About Us

A primarily off-street recreational trail from the Ohio River to Lake Erie, the Ohio to Erie Trail spans the state of Ohio from Cincinnati to Cleveland for the most part following lands formerly occupied by railroads and canals. The collection of regional trails connects four of Ohio’s metropolitan cities, a dozen large towns and numerous small villages – all done on easily accessible, paved trails that are primarily separated from highways and automobiles. The length in 2017 is 326 miles.

Distances

As of October 2022, 89.1% of the Trail is on dedicated trail and there are 35 miles of the OTET on city streets and rural roads.  Trail distance is 324.5 miles.  Details at  Streets and Road guide

Our mileage grids help you to plan shorter or longer travels on the OTET between the towns or designated areas. The actual total mileage of separated paved trail changes monthly as more and more miles are taken off streets and routed onto new separate paved trails. As we utilize more abandoned rail bed we actually shorten the length of the overall length of the OTET.

Finding Your Way

The OTET is known as Route 1 in Ohio and in some locations it is also becoming US Bikeway 21.  The large way-finding signs help travelers to know the distances between towns as well as what amenities each locale has to offer.  Also, hundreds of Route 1 bike signs with arrows, mark the way between our way-finding signs.

Map Your Way

Our printed four map set will guide you well on both completed pathways and connecting road segments. However, note that with new pavement added, and local detours for all kinds of reasons, make sure that you have checked this web site for updates!

United States Bike Route 21

In the near future the designation of US BR 21 will be appended to the Ohio to Erie Trail, signaling an exciting era of inter-state bicycling networks. The OTET will retain the Ohio Route 1 designation but will also be known nationally as US Bike Route 21.

What You’ll See

Along the way, the trail passes through rural areas, farmlands, nature preserves, and regional parks giving the adventurous a hearty helping of nature’s finest. The small rural towns are a treasure of small shops, restaurants and history of Ohio. At the metropolitan perimeters, meadows and woods give way to exciting urban centers, affording the traveler a contemporary taste of Ohio’s culture and arts.

Everyone Welcome

The Ohio to Erie Trail is a collection of multi-use trails that provide exercise and adventure to anyone who’s willing to leave the automobile behind. Bicyclists, equestrians, skaters, hikers, families with strollers, bird watchers, walkers and nature lovers are a common sight. In the winter, the trail becomes a snowshoe and cross-country ski path. And, for those with mobility impairments, construction designs call for full compliance with ADA guidelines so that everyone has the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Ohio as the trail weaves its way across the state

Ohio’s Green Corridor

The Ohio to Erie Trail is in place with 270+ miles of recreational trail. Users are able to travel the corridor linking Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron and Cleveland on a safe trail while enjoying the splendor of Ohio’s rural heartland. Along the way, users can re-live the history that shaped the state: Amish history, Revolutionary War history, Civil War history, canal history, railroad history — it all happened here along the OTET!

Completed Route

Travelers can traverse the entire 326 miles of Route 1 from Cincinnati to Cleveland now using the 270+ miles of paved trail separated from streets.  In the metropolitan areas there are still a few miles of travel required on streets. In the rural areas of Holmes and Wayne Counties there are a few miles of country roads as we work to acquire and also pave property for the OTET recreational trail. Wayne County has the largest section of very rural roads used on the OTET and has 17 miles remaining to be turned into recreational trail.

Connecting the State’s Local Trails

There are 22 local/regional trails that come together to form the Ohio to Erie Trail. Each of the trails has its own unique aspects and each varies in length with the Little Miami Scenic Trail in southern Ohio and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath being the two largest with about 50 and 100 miles respectively.

On-Going Use of the OTET

Every week there are numerous events all along the OTET from local community walks to more ambitious fundraisers that have runners, walkers and bicyclists traveling many trail miles to raise funds for great causes. Many of these events are shared on our Facebook page here. Note that some local communities may have regulations regarding use of the trail for such events. The OTET Board of Directors strongly suggests that event organizers check with local trail stakeholders.

