The Ohio to Erie Trail portion of the Great American Rail-Trail snakes through Knox County, Mount Vernon.
The portion of trail is part of hundreds of miles of trails in the Buckeye State which have quietly been developed, repurposing former railroad corridors into thriving pathways for recreation and connectivity.
Stretching over 3,700 miles from Washington, DC, to Washington State, the Great American Rail-Trail is designed to be an iconic cross-country journey.
Ohio plays a significant role in this grand vision, however, there are still 100 miles of trail gaps in 10 locations that need to be bridged.
“The route across Ohio will be about 335 miles when complete; 70% of those are currently complete, with 100 miles worth of trail gaps in 10 locations still in the works,” Rails-to-Trails Conservancy said in an email.
“In Ohio, the trail is hosted by the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail, the Ohio to Erie Trail, and lots of local trails. It also corresponds to parts of US Bicycle Routes 50 and 21. Each trail gap has one or more future trail options identified as possible trail connections. Many of these gaps and proposed future trails are already identified in public plans that have been adopted at the state and local levels.”
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