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Print Friendly MapThe Gallia County Hike & Bike Trail follows an old railroad right-of-way between Bidwell and Gallipolis, at the Ohio River. Though are plans to develop a total of 28 miles (to include Vinton County and Kanauga), only a little more than 8 have been developed as of late 2012.
The trail passes mostly through farmland with a few easy ups and downs. In Gallipolis the trail goes through Haskins Memorial Park near the river, continues along the edge of the regional airport and north along Farm Road to an endpoint at Burnett Road. Another short branch ends at the intersection of Spruce Street and 4th Avenue.
The Gallipolis section is also referred to as the O.O. McIntyre Park District-Holtzer Clinic Trail
In Gallipolis, park at Haskins Memorial Park off Ohio Avenue. On-street parking is available in Bidwell.
The Gallia County Hike & Bike Trail currently consists of two unconnected segments -- The paved “Riverfront” segment which is located within Gallipolis, and the crushed stone/grassy “Northwest” segment that runs between the towns of Bidwell and Kerr. Google Maps and signs along the trail use the O.O. McIntyre Park (District) moniker with individual trail sections given trail names. I parked and started from Haskins Park located somewhat in the middle of the east-west running "Riverfront" section in Gallipolis. If you head east, out of Haskins Park, the trail travels 2.3 miles past both the Cliffside Golf Course and the Gallia-Meigs Regional Airport. This segment ends at Lee Road. The trail could probably be extended up to Addison from here, but I’m not sure anyone is currently clamoring for that, as I was the only person on this section of trail both out and back. West of Haskins Park, once you cross OH-160 (Pine Street) the trail parallels that road. This 4 mile section crosses OH-160 up by the Holzer Emergency Medical Center and ends under a US-35 overpass after crossing over OH-160 again. These paved sections of the trail are in very good shape except for the short half mile section near the Holzer Emergency Medical Center where there is quite a bit of tree root uplifting of the asphalt. Once you arrive at the US-35 underpass near the Holzer Medical Center there is a gap of about 2 miles in the trail between this ending and the town of Kerr.
The "Northwest" segment of the trail runs from Kerr to the town of Bidwell, Ohio. This segment of the Gallia County Hike & Bike Trail is not as developed as the one in Gallipolis. The trail here is crushed stone and grass covered. This 4 mile section of the trail seems to have been greatly ignored. There was little evidence that trail is used very often. I rode south from Bidwell towards Kerr. For most of the ride out of Bidwell the only way that I knew I was on a trail was that there was an unobstructed pathway of grass surrounded by trees and brush on both sides. I crossed over a wooden bridge spanning a creek which had had some of its planking replaced but other than that there was little sign of this trail being used at all. After traveling about 6/10ths of a mile, I crossed OH-850 and came to a dead stop. What should have been a continuation of the pathway had disappeared and nothing but trees and brush stood in my way. From satellite and street view images on Google Maps this should have continued to be an open dual track pathway so I’m not sure how out-of-date the Google Maps images are. There was a nearby driveway which I chose to ride up to see if I could see if the trail was still viable beyond the OH-850 crossing. From the driveway, I walked down to the old rail bed and took a look around. It was clearly overgrown. I walked for about 2/10ths of a mile and while I could have easily ridden in the direction I had been going, the pathway was not as clear as before, so I decided to turn around. Perhaps, if I had started in Kerr and headed north the trail would have been more easily identifiable. However, there didn’t appear to be any defined parking for the trail in Kerr. In my opinion, until Gallia County decides to make improvements to this portion of trail, I wouldn't bother to attempt to ride this trail segment.
If you do find yourself in the Gallipolis area the paved portion of the trail is worth seeking out. If the Railroad Freight Station Museum is completed that could be an interesting venue along the trail. Bathrooms and water are available in Haskins Park.
Nice trail however some parts are becoming overgrown with weeds and sumac. Trash bags strewn about near what looks like the city sewer plant. There’s also some areas with roots growing through the asphalt. Overall a great ride though
My wife and I road the entire trail from the Exxon to Lee St. 13 miles total (6.5 one way). Took us about an hour and 20 min but we took it easy. Trail is very well kept, a few joggers and walkers along the way, everyone was very friendly. Hit up the shake shoppe when you are finished, great shakes and malts!
From Haskins park towards Walmart could use a bench or something but otherwise a very nice trail. Small tributary nearby and several side trails into the woods by pple and animals. See a lot of birds and deer on the main path itself. A few walnut trees right along the trail. I see several people traveling on it every time I'm there.
May 2016 - Wanted to give this trail a try because it is fairly close to home. Was disappointed in the fact it is only 4.1 miles long starting at the Hastings Park. The trail is paved and recently had the edges mowed. You do cross several busy roads so I wouldn't recommend for families with small kids. We rode to the end at Holzer Hospital and turned around and rode back to town, was able to get 13 miles in fairly easy. I would give it a 3.5-4 stars
I ran the length of this trail while passing through town. Nice asphalt nice scenery, and saw only three other people
As of 10/17/2014, when I made the trip to ride this trail, it was closed at about midpoint for repair to a bridge. I couldn't find any information as to when it would re-open.
It's a nice little trail, but even fully open there simply isn't enough of it to be good for more than locals, or for inclusion with other activities in the area.
I'll probably try again next year, but only in conjunction with planning to spend some time at the riverfront park, and visiting nearby Bob Evans Farm in Rio Grande.
If you do make the trip to ride it, don't bother crossing the busy, four-lane highway on the Holzer Hospital end. The trail abruptly ends underneath State Route 35 after about 100 yards. (I drove around and found another entry point, only to find that out.)
My son and I rode this trail 7-22-13. We began at Haskins Memorial Park in Gallipolis. The trail is paved and easy to follow. Flat like most rail trails. The trail description boasts of 8 miles to be ridden, but, as we discovered, only about 4 miles are rideable. (Is that a word?) The trail ends abruptly in a mess of weeds and brier patches after just about 4 miles. Nice trail but not very long. We rode end to end several times to log some miles.
The part of the trail that this map shows is impassable on the southern end just outside of Bidwell. There are trees and brush covering the path. Only about a half mile is ride-able and bumpy at that. Ride the bike trail that goes through the city of Gallipolis instead, starting near Holzer Hospital where it is actually paved and kept up.
Just got back from my first time on this trail. Very nice asphalt path good for bike riding and walking. Need to be careful running since there are spots with some large gravel pieces that have been kicked on the path when the shoulders were mowed. There is a good amount of shade and places to rest. At the one end is the Veterans Memorial Park with a gazebo to sit at and a playground nearby for the kids.
We use this quite trail frequently. It is asphalted and well kept. There are several rest areas with benches however there are no facilities along the trail. The trail is mostly treelined and level. It is quiet, even though it is fairly heavily used by bicyclists, walkers and joggers. Be prepared for the other users to be friendly.
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