Ohio to Erie Trail

The Ohio to Erie Trail is a dedicated multi-use trail crossing Ohio from southwest to northeast, crossing 326 mi of regional parks, nature preserves, and rural woodland.

The trail, named after its endpoints, extends from the Ohio River at Cincinnati to the Lake Erie at Cleveland, primarily integrating former rail trails and multi-use trails into a dedicated trail.

Roughly 85% complete as of early 2023, construction began in 1991, with sections completed as recently as 2022.

Remaining on-road segments, designated as routes, substitute for the as yet undeveloped final sections of fully-segregated, dedicated path.

The trail serves a variety of user types. Non-motorized movement includes: bicyclists, pedestrians, hikers, and &mdash; on certain sections &mdash; equestrians, with or without buggies. In addition, certain motorized e-bikes are allowed to use the trail.

The surface itself varies, including asphalt, cement, concrete, crushed limestone and hard-packed earth.

History
The Ohio to Erie Trail began in 1991 as an outgrowth of the Ohio Bicycle Advisory Council, and was envisioned that year by Edward Franklin Honton, a former Franklin County engineer, who subsequently founded and served as president of a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the trail. After his death in 2005, his legacy continued through the organization he founded, The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund. The historic Bridgeview Bridge was dedicated in Honton's memory at the opening of the Alum Creek Trail near Innis Park on July 15, 2011. The bridge is a fully restored 1902 structure which originally carried Beach Road and Lucas Road over the Big Darby Creek.

Path
The trail is divided into four separate sections:


 * Northern leg: Cleveland to Massillon
 * Heart of Ohio leg: Massillon to Mount Vernon
 * Central Ohio leg: Mount Vernon to London
 * Southern leg: London to Cincinnati

The trail passes through regional parks, nature preserves, and other rural woodland. The trail is planned to be 326 mi in length. Of that number, 267 mi are complete and in daily use, 59 mi are either under construction or in engineering design, as of Nov 2016. By the end of 2022 the Ohio to Erie Trail will have over 90% dedicated bike trails and 3.6% streets and 5.9% rural roads. Of the remaining 31 miles of off trail riding 17 of those miles are on the Fredericksburg to Dalton road section through the scenic Amish countryside. [Ohio to Erie Trail Newsletter, Spring 2022.