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Print Friendly MapFor much of its 9-mile length, the Towpath Trail traces the scenic Maumee River, paralleling US 24 (at some distance), on the southwestern outskirts of Toledo. It traverses three parks as it follows the former Miami & Erie Canal (circa mid-1800s). Along the way, you will be treated to a peaceful, tree-lined route dotted with historical sites, such as an old mill in Grand Rapids at the southern end of the trail. The pathway has a crushed stone and dirt surface and can be rough in some places.
Parking can be found in the three parks that the trail traverses (from north to south): Farnsworth Metropark, Bend View Metropark and Providence Metropark.
Enjoyable bike ride liked how the residents decorate trail. Peaceful by the river with a lot of wild life
Well groomed gravel. Very smooth. Well maintained. Deer. Birds. Chipmunks. Start at Waterville. Stay in Grand Rapids. Grab lunch at Knucklehead’s. Lots of tree cover. No road crossings. Lightly used. It’s our new NWO favorite trail. N.B. - Not for skinny tire bikes.
It is really nice Trail next to the river with some attractions at the ends of the Trail (now closed probably due to COVID-19). Path clean and comfortable to run or ride a bike. A lot of restrooms, benches, Swings on the Trails and both ends of the Path. Most Trail cover with the shade, because of the trees and whole time We can enjoy river following the Path.
Crushed gravel with plenty of parking and bathrooms at each end of the trail. Certainly one of the best trails I’ve ever been on in the little town of Grand Rapids across the river is great to stop at to get something to eat.
Great trail wife and I rode it for the first time!
Trail no longer has exposed tree roots as the oath has been covered with crushed stone.
You can ride this trail non-stop for miles and miles with no stop signs. (There are a couple yield signs to warn of a private driveways to property between the old canal and the river.)That was really fun to be able to just keep riding and riding.
The trail is marked every quarter mile, with several places to rest or observe nature on park benches. Map displays are also frequent, with a convenient "you are here" arrow. There are nice restrooms at both ends of the trail, with a latrine in the middle of the trail at Bend View. There is a trail bypass to go around the park building at Bend View, if you don't want to slow down.
The trail was dry and very hard today, and we observed several folks on road bikes with skinny racing tires, although they may have had to use caution over a couple springtime washouts repaired with larger gravel.
I've lived in the area for many years but rode the trail for the first time last weekend. I was on a recumbent with fat tires and the conditions were dry. It was wonderful! Only the center section was a little 'rough' - even when muddy, it would be trivial on a mountain bike.
I started at Farnsworth Park and headed south. There are many photo ops and a couple of rest stops with benches and rest rooms along the way. At the southern terminus in Providence Park you can tour the mill or take a ride on a mule-drawn canal boat through one of the original locks on the Miami Erie canal. The trail (unofficially) continues south about a half a mile to Providence dam where there is a shelter house, a playground and, yet another, scenic view. The whole thing is just dripping with history.
If this 18/20 mile round trip is not enough, you can do the 30 mile loop on the fully paved Wabash Cannonball Trail located virtually right around the corner.
Bring your bike with slightly fatter tires for crushed gravel, but otherwise a fantastic ride with several historical sites/stops......a gem for the family.
Great trail for hybrid bikes and mountain bikes. You will not want to take your road bike as in many places there can be thick sections of gravel (until it is washed out by flooding and then it's just dirt/tree roots). We like to take this path when the temperature is elevated as it's mostly shaded. Very beautiful ride along the Maumee River. At the end is Grand Rapids where you can rest along the rapids of the Maumee on large bench type swings while you enjoy ice cream from the local ice cream shop or a sub sandwich from the pizza shop. :)
I rode this on my bike, and it was actually very beautiful and fun. It is mostly a dirt path, so don't go right after a rain! Great Ride though.
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