Ohio | TrailLink

The " Great American" Route Through Ohio

Several iconic trails play host to the Great American Rail-Trail in Ohio—the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Ohio to Erie Trail.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail connects two major metropolitan areas and one of the country’s most-visited national parks—and comprises a major portion of the Cleveland-to-Pittsburgh corridor of the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition, one of RTC’s TrailNation™ projects, which will connect Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York via a developing 1,500-miles-plus trail network.

In Clinton, the Great American route branches off on the Ohio to Erie Trail, which—connecting to Cincinnati through Columbus—is composed of many trails that link the state’s diverse communities, including that of the largest population of Amish in the country. Along the route, commemorative sites pay homage to the state’s rich historical attributes, including the role that it played with the Underground Railroad and as an innovator in American aviation.

nice but a bit difficult to navigate

July 2025 scott123180

Started on the north part of the trail going south. It switchbacks around a lot of major road infrastructure, but I didn’t have to cross a major road in any of the sections. I ended up getting a bit lost multiple times, but after about 3 miles in, it got a bit easier to navigate. It’s all paved and the part I road on was mostly good with a few sections of bumps. Definitely close to nature - i saw deer, rabbits, and a hawk catch another bird.

Trail from West Columbus to London

March 2022 jonesandrewd_tl

I re-rode the Camp Chase Trail from its eastern terminus to Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park today, and rode the section from there west last year. It's a nice trail, in good condition, and the gaps have been filled in over the years. Of particular note is that the gap orangedoug mentioned, at the Metro Park, was closed in March of 2020. It is a bit difficult to find the connection through the park from the west though; go to the roundabout at the west end of the parking lot, and find the trail branching off southwest (which would likely be the last direction you would expect to find it), and that's the connector, with an Ohio to Erie trail marker hiding in the woods.

I rated the trail 4/5 instead of 5/5 because while it is in good condition, it's the least scenic of the "big 5" trails in Columbus. I ride the Alum Creek Trail and Olentangy Trail every year; they're beautiful. Comparing this trail to the Alum Creek, the major difference is you forget you are in a city on the Alum Creek Trail. On the Camp Chase, for the first 7 miles going west, it's almost all city (there is a park area near Wilson Road). It does open up and become more scenic past Georgesville Road. Realistically, the section east of there is a "every few years" trail for me.

Parts of the eastern section were also reminders of the increasing poverty in parts of west Columbus since the pandemic; tent encampments were set up along parts of the trail and the parallel railroad, which hadn't been present the last time I rode the trail in 2020. In the afternoon of one of the first warm days of the spring, it didn't feel dangerous, but if you're planning an Ohio to Erie trip and aren't from the area, plan to be Downtown before sunset. At least the trail seems to be of use to the residents living by it; several tents had bikes by them and one man was working on his bike from the tracks when I went by in both directions.

The Hilltop Connector to the Scioto Trail at the eastern end is not a bad connector at all. Road speeds are moderate, most of it has a dedicated bike lane, and even at rush hour it didn't feel risky (and I'm not someone who rides roads).

June 2025, nice trail, not much shade

June 2025 vicki1960

We traveled 100 miles to this trail and really not impressed at all. Reading from the other reviews I maybe expected more. Though it is a nice scenic trail, there are a lot of trails out there that are nicer and more scenic. There really isn't much to see. We parked at M/M 6 in Scio. Traveled east to Jewett at mile marker 11. One covered bridge, zero shade on this section. It was a hot sunny day. Too hot, too sunny. Not much in Jewett. The trail grass was well taken of, recently cut and there are trash cans along which appeared to be regularly emptied. Coming back into Scio we refilled our water bottles and headed the other direction, West to Bowerston. A few more covered bridges and maybe 5% shade cover. Not much to see along this section either. There was quite a bit of noise coming from some industrial sites just off the trail. I think there are some well traveled roads near the trail and not many trees to muffle the sound. Checked this one off the list, worth riding once but not a do-over.

Day 5

May 2024 jarboe

Another one of the five great trails out of Xenia. This is a good one to close out a week of riding. Thank you, Xenia!

Indiana Trail Reviews

Accordion

September 2022

September 2022 vicki1960

Used this connector trail as we finished up on Heart of Ohio Trail and continued on seamlessly to Kokosing Gap. This connector now goes under S. Main Street Bridge.

Downtown Connector

October 2022 mwitkoff

We rode this trail on October 23, 2022. It is best to take this trail on a Sunday when there is not a lot of traffic. The trail along Jack Gibbs is in need of repair. Also the weeds and brush need attention by the city of Columbus.

Beautiful trail

October 2020 sjf0809

This is a nice trail through the trees, especially in the Fall when the leaves were turning yellow. The road crossings in the southern portion weren't bad when using the signals. The trail surface was in good shape.

