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Print Friendly MapThe Lester Rail Trail in Ohio's Medina County runs 3 miles between Abbeyville Road and Lester Road in York Township. The trail passes through bucolic farmland with scattered remnants of prairie, where native grasses still grow, and wetlands. Look for wildlife and wildflowers, including the rare cardinal flower in the wet areas along the trail. Although the path is mostly level, it rises slightly from Abbeyville Road to Lester Road.
A highlight of the route is a miniature railroad which lies adjacent to the trail on county parkland. A club called Northeast Ohio Live Steamers offers seasonal train rides for the public along the diminutive track.
Park at the rear of the Medina County Career Center in the northeast corner of the parking lot. You can also park off Fenn Rd. and at 3654 Lester Road.
I rode this yesterday for the first time. My route was from the end point back to the Lester Trail parking lot. What a great shaded ride! The only problem I encountered was newly placed gravel in the parking lot.
I rode this Trail on April 12, 2017. This nearly 3 mile crushed limestone trail is sort of boring except for a few interesting sites along the trail such as the Northeast Ohio Live Steamers Club, the Gold Star Families Memorial and the Medina County Career Center. This would be a much more interesting trail, and more likely to attract more riders, if it would be extended southward to connect with The Chippewa Rail Trail south of the city of Medina, Ohio. Maps appear to indicate that these two trails are part of the same rail line.
I like this trail because it's only about 3 miles from home. Typical straight trail with crushed limestone. Trail description is very accurate except for the distance. Mile Marker 0 is at Lester and it's MM 2.85 at the other end at Abbeyville Rd. To get 3.2 miles, they must be including the paved side trail that joins the main trail at about MM 2.5 and runs up to the parking lot at the Career Center. There are 2 busy road crossings at SR252 and Fenn Rd. The Fenn crossing is right near the intersetion of SR18, so be especially careful when crossing here.
Parking and a port-a-potty are available at Fenn Rd. and Lester Rd.
The latest addition is the York Twp park just west of SR252. It has a small lake, a playground, and a beautiful picnic pavilion.
The park district does a great job of keeping the grass mowed along the sides......MM
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