Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Massillon, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
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The County Line Trail travels the path of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad between Rittman and Creston. A highlight of the trail is a former Baltimore & Ohio freight station located just west of...
The Coshocton Three Rivers Bikeway provides safe and direct access from the City of Coshocton to the Coshocton Lake Park Recreational Complex and historic Roscoe Village. Two crossings under US 36...
The Rocky River Reservation All Purpose Trail parallels Valley Parkway through several western suburbs of Cleveland, but this is no traditional suburban side path. Instead, the winding trail through...
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is an amazing trail journey that takes users from the heart of this country’s industrial might in cities like Cleveland and Akron, to some of the most beautiful...
Cleveland Metroparks’ Lake to Lake Trail links Lake Isaac and Lake Abram in Middleburg Heights via an asphalt- and boardwalk-surfaced path. The two lakes are the largest remaining glacial wetlands in...
The nearly 11-mile MetroParks Bikeway provides a scenic and well-designed link to communities and natural sites in this northeast region of Ohio. The rail-trail follows a corridor between Canfield and...
For nearly 9 miles, the Mill Stream Run Reservation All Purpose Trail runs through a wooded park in Berea, a western suburb of Cleveland. Though the trail loosely parallels Valley Parkway, you will...
The Portage Hike and Bike Trail stretches nearly 10 miles between Kent and Ravenna, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland and the southern shores of Lake Erie. As of December 2015, its entire length...
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...
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The Iron Horse Trail runs along the corridor of a railroad that originally connected Alliance and Minerva. The north section runs from State St, across from the University of Mount Union, to the...
Once the corridor of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, today the 11.2-mile Conotton Creek Trail offers complete immersion in a bucolic setting in northeastern Ohio. Situated in the rolling...
The Western Reserve Greenway travels 43 miles through a scenic, mostly rural area, cutting a north–south course from Ashtabula to Warren in northeastern Ohio. The route follows much of the...
Holmes County, located in northeastern Ohio, is the heart of the state’s Amish country. Visitors to this rural enclave will find meandering country roads and bucolic natural areas, as well as the...
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Northern Ohio's Freedom Trail currently offers more than 7 miles of tree-lined pathway along the former Freedom Secondary Railroad. From Eastwood Avenue in eastern Akron, the paved trail follows a...
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 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 Morgana Run Trail runs on a former Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway corridor through Cleveland’s historic Slavic Village neighborhood. The paved rail-trail connects residents to Cleveland...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
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Ohio's Nickel Plate Trail runs for 2.5 miles from 5th Street near Ravenna Avenue (Metzger Park) to Swallen Avenue south of town. The wooded corridor follow an old railroad right-of-way through parks,...
For nearly 9 miles, the Mill Stream Run Reservation All Purpose Trail runs through a wooded park in Berea, a western suburb of Cleveland. Though the trail loosely parallels Valley Parkway, you will...
The Morgana Run Trail runs on a former Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway corridor through Cleveland’s historic Slavic Village neighborhood. The paved rail-trail connects residents to Cleveland...
The Lester Rail Trail in Ohio's Medina County runs 3 miles between Abbeyville Road and Lester Road in York Township. The trail passes through bucolic farmland with scattered remnants of prairie, where...
The Olde Muskingum Trail parallels the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canalway between Cherry Street in Canal Fulton and Forty Corners Road just north of Massillon. The 6-mile scenic trail has a...
The Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway extends 17 miles along the city's Lake Erie shoreline, between the suburbs of Euclid and Lakewood. The bikeway has on-road sections, and the route is signed. The...
Cleveland Metroparks’ Lake to Lake Trail links Lake Isaac and Lake Abram in Middleburg Heights via an asphalt- and boardwalk-surfaced path. The two lakes are the largest remaining glacial wetlands in...
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....
Northern Ohio's Freedom Trail currently offers more than 7 miles of tree-lined pathway along the former Freedom Secondary Railroad. From Eastwood Avenue in eastern Akron, the paved trail follows a...
Holmes County, located in northeastern Ohio, is the heart of the state’s Amish country. Visitors to this rural enclave will find meandering country roads and bucolic natural areas, as well as the...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
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...
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is an amazing trail journey that takes users from the heart of this country’s industrial might in cities like Cleveland and Akron, to some of the most beautiful...
The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
Ohio's Nickel Plate Trail runs for 2.5 miles from 5th Street near Ravenna Avenue (Metzger Park) to Swallen Avenue south of town. The wooded corridor follow an old railroad right-of-way through parks,...
Once the corridor of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, today the 11.2-mile Conotton Creek Trail offers complete immersion in a bucolic setting in northeastern Ohio. Situated in the rolling...
The Zoar Valley Trail winds along the Tuscarawas River between the village of Schoenbrunn in the south and Fort Laurens State Memorial in Bolivar in the north. The path offers a mixture of rolling...
The Rocky River Reservation All Purpose Trail parallels Valley Parkway through several western suburbs of Cleveland, but this is no traditional suburban side path. Instead, the winding trail through...
The nearly 11-mile MetroParks Bikeway provides a scenic and well-designed link to communities and natural sites in this northeast region of Ohio. The rail-trail follows a corridor between Canfield and...
The Portage Hike and Bike Trail stretches nearly 10 miles between Kent and Ravenna, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland and the southern shores of Lake Erie. As of December 2015, its entire length...
