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Print Friendly MapClosure Notice: The pedestrian bridge over the West Branch of the Black River, near the Western Falls and the southwest end of Cascade Park, is closed due to disrepair. Follow the alternative route provided by Lorain County Metro Parks.
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 Indiana border to Lorain County, Ohio, are well defined. One of these segments is a 29-mile route between the City of Lorain and Wakeman Township. The other components of the North Coast Inland Trail are located in Huron County and Sandusky and Ottawa counties.
The Lorain County section is primarily a paved pathway that offers a classic rail-trail experience: flat and mostly straight. There are a few short sections that utilize bike lanes and sidewalks. Along the rail-trail sections, the route runs along the former Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland Railroad corridor.
City of Lorain
The trail's northeast end is at Lakeside Landing on the edge of Lake Erie in the City of Lorain. Parking and a bicycle repair station are available at the Lakeside Landing trailhead. This portion of the trail is also known as the Black River Trail and trail signage may use that name.
Heading south and crossing Lakeside Avenue, the trail is a paved asphalt path until E. Erie Avenue/US Route 6. Turning left to head north along Erie Avenue, the route briefly makes use of bike lanes and sidewalks until Century Park (1955 East Erie Ave, Lorain). The park has restrooms and parking available. At the park, the trail becomes an off-road paved asphalt path again as it meanders south through Longfellow Park (Lorain City Park) and curves east.
About 4 miles from the northeast end, the trail turns south again and begins paralleling the Black River. The trail briefly passes through the west side of French Creek Reservation. Continuing to follow the river, the route meanders south through Black River Reservation. Partway through the reservation the trail leaves the City of Lorain and enters the City of Elyria.
Portions of the trail have been known as the Steel Mill Trail and the Bridgeway Trail. Trail signage may reference these names. The Day’s Dam Picnic Area (2720 East 31st St, Lorain) in the reservation has parking, restrooms, drinking fountains, and a bicycle repair station.
City of Elyria
Parking, restrooms, and drinking fountains are also available at both the reservation's Bur Oak Picnic Area (6150 Ford Rd, Elyria) and High Meadows Picnic Area (1750 Ford Rd, Elyria). After exiting the south end of the reservation, the route utilizes sidewalks (shared by both pedestrians and bicyclists) from Midway Boulevard to Cascade Park (387 Furnace St, Elyria). The park has parking, restrooms, and drinking fountains.
Leaving the park, there is a short section of "sharrow" (where motorists and bicyclists share the roadway) south along Washington Avenue and west along Broad Street. There are sidewalks for pedestrians. At Chestnut Street, the trail returns to an off-road paved asphalt pathway. A spur heads briefly north up Chestnut, but the main route continues along Broad Street, south on Waters Street and west on 2nd Street, which becomes Leo Bullocks Parkway. A short section along 2nd Street uses bike lanes. Cross to the south side of the road near 745 Leo Bullocks Parkway to continue heading west along the paved trail.
Please note: If biking east (rather than west) along this section, the route is slightly different. Where Leo Bullocks Parkway splits to become 2nd Street and 3rd Street, follow the trail east along 3rd St until reaching W River Road. A short section along 3rd Street uses bike lanes. Turning left (north) on W River Road, follow along the eastern side of the street until reaching 2nd Street. Cross the street to reach the north side and turn right (east) onto 2nd Street. Turn left (north) onto Water Street, where the alternative routes merge.
The Gateway Trailhead (6302 Gateway Blvd, Elyria) has parking and a bicycle repair station. Access the trailhead by taking a short detour along Gateway Boulevard.
Heading towards Oberlin as an off-road paved pathway, the the vista becomes rolling farmland, with herds of cattle and roaming horses, as well as rural homesteads. Birdlife along the way includes cardinals, turkey vultures, bluebirds, warblers, and vireos.
The section between Kipton and Elyria was formerly known as the Oberlin Bike Path.
Oberlin
In Oberlin, the trail passes the George Abram Pavilion, which has picnic tables for 50, public restrooms (open April to November), twenty parking spaces, and a view of the historic restored Gasholder House, built in 1889 for Oberlin’s first street lighting. (A side trip north on Ohio Rt. 58 puts one in downtown Oberlin with its many shops, restaurants, and Oberlin College.) At the Professor Street crossing the beautifully restored Oberlin train depot comes into view. The site includes a grassy park and playground, outdoor exercise equipment, drinking fountains and picnic tables. The route briefly uses a section of "sharrow" (where motorists and bicyclists share the roadway) on Pyle South Amyerst Road and bike lanes on Hamilton Road. Returning to an off-road paved asphalt pathway, the trail passes under an old railroad bridge. Heading southwest from Oberlin, open fields and farmhouses spread out again on both sides of the trail.