Remembrance

Ed Honton was the founder of the Ohio to Erie Trail and the non-profit organization’s first president. It was his vision in 1991 to have a recreational path from Cincinnati to Cleveland mostly using former railroad and canal corridors. Through Ed’s dedication and hard work, the Ohio to Erie Trail became a reality. It was a tremendous loss in 2005 when Ed died, but his legacy will be enjoyed for centuries. Along a new section of the OTET on the Alum Creek Trail, please take a few minutes, pause and read about Ed’s story on a large bronze plaque on a huge stone next to one of the Alum Creek bridges dedicated to this visionary in Ohio.  Read Ed Honton Story 2005    

A plaque honoring previous President Dr. Tom Moffitt will be placed along the trail in the Hamilton County area in spring of 2020. Dr. Moffitt led the board to carry out Ed Honton’s vision, resulting in the completion of many miles.

Leadership

Mike Groeber, current President, has served on the board since 2014. Former President, William Daehler, served as VP since 2001. Prior to William, Dr. Tom Moffitt led the organization as President of the Board  from 2004-2017. Dr. Moffitt joined the Board in 2001.

Chris Haydocy, current Vice President, has served the board since 2017. Don Noble (Treasurer) has served the board in their position for over five years. Our current Secretary position is open after Mary Plumley served since 2016.

The Board has 14 elected, volunteer directors from across the state, many of whom have been active with the OTETF for over a decade.  Jerry Rampelt was the Board’s long time executive director and he joined the Board as a member following his retirement as the director in 2014. It is this volunteer Board that is responsible for keeping Ed Honton’s vision alive.

In late 2015, Lisa Daris became the part-time Executive Coordinator. Lisa handles the day to day operations of the organization and reports to the board president and officers.  Lisa served on the Community Advisory Committee for MORPC’s transportation department. She has also served on the board of FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy), and is the director for TOSRV (Tour of the Scioto River Valley), the oldest running cycling event in the United States. In addition, she operates her own seasonal kayaking company, Olentangy Paddle. She is a graduate of the The Ohio State University.  In January 2022, Jody Dzuranin became the Executive Director when Lisa went to the Ohio State Parks Foundation.  Jody got involved with Ohio to Erie Trail in 2011 when she worked for a Bicycle Advocacy organization, then joined the Board of Directors in 2017.  She has a B.S. in Finance from the Ohio State University and has done coursework toward a Master of Public Administration at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.  

Privacy Statement

The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund is committed to protecting your privacy and creating a safe and secure online environment for anyone who visits and uses our website and the on-line ordering system on our site. We collect general statistical information about our website and visitors, such as IP addresses, browser type, domain names, access times, duration of visit, referring URL, operating system platform, time stamp and exit page information. All of this data is gathered for statistical purposes only, so that we may analyze trends and performance of our website over time. None of this data is personally identifiable. When you make a reservation on our site, you are doing so on a safe and secure server.

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure correct use of information, we employ current Internet security methods and technologies. OTETF uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt the information you send us when you make a purchase. This means that information such as your credit card number is encrypted and sent to authorize.net for payment. The information cannot be read while it is being transmitted. OTETF will never reveal your name, address or any other personal data for anything other than our internal use.

Archive FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How long is the entire Ohio to Erie Trail?

The Ohio to Erie Trail route is 326 miles one way between Cincinnati and Cleveland. As more off-street trail is added, the route actually gets shorter between Cincy and Cleveland! Our last statement was 330 but we reduced road miles and added rail trail miles in a couple places in 2016.

Is the Ohio to Erie Trail Designated Ohio Bike Route 1

The OTET is Ohio Bicycle Route 1 and the standard bicycle signs have been placed along the route to help travelers since so many spur trails have been connected to the OTET.  Most of it is also designated US Bike Route 21 by Ohio and the Federal Government.

