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Please support the Ohio to Erie Trail with a Trail Donation

Donations can be made in honor or memory of a loved one and we now have a special fund if you would you like to donate in memory of Jim Buchwald, founder Ariel Corporation. Jim Buchwald Fund

Please help Us Complete, Maintain and Promote this exceptional cross-state trail!

Donating is easy. We are an IRS registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization and you will receive a receipt for your tax deductible donation. Donations can be made online through ClubExpress using a credit card, or paypal and you will receive an emailed donation receipt. If you prefer to mail in a donation, choose Check as the payment option and you can print an invoice to accompany the donation and mail to the following address:

Ohio to Erie Trail Fund
118 Graceland Blvd. #146
Columbus, Ohio 43214

The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund was established in 1991.

We also invite you to support the Ohio to Erie Trail through Planned Giving to leave a legacy and add the OTET to your estate planning. You may also donate stock and mutual funds as part of a tax savings strategy. More information about Planned Giving is provided following this section.

Your contribution will be used in our efforts to complete the longest off-street and paved recreational trail in Ohio. With over 88% of the Cincinnati to Cleveland route being on dedicated trail, each year brings improvements to the 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail route. Donations are used to continually update Route 1 signs and additional wayfinding signs. The funds allow us to operate our website to help travelers plan trips and navigate the route. Our generous donors allow us to support the local stakeholder groups who who oversee trail maintenance and improvements and to fund new trail segments when opportunities arise.

Friends of the Trail Membership

The Ohio to Erie Trail is getting better all the time with each trail mile added and each new trail visitor. Being a friend of the trail may mean different things to each person --  some hike, some watch birds, others ride short distances while local trail friends offer trail services like hosting overnight visitors.

The route is both complete and continually evolving. We have 89% trail and 11% streets & roads as of the end of 2022. Plans are in the works for the Glenmont to Killbuck section over the next few years. This work began in 1991 and for many years, our trail friends have made possible our trail completion progress.

An awesome way to support the trail is to purchase an annual membership offered through our website for Individual $25, Family $35 and Sustaining $100. We are grateful for the long-time supporters who have chosen to join at the Lifetime membership of $1,000 which renews automatically.

Can you support the work of the Ohio to Erie Trail organization?   Member Signup

Trail Shop

Shop for our trail map guide, cycling jerseys, socks, stickers, shirts and more

Online Shopping

Funding Sources

OTETF is a non-profit organization. It relies on the generous donations from people in a variety of capacities. Together with local, state and federal funding for land acquisition and trail construction, numerous organizations and individuals have joined together to make the collection of trails that make up the Ohio to Erie Trail a reality. The sources of funds for operation of the Ohio to Erie Trail organization as well as for land acquisition, design, and construction include:

-Individuals & Families

-Donations to take part in our Annual September Ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland

-Foundations & Other Non-Profit Organizations

-Counties, Municipalities, Villages & Townships

-Park Districts

-Private businesses

-State: the Ohio General Assembly; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Nature Works grants); the Ohio Department of Transportation (Transportation Enhancement 21 funds); Recreational Trail Program (RTP); Clean Ohio Trails; the Land & Water Conservation Fund; and sometimes special capital budget earmarks

-Federal: direct Congressional grants for the Canal Heritage Area and Transportation Enhancement funds administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation; the Railroad Revitalization Act; and the National Park Service that manages the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and towpath.

Please donate to the Ohio to Erie Trail Fund help us in our efforts to provide this wonderful Ohio recreational treasure.Make a Donation

Through support from our sponsor, REI, and through EarthShare of Ohio has helped the OTETF Board do many projects. We sincerely thank REI and EarthShare of Ohio.

Planned Giving

Continuing the Adventure into the Future. Keep the Adventure Alive for Tomorrow’s Generation.

There is a great opportunity for you to see that the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) exists for following generations by building a monetary gift to the OTETF in your estate planning. What a fine way to express to your family and friends that this outdoor recreational gem is important to you.

Such “gift planning” is for everyone. Even people of modest income, can make a significant difference through this form of donating to a worthy organization.

For 25 years the Ohio to Erie Trail Fund (OTETF) through its volunteer board of directors has worked diligently to orchestrate the development of a 330 mile off-street and paved recreational trail. From the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati it runs through seven counties to Columbus and on through another seven counties to Cleveland and Lake Erie. From property purchases to trail signage and coordinating with local stakeholders, the OTETF continues to support the development and the maintaining of this longest paved and primarily off-street trail in Ohio.

Sustaining the work of the Ohio to Erie Trail Fund hinges on a sound financial outlook now and into the future. A healthy endowment allows the OTETF to support filling in the remaining gaps and to work with all stakeholders to make sure the trail is maintained and managed so all users can enjoy it to its fullest.

Now more than ever, it is critical that the Board of the Ohio to Erie Trail Fund grows an endowment account. Corporate giving has slowed considerably in the USA, as well as the availability of grants. You can help OTETF with an endowment gift, and no matter how small or large, you can depend on the OTETF to utilize it well for all trail users well into the future.

An endowment gift can be made easily through a gift annuity, an IRA rollover or as an estate gift such as a bequest, trust or life insurance policy designation of beneficiary. OTETF is also established to receive gifts of stock and mutual funds which may serve as a good tax benefit to the donor. OTETF is a government approved non-profit organization. Gifts can be kept private unless otherwise requested by the giver.

For more information on planned gift giving, contact our advisor, Jeff Byars, CAP at the Columbus Foundation, 614/251-4000 or via JByars at Columbus Foundation Email.