The Butternut Ridge Trailhead (44342 Butternut Ridge Rd) has parking, restrooms, a drinking fountain, and a bike repair station.
Kipton
Enjoy a quiet ride through farmland southwest to Kipton. The trail passes Kipton’s downtown community park, which has a porta-john and a gazebo. It also features a historic marker commemorating the Great Kipton Train Wreck. It was here in 1891 that two trains collided head on, resulting in eight deaths. The wreck was blamed on a train conductor’s watch, which was slow by 4 minutes and caused him to delay moving one of the trains to a separate track. Railroad officials hired prominent Cleveland jeweler Webb Ball to investigate railroad timekeeping and institute standards to avoid such accidents. Locals credit Ball’s capable work with the origin of the much-used idiom “on the ball.”
Parking is available at multiple locations along the trail. Visit the TrailLink map for all options.
We rode a short section of the trail from the park on E 31st St in Lorain. We rode north and across the 1000’ bridge. It was very beautiful, but too steep for us 70-somethings on traditional bikes. Most of the other bikers rode e-bikes. Maybe sometime . . .
I was coming from the West. Once I got to the gateway trail head, there were signs at first to direct where to go, but it didn't prevent me from losing the suggested path. Once I pulled up the map from here, the line didn't align with any trail or road near Cascade park and it had it going right through a very closed, very tall fence at the Elyria Police station. Unless there is an underwound tunnel that I didn't see the entrance to, this map was apparently drawn by someone that hasn't been through there. Maybe it was "this is about where we want it to go" at one point, but don't trust the map.
Overall I enjoyed riding the NCIT when I found what to me is the true start of a rail trail.
I feel both TrailLink and the Lorian County parks are misleading on the overall length and nature of the trail. Not all of the advertised 19.3 miles are continuous asphalt for pedestrians and cyclists. There are gaps that would require you to either use a dedicated bike lane (not too big of an issue) or sharing a sidewalk or road shoulder with no shade (a much larger issue to me).
To me the true rail trail experience starts at The Gateway Trailhead in Elyria (6302 Gateway Blvd, Elyria). From there it is a short on road section to a little over 15 miles of paved, mostly flat trail. The trail is in very good condition, has mile markers every half mile and although it has a fair amount of road crossings there was only one in the 15 miles that was busy.
Scenery is mostly farmland, with a small bit of woods and wetlands. Oberlin is a good stop off with many options for food only a short ride off the trail. If I had known to start at the Gateway Trailhead this would have been an easy 5 star trail for me.
The bridge that is shown going over the West Branch of the Black River in Cascde Park is closed. Lorain Metro Parks suggest a different route going through Elywood Park. See link to Cascade Park for recommended route. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ef5b028c56a84a63338fb7/t/6165c8462503246a8bc3c064/1634060358894/Cascade-Park-website.pdf
John
Rode the full North Coast Inland Trail and in this county the trail is well maintained.
I was riding south to north toward Elyria and hit West 3rd St and there is a sign about bike lanes but does not really point you in the right direction. So seems it could be improved.
The North Coast Inland Trail NE-bound extends beyond Elyria as shown in your map.
The NCIT continues to the shore of Lake Erie at the Lakeside Landing in Lorain, Ohio.
Total distance is 10 miles. New mile markers every 1/2 mile. It ends at Lake Erie. The new section is 4 miles and has a combination of wooded, parks, street and city. It is definitely not boring.
Rode from Elyria to Wakeman. Great trail and shaded most of the way in the morning. Bruce Chapman bridge in Wakeman has new approach from the east. Cinder surface but it gets the job done. Learned from the sign at Kipton how the term "Get on the ball" developed from Webb Ball hired in 1891 to get better watches for conductors on trains after 2 crashed into each other because one had time 4 minutes off. Look for historical marker when you ride through.
Rode the entire length and also into Huron County onto the next trail. I found this trail to be one of the easiest to ride. Seemed downhill both ways on a very good asphalt paved surface. Trail goes through several small towns, aka villages and the scenery is mostly farmlands and wooded sections. The downside to this trail is there are a lot of road crossings, too many to count though someone else has already done that! Luckily the road crossings are small not a lot of traffic back roads so if there is a wait, it's not a long wait.
Parked in Elyria and headed West. There are mile markers going in each direction.
8 miles from Elyria is Oberlin. There's an old train station there and you could bike into town for trail services such as lunch. We ate at a pizza place which had outdoor seating.