The Coshocton Three Rivers Bikeway provides safe and direct access from the City of Coshocton to the Coshocton Lake Park Recreational Complex and historic Roscoe Village. Two crossings under US 36...
The Harrison-Dillard Bikeway is a north-south urban path that not only connects the Lake Erie shoreline with the University Circle district, but connects trail users with Cleveland’s cultural past....
The Coshocton Three Rivers Bikeway provides safe and direct access from the City of Coshocton to the Coshocton Lake Park Recreational Complex and historic Roscoe Village. Two crossings under US 36...
The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
The Rocky River Reservation All Purpose Trail parallels Valley Parkway through several western suburbs of Cleveland, but this is no traditional suburban side path. Instead, the winding trail through...
Holmes County, located in northeastern Ohio, is the heart of the state’s Amish country. Visitors to this rural enclave will find meandering country roads and bucolic natural areas, as well as the...
Ohio's Nickel Plate Trail runs for 2.5 miles from 5th Street near Ravenna Avenue (Metzger Park) to Swallen Avenue south of town. The wooded corridor follow an old railroad right-of-way through parks,...
The Mohican Valley Trail runs for nearly 5 miles along a former right-of-way of the old Penn Central Railroad on the eastern edge of Knox County, between Brinkhaven and Danville. The trail features...
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is an amazing trail journey that takes users from the heart of this country’s industrial might in cities like Cleveland and Akron, to some of the most beautiful...
The Iron Horse Trail runs along the corridor of a railroad that originally connected Alliance and Minerva. The north section runs from State St, across from the University of Mount Union, to the...
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...
Once the corridor of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, today the 11.2-mile Conotton Creek Trail offers complete immersion in a bucolic setting in northeastern Ohio. Situated in the rolling...
The Zoar Valley Trail winds along the Tuscarawas River between the village of Schoenbrunn in the south and Fort Laurens State Memorial in Bolivar in the north. The path offers a mixture of rolling...
The County Line Trail travels the path of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad between Rittman and Creston. A highlight of the trail is a former Baltimore & Ohio freight station located just west of...
The Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail runs parallel to the Middle Fork of the Little Beaver Creek and has many beautiful and interesting features, including glacial outwashes, upland fields, mature...
The Olde Muskingum Trail parallels the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canalway between Cherry Street in Canal Fulton and Forty Corners Road just north of Massillon. The 6-mile scenic trail has a...
Traveling just over 18 miles through some of the most scenic areas of the Buckeye State, the Richland B&O Trail is an ideal way to immerse yourself in the region. Built partially as a result of the...
The bucolic Headwaters Trail is a pleasant 8-mile journey through the rural landscape between Mantua and Garrettsville. The path has a crushed-stone surface and is mostly shaded. It follows the route...
The nearly 11-mile MetroParks Bikeway provides a scenic and well-designed link to communities and natural sites in this northeast region of Ohio. The rail-trail follows a corridor between Canfield and...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
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...
Just as an update, the entire trail was recently repaved and is in great condition.
I rode 8.77 miles on an out-and-back ride on this trail connecting Shaker Heights with the University Circle neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. I started at Horseshoe Lake Park in Shaker Heights and rode down into the Cleveland Museum of Art using this trail and the southern part of the Harrison Dillard Bikeway. The multi-use trail that runs around the southern half of Horseshoe Lake is in good shape with a few spots of tree root uplift. The trail crosses over the spillway of the lake's dam and deposits one near Beaumont School on North Park Boulevard. At this point there is a narrow asphalt pathway that travels west along North Park past Lower Shaker Lake and on to Coventry Road. The path is narrow, pitted and pockmarked, and not very level. I took this path because this trail is listed here in TrailLink as a trail. However, I would recommend using the bike lanes found on North Park Boulevard as the surface of the road is much smoother. On my return trip I rode these bike lanes as the pathway had become pretty busy with runners and pedestrians on this beautiful February day.
Once you cross Coventry Road in Cleveland Hts. You will get to what is a multi-use trail. There is a bike repair stand at the corner of Coventry Rd. and North Park Blvd. From here the multi-use path parallels Fairhill Road which turns into Stokes Blvd on it's way down into the University Circle neighborhood. This trail ends at the Cleveland School of the Arts at the corner of Carnegie Avenue and Stearns Road. From here you connect to the Harrison Dillard Bikeway and can ride down to the museums on Wade Oval. I chose to ride down to the Cleveland Museum of Art before turning around and heading back. If you stay on the Harrison Dillard Bikeway, you will parallel Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd north down to the Lake Erie shoreline.
Two points to note: First, this is not a family friendly route. Most of the roads along this route are heavily trafficked. The bike lanes on North Park Blvd. are fairly wide and traffic doesn't seem to be too busy except during morning and evening rush hour. North Park and Fairhill Road seem to be popular non-freeway routes in and out of downtown Cleveland. If you use caution, obey traffic lights, and crosswalk signals getting into and out of University Circle will be fine. Secondly, there is a bit of a climb if you are heading south from University Circle toward Shaker Lakes. It is not too steep but you will be climbing almost the whole way back to Horseshoe Lake. The steepest part will be from Carnegie Avenue up to Coventry Road.
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!
Love the north inlet trail and a jog around the wetlands. It’s an amazing trail.
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.
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