Fairfield to Timberhill Metro Park

August 2025 myersfamily0305

Loved this section of the trail. It's such a lovely ride with beautiful views of the canal, many bridges, winding paths through the trees and along the canal... Just a gorgeous and fun ride. We ebike and pedal mostly the first trip... Thet shows the trail stopping at Renschler Park, but you can ride to Timberhill Park. Stopped at Hamilton via the Marcus Park exit & had a Salmon Egg, roll appetizer & drink at Tanos Bistro. Definitely recommend. Delicious. They're was a festival going on, but we didn't feel like walking. Very nice part of Hamilton. If you want to make a day,, this Park is always busy & had a stage for live bands

Beautiful trail with lots of different views, wooded to open farmland. Creeks and hills, with alot of fall foliage. We'll maintained, nice trailheads, with restrooms and picnic tables and benches.

October 2024 debnrhojee

A work in progress

August 2025 davidmaggiehome

I am thankful for the reviews as I was able to ride the grassy section to add a few miles. I did the county line trail before this one, between the two I managed to do 20 miles with a 7 mile car ride between the trails. Maybe I will live long enough to see and ride the completion of this trail system.

A beautiful scenery trail shared with Amish horse and buggy riders. Some areas ride a little rough, but overall well worth riding it.

July 2025 palaciosm025

Very Nice Short Trail with waterfront view

March 2023 normanhmath

This trail is awesome for looking out over the northern Hoover Reservoir as you ride Northbound from Plumb Road to a short connector that takes you to 3C Road and on into Galena Ohio if riding Northbound and if riding Southbound, you come back also viewing the reservoir through the forest. There is a bit of mud between the trail and the Reservoir and you need some strength for the southbound ride, it is a demanding uphill climb especially as you ride up to go over the bridge that crosses 3C road. That climb is a workout, you will actually hate it if you detest hills. It ends southbound at Plumb Rd when you turn right to go to the Genoa Trail for the ride into Westerville. This trail, Plumb Rd and The Genoa Trail essentially link Sunbury and Galena.

Great trail!

July 2025 cwil4230

Well maintained trail. The only thing missing is an ice cream shop.

Miamisburg to Middletown and back

July 2022 lfrances60

07/11/22 Nice ride along the river. Enough shaded parts to make up for the full sun.

Parking in Sunbury

October 2023 lisaecarr

Parking is available at J.R. Smith Park in Sunbury and the trailhead is less then .25 mile to the right /north of the parking lot. Very nice trail but it is a climb from Sunbury to Centerville. Great workout though!

Road trail August 15th

August 2025 yx4xzgd5fb

The trail itself was in good shape, fairly smooth not a lot of bumps. About 75% of the ride was shaded. It would be pretty in the fall when the leaves change colors. Major complaint is the amount of horse poop on the trail. And because most of the trail being shaped it was hard to avoid. Washed my bike when I got home. Kokosing Gap trail and Holmes County Trail are much better rides.

Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail. August 26, 2025.

August 2025 amy2paul

We are traveling and today was the only day we had to ride the trail. We entered at the Rockside Station and rode south. About 4 miles in, it started to rain off and on. We were sad because the forecast said 0% chance. Rode on for another few miles. By this time my husband's back was covered in mud from the wet trail and he was chilly, so we turned around and headed back. Total miles ridden was 17, so we only got a small portion but we loved it. So beautiful with yellow wildflowers all around. Informative historical signs tell you about the Erie Canal and life on the canal. Neat. I wish we could have ridden the train and then biked back, but we found out it doesn't run on Monday and Tuesday, and guess when we were here, yup Monday and Tuesday. If we are ever back in the area we would definitely ride it again!

This could be a great trail. We went north to Fredericksburg from Millersburg. The trail was smooth for the first 5 miles, then got rough. It is shared with horses and had droppings on both sides. There is no restrooms north of Millersburg.

July 2024 rsnider1953_tl

Day 3

A wonderful trail that slowly climbs out of Xenia. It begins with a canopy of trees and later turns to fields. An Inn on the trail in Cedarville warmly welcomes cyclists for a rest stop. It saved us from a passing thunderstorm.
Five Stars. We rode 51 miles.

Beautiful Trail

August 2024 brianlovell

Rode the Roberts Pass trail in both directions and found it to be a great trail. The tree cover shields from headwinds and midday sun.