A few miles west of Oberlin is Kipton which is just biking through a community park.
We biked to Green Road and did the share the road section for a little bit before entering Huron County (next trail section) and biked on into Wakeman.
This is a lovely, shaded trail that we found to be one of the best And widest that we have biked. Considerate users, not very crowded, well maintained signage and trail surfaces, fantastic views of river across unique bridges. Truly a gem for bikers, walkers, runners and birders.
This is a lovely, shaded trail that we found to be one of the best And widest that we have biked. Considerate users, not very crowded, well maintained signage and trail surfaces, fantastic views of river across unique bridges. Truly a gem for bikers, walkers, runners and birders.
Nice trail. Crosses 20+roads.
The North Coast Inland Trail has now been paved between Kipton and Wakeman. Enjoy it!
Back in May 2017 I rode the Bridgeway and Steel Mill Trails in Elyria, Ohio. While TrailLink lists these as separate trails, I view them as one continuous trail. On this out and back ride I traveled a little over 12.5 miles. If you started at the Day's Dam Picnic area and rode just the Steel Mill Trail you'd have a round trip of about 4 miles (currently). These trails are multi-use trails found in the Black River Reservation of the Lorain County Metropark System. I spoke with a Park Ranger who said that the Steel Mill Trail will eventually connect into Cromwell Park on the north end. I found this short trail interesting as you view the contrast between the U.S. Steel Mill on one side of the Black River to the almost park like setting on the opposite side. The difference will only be more apparent when the trail is extended into Cromwell Park. It would be nice if a route or bike line could be extended out of Cromwell Park up to the shores of Lake Erie.
Back in May 2017 I rode the Bridgeway and Steel Mill Trails in Elyria, Ohio. While TrailLink lists these as separate trails, I view them as one continuous trail. On this out and back ride I traveled a little over 12.5 miles. These trails are multi-use trails found in the Black River Reservation of the Lorain County Metropark System. I spoke with a Park Ranger who said that the Steel Mill Trail will eventually connect into Cromwell Park on the north end. To the south, the Bridgeway Trail follows Ford Road out of High Meadows Section of the Black River Reservation to Midway Blvd., and then heads south along wide sidewalks of West River Road N, to Gateway Blvd. S to eventually W. 2nd Street where a cyclist can pick up the North Coast Inland Trail. While this part of the Bridgeway Trail exists, and is well-signed along the route, it crosses through the very heavily trafficked commercial and retail area of Midway Mall. I chose not to ride this section. I think you'd be better off strapping your bike to the back of the car and traveling the 3 or so miles to the North Coast Inland Trail if you want to make that connection.
In May of 2017 I put in 30.3 miles riding out and back on the Lorain County section of the North Coast Inland Trail from the Gateway trailhead in Elyria to 1.5 miles west of Kipton, OH. In Elyria, the trail extends beyond the Gateway trailhead up to the Black River Reservation Metropark. However, I would suggest that this section could be tricky as traffic will be heavy around the commercial/retail area near Midway Mall. The trail itself is a wide paved path in good shape except for the last 1.5 miles, which starting at Baird Road switches to medium sized limestone gravel -- probably not a good idea for skinny-tired bikes. West of Kipton the trail ends and you would have to ride the roads to reach the next completed section. Bring sunscreen with you as the further west you go the more open the trail becomes as you get into farming country.
According to ohiobikeways.net this 15 mile section is part of the 67.5 miles of trail currently open. When completely done this trail will stretch from Elyria to Toledo, OH and will cover about 270 miles making it probably the penultimate East-West trail in Ohio.
Nice paved trail in Lorain County, Ohio. Used by bikers, runners and walkers. Majority of trail is wide. Road south to north and back. one modest climb southbound near end. Most trail users polite.
Went on our normal bike ride on the NCITrail with 12 people stopped at the Oberlin Café for lunch . Found out the city of Oberlin passed laws against locking your bikes to lamp post ,park bench, tree, they will confiscate your bike. Charlie
I came from Michigan rode my bike from Monroe I rode the segment from Elmore to Bellevue I'm planning to ride the hole length nice
"Dave" August 17, 2016 The west end of the trail is rough gravel and leads to a busy road (RT20. The east end leads to a 2 lane one way Ed with the trailhead nowhere near the end. The best part was a McDonald's smoothie in Oberlin.
We've ridden the entire length of this trail several times, from Kipton to Elyria and back. It's typically a very pleasant, easy ride with friendly people who always say "hi" as we pass. However, today (7/4/2016), on our way back from Elyria, we encountered a "gang" of at least 15 youths (probably aged 10-14) between the "green" crossing after McDonald's and before the golf course.
