent southbound cross-state ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail route. This trail is one of the most beautiful trails I have ridden in Ohio. One section runs from Fredericksburg to Holmesville, Millersburg and then Killbuck, Ohio. Another section runs from Glenmont to Brinkhaven/Gann, Ohio. Between Killbuck and Glenmont one must currently ride on OH-520 in order to make the connection to the southern section of the trail. Plans are in the works to complete the rail trail between Glenmont and Killbuck, but it will require an engineering study and plan as the abandoned rail line between these two towns runs through swampy and wet conditions.
What I like about this trail is that in between Fredericksburg and Killbuck it is very wide and flat. One side of the trail is designated for bikes and pedestrians and the other side is designated for Amish horse and buggies. The trail is fairly wide open from Fredericksburg to Holmesville, but after you pass the Holmes County Home south of Holmesville, a canopy of trees engulfs the trail for most of the rest of its length.
From Millersburg to Killbuck the trail is wide and tree-covered. It is surrounded by swamps and Killbuck Creek. I can imagine that at certain times of the day and of the year it can be quite buggy. There are a few spots along the trail in this area where there are wetlands observation decks. Once you reach Killbuck you will road-ride on OH-520 to reach Glenmont, Ohio and the trailhead for the southern section of the trail. Route 520 is a scenic road that meanders and rises and falls on short rolling hills through the Black Creek Valley. There is good driver visibility on this stretch of road but use your head and tail lights as the short hills and curves can create a few blind spots.
Once you reach the Glenmont trailhead the trail climbs over a ridge to get out of the county. The climb is 3.5 miles long but is a very manageable railroad grade slope. The last 500-1000 feet of this climb, get tough as the slope increases quite a bit to get up and over Holmes County Road 75. The next 4.5 miles is a gentle descent on the other side of the ridge which parallels US-62 until it passes through a tunnel under the roadway and connects to the Mohican Valley Trail.
This will be a 5-star trail once the gap between Killbuck and Glenmont is developed.
On September 30, 2019 I rode the Sippo Valley Trail as part of my southbound ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail. This is a 10 mile trail that essentially runs westward from Massillon to Dalton, OH. The Sippo Valley Trail is weird. The ends of the trail in Massillon and Dalton are paved for the city residents but the middle which travels between quite a few farms remains crushed stone. This crushed limestone surface gets softer when it rains a lot, which it did on September 30th. The wet stone surface was passable with my 26 x 2.0 Schwalbe Marathon tires, but the wet stone surface on this day certainly ended up providing increased rolling resistance.
After reaching the end of the Sippo Valley Trail in Dalton, you must currently road-ride to the start of the Holmes County Trail in Fredericksburg, by riding from Dalton to Apple Creek and then Fredericksburg. This on-road section is the toughest section of the entire Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) Route. It is also the largest continuous gap in the OTET. The abandoned rail lines between Fredericksburg, Apple Creek, Dalton, and Orrville certainly exist, but they need to be developed. This may be the area you want to skip if you are riding the OTET. This road route is fairly well signed with Ohio bike route #1 signs at most intersections or change in directions. However, I would suggest that anyone attempting to ride the Ohio to Erie Trail should purchase a set of maps from the Ohio to Erie Trail website.
Finally, a word of warning to all you potential OTET riders. If you are looking to reserve a room in Amish country make sure you make the call before you get into Amish country. Since the Amish don’t use cell phones there are very few cell towers, if any. In addition, the hills in this area can create dead zones, if you are below the tops of the hills. I had hoped that this situation had improved in the 3 years since I last came through this area on a cross-state ride but, alas, no such luck.
This is a short trail that connects the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail along the Cuyahoga River in an area of downtown Cleveland known as the Flats. There are currently two gaps in this trail. The first gap is between the current end of the trail on Whiskey Island and Wendy Park and the old U.S. Coast Guard Station at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Lake Erie. The reason this is not yet complete is because a bridge needs to be built over a very busy rail line that runs between the current end of the trail and Wendy Park. Cleveland Metroparks has completed plans for this bridge but construction has not yet started. The second gap exists between old Detroit Avenue/Riverbed Street and the lift bridge on Columbus Road. There is an old roadbed in this gap which I believe was once Riverbed Street. You can use this old roadbed to connect to the trail at Columbus Road. The reason this is not "open" is because the hillside along Riverbed Street is unstable. This hill sits above a turn in the Cuyahoga River that is known as Irish Town Bend. There are plans to redo this hillside, make a park out of this land, and fill in the trail gap here. The roadbed is currently passable, but this is an area where the homeless bed down at night. They tend to exist in the brush between the roadway and the river. I have ridden through here a couple of times and have not had any problems. When the hillside is rebuilt I'm sure that the brush along the river will be removed and the homeless encouraged to move on. If this sounds like an uncomfortable riding choice for you, an alternative route to reach the Towpath Trail would be to ride down old Detroit Avenue and cross the Cuyahoga River at the Center Street Swing Bridge and then pick up the Towpath Trail at Scranton Flats.
The Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway is a 17 mile trail that stretches from just West of Edgewater Beach Park on Cleveland's west side to the Wildwood Marina in Euclid Creek Reservation Metropark on the east side. This month, I rode just 3.25 miles of the Cleveland Lakefront Trail as the start of a weeklong southbound ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail. I rode between the Script Cleveland sign overlooking Edgewater Beach to West 28th Street and Washington Avenue, where I chose to ride to West 25th Street and then down to the start of the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Trail at the corner of Mulberry Avenue and River Road.
This west side portion of the Cleveland Lakefront Trail is in good shape. The asphalt in this section is fairly new and smooth and the signage, both directional and historical, are all noticeable and graffiti-free. I am hoping that these signs are something that will be continued throughout the entire length of the trail but as of June 2019 when I last rode the entire length of this trail they were not in place, particularly on the east side of Cleveland. In addition, there have been bike pathways added to this route that lead into the flats with the intention of connecting the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The intention is to have the Towpath end at the planned Canal Basin Park. However, for those riders that want to dip their tires in both the Ohio River and Lake Erie, Edgewater Beach will remain the best place for your bike to touch the waters of Lake Erie.
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