Forms a great link from Sunbury to Galena but is sometimes confusing

Two issues I have with the Sandel Legacy Trail is it is hard to tell which parts of the trail linking Galena and Sunbury are [1] There are THREE TRAIL NAMES associated with this trail. Riding southwest to northeast, you pick up the Galena Brick Trail in Galena, either from Dustin Rd which is county road 104 or from N. Walnut Street in Galena proper if you followed West Columbus Street into Galena to go to The Coffee Vault or Galena Diner or simply through central Galena. Once you catch the Eastbound{Northeast bound} Galena Brick Trail , you pass through a park and playground, Miller Park and continue eastbound through residential Galena. Follow the trail straight into Sunbury and exit and you see the sign that says Sandel Legacy Trail . But as you are riding along on this trail, some of the streetsigns labeling the trail say Thomas W Hopper legacy Trail. Thus on a short 2.5 mile trail, you see three name changes and the transitions are not clear. Sandal Legacy is only named prominently on a sign at the east trailhead. [2] The continuation of the Ohio to Erie Trail from the Sandel Legacy is not clear from the map or from wayfaring signs at the Northeast trailhead of the Sandel Legacy. The map suggests you turn to S Columbus Street to follow a path to the North through Sunbury to Rainbow Street. However doing so requires a n unmarked LEFT TURN after crossing the Bridge over S Columbus Street to leave the trail and roll down to that street. The trail continues east to where the actual Sandel Legacy Sign is posted then ends in gravel through which you cut to the north to find yourself on N Vernon Street then you have to make a LEFT TURN {No sign informing you of this} onto E Cherry Street to get to North Columbus Street which you can then take to Rainbow Avenue. Signs for Ohio bike route 1 are pretty clear once you make it onto North Columbus Street, they will guide you to Rainbow Ave to High Street and then to Hartford Rd which gets you out of Sunbury, up a little hill, then you are ready for the actual Delaware County Preservation Parks Ohio to Erie Trail, all trail as of 6/3/2022 and it takes you onto the Heart of Ohio Trail. Sandel Legacy Trail itself is pretty nice but it is confusing, poorly signed especially at its transitions into Sunbury and it is unclear where it becomes Thomas W Hopper or Galena Brick.

tschmitt

June 2025 terry43017

Fun variety of beautiful views. Trail was clean but could have had better markers in a few locations. Had to consult map several times.

Trails connected

March 2021 sjf0809

I rode this trail on March 9, 2021 after having parked at the Depot in Sunbury. The Sandel Legacy Trail started just NE of the depot, went behind the building and seamlessly connected to the Thomas W. Hopper Legacy Trail, also or previously called the Galena Brick Trail. Only because of the signs alongside the trail, did I know that I was on a different trail. Signs identify various trees are along the trail. There are also many extensions going into the subdivisions being built. It also went by the Galena Shale and Brick Factory. Once I got to the end of the trail where it met the road in Galena, I turned around, pedaled past the Depot and on some of the streets in Sunbury until I got on the Meredith State Road Trail. Then I turned around and went back to my car. The total distance on the three trails was 6 miles.

A Great Network of Trails Serving the City of Westerville

November 2019 orangedoug

The Westerville B&W is more a network of trails rather than one single trail. They are not necessarily all rail-trails, though the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) in this trail system certainly seems like one because of how straight it was and how gradual the changes in elevation were. I rode just two of the trail routes in this network: The Ohio to Erie Trail (The Towers Trail on some maps) and the County Line/Schrock Trail. I rode the Ohio to Erie Trail south from Maxtown Road where the Genoa Trail ended, to County Line Road where I crossed over the street on a bridge and then circled back to pick up the County Line/Schrock Trail. I headed west on the County Line/Schrock Trail in order to get closer to the Polaris area where my hotel for the evening was located. The County Line/Schrock Trail definitely is not a rail-trail as the it rises and falls as it runs parallel to County Line Road. The ascents and descents were not too bad but they were not railroad grade hills. As I rode these trails I was struck by how wide they were, and how well they seemed to fit in with local infrastructure. Part of me thinks that one reason for the many wide trails in this network was that they were built as the city transitioned from a farm community to a Columbus suburb before many of the buildings and homes in the area were built. Or perhaps the community had a visionary City Council and Mayor that knew that these trails were something that a growing community would want to attract new residents and pushed for their construction despite the cost and barriers that had to be overcome.

The next day I rode the same trail routes out of town. I rode south on the Ohio to Erie Trail until I reached the Westerville Bike Depot. The Bike Depot was an interesting place to stop. It has a very clean and awesome display of now and then pictures of Westerville. There are water fountains, bike racks, rest rooms, lockers, a picnic table, and a fireplace. It is located behind the Westerville Public Library in Hanby Park. The southbound OTET route in Westerville is well signed and easy to follow. You follow the Ohio to Erie Trail south until you reach Schrock Road, then follow the bike lane on Schrock which leads you to the Alum Creek Trail.

I plan to come back to Westerville to check out the rest of the trails in this network.

wolf creek Reeks

March 2025 thespaniard65

Trail is poorly marked and littered in trash and glass. It looks like they’re adding new segments near the creak but most of the trail is still on city sidewalks covered in glass. Zero pride in this community. Worst trail in this area.

Newer Section

July 2025 davidmaggiehome

Completed the newer section on July 9, 2025 and was disappointed, I was fortunate to find thanks to an out of state visitor parking at trail. Was peaceful and when the leaves change would be more scenic.