They were grouped together both deep and wide. We saw an opening on the right and said "excuse us...on your right" and they started trash-talking, challenging us to race them (they would have lost), being rude and threatening. We did not engage them, hoping they would lose interest.
They continued taunting and jabbering for about 4 minutes, before turning left off of the trail.
We've seen the occasional "shady" individual or groups of two on the trail, and just continue on our way. But, this was a bit scary. Knowing the Oberlin area, I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened before. So, be careful out there. Maybe carry a small can of mace, just in case.
I guess im spoiled riding in PA and WV . Gave this a try being only an hour away . Next time ill make the extra drive out of state or at least the Towpath in Cuyahoga Valley . If you like a bike road that is straight and flat with no scenery than this is for you .
this is our closest & one of our most favorite trails! we either ride a quick 11 mile roundtrip Kipton to Oberlin or time permitting Oberlin to Elyria 16 miles roundtrip or the full 26.2 miles Kipton to Elyria on the weekend. beautiful countryside, smooth & flat ~ always fun! excited to see work at Baird Rd to extend the trail westbound. we LOVE this trail!
Or is it four? Trail starts at High Meadows on the Elyria side of Ford Road, comes downhill to Bur Oak and Black River reservation which turns into the Bridgeway Trail and leads to Days Dam park (after a steep uphill)as you cross the street you enter the Steel Mill Trail which ends at Colorado Road in Sheffield Lake. There are many bridges. flats and hill as well as sights to see along all of the trails. Halfway through the Bridgeway trail you can detour on a grassy path to the falls. The only thing I do not like about the trails is there is not any offered parking at the Colorado Road end of the Steel Mill Trail. The trails are great for all activities. If rollerblading or skating it is a bit difficult to go across the bridges since they are wood planked. If you are interested in kayaking there is a point to enter at Bur Oak.
Love this trail. If you park in Elyria there are no bathrooms & really none on the trail. Only a few benches along the way. There is a McDonalds about 8 miles in to the ride. The trail is not usually too crowded. There are stretches with direct sun exposure so sunscreen is suggested and plenty of water. The trail ends and you have to ride on the road for about 1.5 mile but there is a designated lane for bikes. It's worth it to do it because the trail picks back up and it's a nice part of the trail.
There is an option to ride into the college town of Oberlin. There are some sandwich shops and ice cream.
The trail is as discribed. We rode from Kipton east to Elyria and back. Was a nice early fall day for the 26 mile round trip. I would imagine that in the dog days of summer, during mid day, this might be a rough ride as the trail is not overly canopied.
Anyway, we traveled from the east side of Cleveland to check out a new trail and found it well worth the trip. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite places to ride. I can use my headphones and not worry about car traffic, other than crossing backroads. It's very pretty, even in winter. Go later in the evening and you'll see rabbits and deer crossing your path. It's a gradual incline and decline so you will pedal. If the winter is not harsh this year, I will keep riding all winter as well.
The Bridgeway trail is a 4.5 mile trail from Colorado Ave in Lorain to Burr Oak in Elyria. Days Dam is 2 mi from Colorado ave and 2.5 from Burr Oak. It is the mid-point, not the end of the trail. On Traillink they have the northern section as the "Steel Mill Trail." That's what it is, but that's not the name. It is simply the northern section of the Bridgeway Trail.
I come from Lorain and have visited this trail many times. It is a fun scenic trail that makes for a very pleasant bike ride or walk. My only gripe is that the trail is not long enough and does not connect to any other trails.
We rode on the Ohio North Coast Inland Trail, starting in Kipton and heading toward Oberlin, in August 2012. Our ride was unfortunately shortened by a rainstorm, but we had a great time and the trail is in great shape. We look forward to returning!
As a novice rider, I really enjoyed this trail. Straight and mostly flat with very gradual inclines, the trail takes you through great farmland and small towns. Be careful at intersections. A lot of the trail is without shade, so an early start keeps you cool during summer months. Get off the trail in Oberlin to see the historic college's great buildings, have brunch in one of the small restaurants, and head back to finish the trail. The trail still ends outside of Kipton. I don't know if anyone will connect this great trail as was mentioned in the reviews from a decade ago but if they do, I for one will be riding it.
The Bridgeway Trail is a beautiful ride through the Black River Reservation as the trail runs through woods and over the Black River on a series of four long steel and wooden pedestrian/bike bridges.