How much of the Trail is completed as off street?

At least 83% of those miles are completed on a collection of off-street but hard surface/paved trails. Some of the OTET is on roads with the lowest traffic we could find in the areas.  In 2017 another 8 miles of OTET on the Holmes County Trail extension from Glenmont to the Bridge of Dreams opened.

Where can I find the routing for the trail across Ohio?

Our Tour Guide is your absolute best bet if you are seeking this information. Combined with up-dates on the web site and in each set of the tour guides, you will be well informed! Also glance at the web site for alerts to temporary trail closings. Our interactive map on the web site  is also a good way to find your way and plan your trip. Go to our store and purchase the four map set.

What information do the maps include in addition to the route?

Each of the tour guide maps in the set have names of the trails that make up the OTET, mileage distances between turns, major cross street route numbers, town, village and city names and a general description on each map panel that explains most of the turns. We have also included in this new guide many service symbols all along the route for bike shops, restrooms, parking, trail head, grocery stores, food, lodging, camp grounds, ice cream shops (of course!), historic sites and more.

Where can I obtain a listing of services along the OTET like lodging, food, bike shops etc.?

In addition to being on each tour guide map, we have compiled a comprehensive listing of all of these needs including camping, motels, hotels, bed and breakfasts, grocery stores/restaurants, restroom locations and bicycle shops all within a reasonable proximity to the OTET . If you have any to add, please contact us at OhioToErieTrail@gmail.com. Click Here To Visit Plan Your Trip Page

I hear the route is changing?

The OTET is still changing as more and more trail segments replace street routes. In early 2016 a major change took place in Columbus when Bike Route 1/OTET now goes into downtown on a connector path from the Lower Scioto River Greenway Trail and then north on the Alum Creek Greenway Trail. This removed the long time Olentangy Trail from the OTET Route and eliminated several miles of street travel.  Also, in Knox County-Mt. Vernon a rail crossing stood in the way of completing the trail segments there and that opened for travelers eliminating all street travel in Mount Vernon. In Holmes County just north of the Bridge of Dreams on the Mohican Valley Trail (paved 10-2015), a paved eight-mile connection between Route 62 and Glenmont was completed in 2017 all but eliminating travel on Route 62.

I hear that there may be some Alternate Routing for the OTET? – That is correct. As the Trail has developed we have used some road routes that are actually very picturesque and have limited traffic. When we published that we were eliminating some of these road routes we heard from many people who suggested they be designated as ALT for the OTET. Since we already have Route 1 signs up in these areas we decided to see how that can work. The alternate routes do fit easily on our tour guides and we can easily change our signs to have an ALT sticker in the top section to clearly mark that this is another way to continue on the OTET.  Here are some areas that we will most likely have ALT routes available for north and south bound travelers:

Village of Galena – with the opening of the Galena Brick Trail, the route through town has been eliminated meaning travelers will go around Galena, the restaurants and the poplar tourist attraction, the Mud Flats.  The ALT route would take travelers through town and connect back to the route.

Bridge of Dreams to Glenmont on the Holmes County Trail – as travelers leave Knox County on the Mohican Valley Trail heading north after the covered Bridge of Dreams the current route takes them on Route 62 and then a couple of lightly traveled roads (county 25 and 6)  through Amish farm land into Killbuck and the Holmes County Trail. . Currently that is the road route of the OTET. In 2017,  a new 8 mile rail trail will open between Knox County and Glenmont, then we will use County 520 into Killbuck.  That is on our current Tour Guide BUT paving completion has been slow. The Amish country road route will become an ALT route of about 12 miles when the Holmes Country Trail is opened between Glenmont and Knox County.

Orrville to Clinton – the original OTET route as designed by our founder Ed Honton, was to go through Orrville (home of Smucker’s) and on to Clinton. The current route goes to Dalton, on the Sippo Valley Trail, to Massillon (due east) and then north on the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath.  We may be a few years from making the trail connections through Orrville in Wayne County on north to Clinton, but that would become the original route with the beautiful Sippo Valley Trail to Massillon and north the ALT. Both will delight travelers and also provide some variations in the ride.

