Ohio’s bike trail treasure map: 21 paths to explore in 2022

CLEVELAND, Ohio — If you’ve enjoyed Northeast Ohio’s recent bike trail boom, you’ll be interested to see it’s part of a larger picture across the state.

TourismOhio’s map of Ohio bikeways includes 21 major bike trails and trail networks. The crown jewel, the Ohio to Erie Trail, stretches 326 miles from Cincinnati to Cleveland and is almost entirely off road. The map does not include the addition of more than 1,177 miles of U.S. Bicycle Route which were designated in 2021.

If you’d like inspiration for bike rides in 2022, we’ve listed the trails below and included a GPS map for each. Happy (and safe!) riding in the new year.

Mileage: 11.2

Trails included: Harrison County Conotton Creek Trail

Surface: Paved asphalt

Restrooms: Yes, portable

Eastern Terminus: Jewett

Western Terminus: Bowerston

Trail information: Friends of the Conotton Creek Trail, Harrison County

Riders on this mostly-wooded rail trail are sure to notice five covered bridges as the trail intersects Conotton Creek throughout the journey. The scenery includes ponds, rolling foothills and three small towns. The surface was repaved in 2021. More than 50 birdhouses are dotted throughout the length of the trail.

Mileage: 15

Road riding: No

Surface: Paved

Eastern Terminus: Xenia

Western Terminus: Dayton

Trail information: Miami Valley Trails

The Creekside Trail is part of Southwest Ohio’s Miami Valley Trails, said to be the nation’s largest paved trail network. The possible connections from this trail are impressive. On its east end in Dayton, Creekside Trail connects to the Mad River Recreational Trail which leads to the Great Miami River Trail. On the west end of Creekside Trail is the city of Xenia, a bike trail hub with access to the Ohio to Erie Trail and the Xenia-Jamestown Connector.

Mileage: 51.8

Trails included: Cleveland Metroparks Emerald Necklace Trail, Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, Summit Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail, Cleveland Metroparks all-purpose trail at Bedford & South Chagrin Reservations

Road riding: Yes, Sagamore Road and Richmond Road

Surface: Paved

Eastern Terminus: Bentleyville

Western Terminus: Lakewood

Trail information: Cleveland Metroparks, Summit Metro Parks

This is an amazing bike route through some of Cleveland’s best park scenery. Highlights include five Cleveland Metroparks reservations and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The 50+ miles are almost entirely off road. Trying to do it all in one day can be strenuous unless you’re a regular cyclist. Here’s a video from my 53-mile journey.

Mileage: 12.7

Surface: Crushed stone

Road riding: Yes

Eastern Terminus: Gallipolis

Western Terminus: Bidwell

Passing mostly through farmland, this rail-trail includes the small towns of Bidwell and Gallipolis, which is on the Ohio River.

Mileage: 20+

Trails included: Celina Coldwater Trail, Franklin Township Greenway Trail, East Bank Path, West Bank Trail, State Route 703 Bike Path, Windy Point State Park Trail

Road riding: Yes

Trail information: Greater Grand Lake Visitors Region

The Grand Lake area boasts a handful of trails which put it on TourismOhio’s map. The longest is the State Route 703 Bike Path at 7.3 miles. Not currently on the map is a 35-mile trail called the Miami & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which runs through St. Marys.

Mileage: 77+

Trails included: River’s Edge Trail, Great Miami River Recreational Trail, Paul G. Duke Memorial Bikeway, Tadmor Trail

Northern Terminus: Piqua

Southern Terminus: Middletown

Trail organization: Miami Valley Trails

This huge trail takes riders through heavily wooded parks and follows the Great Miami River. There are towns along the river like Piqua, Troy and Tipp City, which boast great places to eat and drink. Other towns like Franklin and Miamisburg make for interesting stops. The biggest city along the trail is Dayton, with so much to explore that cyclists often stay the night.

This is a growing trail. There are two additional sections south of the current terminus that will one day connect together. This could very well become another 100-mile trail in Ohio.

Mileage: 86.7

Trails included: Western Reserve Greenway, Niles Greenway, Mill Creek MetroParks Bikeway, Little Beaver Creek Greenway, North Shore Trail

Road riding: Yes

Northern Terminus: Ashtabula

Southern Terminus: Lisbon (currently)

Trail organization: Ohio River Trail Council

This is one of two bike trail plans in Ohio with the goal of connecting Lake Erie and the Ohio River with a continuous paved trail. The Great Ohio Lake to River Greenway has major pieces already built, the longest being the Western Reserve Greenway in Ashtabula and Trumbull counties. The recently completed North Shore Trail starts at Lake Erie and connects to the Western Reserve Greenway in Ashtabula.

The completed mileage is mostly through rural areas but also includes the more developed areas of Warren, Niles and Canfield.

Mileage: 29

Trails included: Heritage Trail, Blanchard River Greenway Trail, Riverwalk

Road riding: Yes

Eastern Terminus: Van Horn Cemetery, Findlay

Western Terminus: Litzenberg Memorial Woods, Findlay

Trail organization: Hancock Park District

The Heritage Trail bike route is mostly on rural and small town roads. There are sections of paved, off-road trail along the Blanchard River.

Mileage: 55+

Trails included: Summit Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail, Freedom Trail, Portage Hike & Bike Trail

Road riding: Yes

Eastern Terminus: Ravenna

Western Terminus: Bedford

Trail information: Summit Metro Parks, Portage Park District

The Summit Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail is a combination of rail-trail and some road riding through low-traffic neighborhood streets. It connects to the Cleveland Metroparks Bedford Reservation to the north. Cyclists can also connect Akron with Kent and Ravenna using the Summit Metro Parks Freedom Trail and the Portage Hike & Bike Trail. These three trails have varied scenery from urban to forest to rural areas.

Mileage: 22

Road riding: No

Eastern Terminus: Athens

Western Terminus: Nelsonville

Trail organization: Bike Athens Ohio

This bike trail treats its riders to the college town vibes of Athens as…