Ohio

Several iconic trails play host to the Great American Rail-Trail in Ohio—the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Ohio to Erie Trail.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail connects two major metropolitan areas and one of the country’s most-visited national parks—and comprises a major portion of the Cleveland-to-Pittsburgh corridor of the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition, one of RTC’s TrailNation™ projects, which will connect Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York via a developing 1,500-miles-plus trail network.

In Clinton, the Great American route branches off on the Ohio to Erie Trail, which—connecting to Cincinnati through Columbus—is composed of many trails that link the state’s diverse communities, including that of the largest population of Amish in the country. Along the route, commemorative sites pay homage to the state’s rich historical attributes, including the role that it played with the Underground Railroad and as an innovator in American aviation.

The “Great American” Route Through Ohio

RTC’s route analysis defines the preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail through Ohio as 335 miles and more than two-thirds complete—comprising 235 existing trail miles and 100 gap miles. The Great American will be hosted by more than two dozen existing trails through Ohio. Click the links below to view full trail descriptions on TrailLink.com.

Download Ohio Route Analysis

Download Ohio Economic Impact

Trails Along the Route

Gateway Trail

Route Reveal Celebration

Completing the Great American Rail-Trail: Catalyst Initiatives in Ohio

In every state along the preferred route of the Great American, needs for completing the trail vary. To spur trail completion, RTC has identified initial catalyst initiatives—projects or challenges that would most benefit from RTC’s national breadth of resources. (View the complete list of catalyst initiatives and criteria here.) Through these initiatives, RTC will support local and state partners, investing time, expertise and organizational resources in specific projects that are critical to the ultimate completion of the Great American Rail-Trail.

Statewide Trail Network Funding

RTC will continue to work with a collaborative of more than 200 trail constituents—the OhioNetwork—to advocate for statewide public funding for trails that prioritizes networks and spines and can be used to advance the Great American Rail-Trail. In addition, RTC will continue to pursue implementation of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources State Trail Plan and work with the Ohio Legislative Trails Caucus in seeking public funding for trail networks and spines in the state.

Great American Rail-Trail Gaps #14 (Wolf Creek Trail Extension—Dayton to Trotwood), #15 (Preble County Line to Ohio-Indiana State Line) and #16 (Ohio-Indiana State Line to Richmond)

RTC will work with local partners—Preble Trails, Five Rivers Metroparks, the City of Richmond and the Preble County Park District—to provide the expertise and resources necessary to complete the combined 31.8-mile trail gap. Activities will include identifying local match funding for the Wolf Creek Trail Extension and coordinating with Preble County and the City of Richmond on activities including a corridor feasibility study, cost estimation, trail design and engineering, local stakeholder engagement, funding strategy and ultimately construction of the cross-state connector project.