This paved trail is a very nice side trail off the Capital Trail. One of the history markers near Mile 1 of the Capital Trail mentions the Church on the Main. You can see this moving site via this trail, about 1/2 way in. The trail end near the school trends uphill, but not too bad and it's heavily wooded. This is great for a few extra miles.
My buddy and I rode the trail from Big Hill Park to downtown Janesville yesterday. What a great ride. About 60% of the trail is shaded. The blacktop three miles or so from Janesville is heavily cracked and rough but not too bad. The first 9mi it’s a very smooth trail. We’ll be doing this one again.
Enjoyed the trail. Rode from Eureka to Rexford. First portion (half nearly) of the trail is old railroad bed until it comes to an abrupt end. Directional signs are non-existent but most of the trail is easy to follow, with an except. At the end of the railroad bed section the trail passes by a primitive camping area. At that point leave the trail to the left and follow gravel road up the hill to the highway. Follow highway to right maybe a half mile. Turn right again on to first gravel road through an area of houses. The road is posted private road for residents. Follow downhill staying left until end and pickup trail off the side of the road. Easy to follow from there past the Rexford Bench Campground area. Trail very nice to the end. There are some information panels about the trail and projects.
I love going on this trail when riding my bike to work. It's so nice to ride without cars being beside you. When going out early you can see all kinds of wildlife out.
Parked at northern end just S of Orphan Farm Rd, NY; Trail surface is outstanding including numerous portions of elevated sections over wetlands. Did not see much in the way of wildlife. Quite rural with the 1st p potty 10 miles south; Turned back at Millerton; Shade 50% or so.
Update to my 8/2024 review: Remains a TOP trail; At northern end easy parking at the Adams Visitor Center; Saw many signs of beaver activity - dams and huts - but no beavers. The Appalachian Trail crosses at Church Road in Cheshire; At southern end I turn back at the Crane Ave. parking area as, in my opinion, there's not much of interest in the remaining mile or so.
It was great
We did the trail on a trip to the Finger Lakes. The trail surface was terrible. Evidently, someone decided that the trail surface needed some TLC. The problem was that the remedy was worse than the previous condition. I would describe riding the trail like riding an existing railroad bed with the ties inplace and a layer of talc on top. And that's with a gravel bike with 2.2" tires. When I got back to the car, there were 2 other riders loading their bikes and they both said how they had to turn around because the trail was so bad. The scenery wasn't anything special and there was constant noise from cars on highway 14 which paralleled the trail. Signage was also poor and there were numerous times that you weren't sure where the trail was. All in all not the worst trail but don't think I would ever come back.
Great connector from the heart of Memphis to the outskirts. Lots of trail spurs off of the main route once you get out east. With a little road riding easily connect to trails taking you in to AR.
Even though the trail is in an urban setting it is surprisingly lush and beautiful. There is actually a marsh land half way that is a gorgeous place to rest and take some photos. The trail is smooth and pretty flat. Nice enjoyable easy ride.
Chippewa Trail offers a smooth ride through woods and open fields with tight curves defining most of the trail.
Visit if you're in the area and are looking for a good trail.
This trail would have been a 10 out of 10 were it not for the frequent road crossings, as that really kept me from building some good speed, but otherwise, this is a very good trail that I look forward to coming back to in the future.
This nice and open trail is a pleasant but quick experience for locals wanting a fast ride.
We are camping at Lampe and can travel West or South on this trail along the Bayfront. Going WEST, the is currently a lot of construction, but when done should be a nice improvement. I like this western part as it travels along the bayfront and around Frontier park. Many good sights and watering holes. Sloppy Duck one of them. It also connects via a marked bike path to Presque Isle Drive to the beautiful 13 plus paved trail around the Peninsula.
Now, leaving the campground and heading south towards Behrend Campus is a different story. The first 2 or 3 miles is through the eastern part of the city. Traffic noise as you're right adjacent to the Bayfront highway. You will see a lot of decay from past industries. The trail itself is littered with trash and weed growth. Today, I was passed by two gas powered motorcycles, like dirt bikes going at a high rate of speed. There is little to no law enforcement. And no upkeep. I have encountered broken glass and drug paraphernalia in the past amongst the trash. About 3 miles out the trail leaves the jurisdiction of Erie and once into Millcreek becomes very nice and well maintained. Erie is a bike friendly town and does a great job with their bike trails other than this section going south from the bayfront to about 38th street. This section goes through an urban rundown area and is completely neglected.
Just an fyi. Very disappointing.