To ride the trail north, park in the Black River State Reservation parking lot near the trailhead off Gulf Road at 41-24.168N and 082-06.109W. Ride north over the first bridge into the nice Bur Oak Picnic Area at 41-24.738N and 082-06.105W. Continue north and cross the second bridge near Detroit Road then, when you see the railroad tressel overhead, you'll cross the showpiece of this trail, the third and fourth double bridge that crosses the Black River twice to avoid the stone cliffs nearby. This area has some great scenery for photography or just for hanging out on the bridge. Just north of this double bridge is an unmarked trail that leads about 25 yards east of the trail and allows easy access to the river for hikers, joggers, and bikers. Those with children should visit this area. At the time that I was there, the water was only 4"-8" deep, had a flat, rocky bottom, and would be a great and safe place to wade in. The water was particularly shallow and flowed very slowly. (Use your own discretion at other times of the year.) Mountain bikes could easily ride back and forth across the river in this location. The trail then continues north to the Day's Dam Picnic Area on E. 31st Street at 41-26.569N and 082-06.492W where safe paved parking can be found. To double back at this point would make for a 6.85-mile round trip through beautiful scenery along well-maintained trails.
Just across E. 31st Street from the Day's Dam parking lot, the trail continues north. Here, however, the trail is known as the Steel Mill Trail. This trail takes riders north from Day's Dam over a bridge to the US Steel slag grounds, then over another bridge, past an observation area, to a paved but ill-maintained parking lot on Colorado Avenue located at 41-27.698N and 082-07.392W. By adding this 4.25-mile round trip extension to the Bridgeway Trail, the total round trip becomes 11.1 miles. See my review of the Steel Mill Trail for more detail of this section. Also go to Googlemaps, use the Satellite view, and look down on this area from above to really get a feel for how industrial the area is.
Overall, the best places to park are in the Bur Oak Picnic Area (south) and the Day's Dam Picnic Area (north). The southernmost Black River State Reservation parking lot is also safe.
I've ridden 1,700 miles of Ohio trails and would list this trail as one of my favorites due to the safe parking, river scenery, woods, shade, and best of all, crossing bridges 12 times on this 11.1-mile round trip ride!
The Steel Mill Trail is actually the northern extension of the Bridgeway Trail that runs from the Day's Dam picnic area located in E. 31st Street 41-26.569N and 082-06.492W up to Colorado Avenue at 41-27.698N and 082-07.392 W. There is paved parking at each end of this short trail although the parking lot at Day's Dam is considerably nicer and well-maintained while the parking lot on Colorado Avenue appears to be a park at your own risk lot.
Starting at Day's Dam lot, cross E. 31st Street and follow the trail north through a short patch of woods until you emerge within view of the US Steel plant. The trail then crosses Black River on the first of two bridges and runs between the river and US Steels slag fields where mountains of steelmaking slag are dumped. Continuing north, the trail crosses another nice bridge, ducks into the woods where there is a nice observation area of the river, and finally emerges on Colorado Avenue near a small marina and paved parking area. Round trip from Day's Dam to Colorado Avenue and back is 4.25 miles.
While I would not consider this to be a scenic trail by any means, it is a nice ride and would appeal especially to those interested in the steel industry. Steelmaking IS interesting to me so I actually enjoyed seeing this area.
In my opinion, I would ride this trail only in conjunction with the far more scenic Bridgeway Trail. That is, if I was going to park at Day's Dam to ride a trail, then I'd prefer to ride south along woods and rivers than north along slag heaps...but I'd ride north to extend my ride.
See my review of the Bridgeway Trail for greater elaboration. I'll post some pictures for you.
The trail is very well maintained for all activities listed. My wife rides the trail while I typically run it. We enjoy it because it offers the challenge of rolling areas, so the hills make the 2 mile trial a nice 4 mile round trip workout. The 2 high bridges over the river are a favorite feature of mine and they seem very well maintained. The trail takes you through approx 1/2 mile of shaded woods on each end of the trail with approx 1 mile of open trail in the middle (between the bridges), all nicely paved of course. We suggest starting and ending at the Days Dam area as there is plenty of parking and easy trail access, which is not the case at the Colorado Ave. end of the trail. ENJOY!!
TnT
Words can not describe or do justice to this flat and easy to ride trail.
You must be careful as many of the streets to cross are highways. One especially is very blind. Signs warn you of this.
People are friendly to bikers there. Traffic stopped in both directions so we could cross. I have not seen this before.
Thank you.
"This is a peaceful trail, great for biking. It is presently underutilized even on weekends, and I selfishly hope it stays that way for a while."
Great trail -- can't wait until they get it all done.
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