How can I order the OTET Tour Guides? When you order our Tour Guide, you should receive it in less than 1 week by USPS.  Map sets are $15.00 plus $2 shipping and tax if you are an Ohio resident. NOTE: if the maps are shipped out of Ohio, there is NO SALES TAX. Sales tax on Ohio map orders is $1.13 each. Total for in Ohio is $18.13 and out of Ohio is $17.  Click here to visit our Shop page

What is the surface of the Trail?

Most of the current Trail is hard surface known popularly as “asphalt”.  Some sections are concrete. A few sections remain as well packed crushed limestone and some are hard-packed dirt. All are navigable by bicycle. Our recommendation is that regular bicycle touring or road tires are fine on the OTET, but you may find skinny racing-type tires may not be satisfactory in some areas.

Where can I stay overnight if I’m doing longer sections of the Trail?

We have compiled a list of lodging places (camping, hotels, motels, B&Bs) in close proximity to the OTET. If you find others that are suitable, please let us know. You can see them on the Tour Guide maps as well. Go to Planning My Trip.

Where can I get more information on things to see and do along the Trail?

As a resource for Ohio tourism and a map of the state of Ohio go to: http://www.ohio.gov/tourism/ click on “Traffic Conditions and Road Maps”; then click on “Official Ohio transportation map | Order a free copy”

Do you have an OTET jersey or T-shirt that I can buy?

Go to the “Shop” page to see the full list of merchandise that we sell.

In the Shop we offer a great OTET jersey for $100. $7.50 sales tax for Ohio residents for a total of $107.50 for Ohio residents. There is no sales tax charged for orders from out of state.  Jersey orders are placed with the manufacturer as they are sold. There is not a physical store for trying them on.  Once you place the order, please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery via UPS from Borah Teamwear.  See the “Shop” page for sizing and other details.

The Shop also has an OTET t-shirt for $25.00 plus shipping & handling and they are shipped usually within a week.  The t-shirt is 60% cotton, 40% polyester.  Go to the Shop and click on the t-shirt for more information.

Do you sell other Ohio to Erie Trail items?

Yes, we offer stickers in 2 sizes (4 x 6 inch and 2 x 3 inch). The bumper stickers are high quality laminated material and each large sticker is $4 and each small sticker is $3.  Ohio residents pay $4.30 with sales tax and $3.23 for the smaller sticker including sales tax. Orders sent out of state have no sales tax added.  Don’t forget the set of four OTET Maps.  Please go to the “Store” page to see the full list of merchandise that we sell.

How many days should we plan to travel the entire length of the OTET?

The entire length of the OTET is about 326 miles. Along with how far you can travel in one day on a relatively flat terrain (about 85%) and if you are carrying your gear, most travelers plan 4 to 7 days.  Making sure lodging is available along the way is also important. Travel too fast and you’ll miss a lot of Ohio beauty!

Can I Be Recognized for Riding all 326 Miles?

We are designing a web page where individual names of people who ride, walk, job or wheelchair the 326 miles can have their names, year, and state listed in the “326 Club.”  A new OTET 326 sticker is available for distribution. Simply send us an e-mail and give us your name, your state, and the year you traveled the entire 326 miles of the OTET!

What about the OTET through the major cities?

Much of OTET travels through the cities of Cincinnati, London, Columbus, Westerville, Mt. Vernon, Massillon, Akron and Cleveland and is on off-street, trail pavement. However there are some sections that require travelers to use caution on the city streets in each of those municipalities. Sometimes this may be for a few blocks or a couple miles. In almost all cases, bike lanes are marked.  The route is marked with Route 1 Bike signs and OTET.  Enjoy the cities of Ohio and simply watch for vehicles and be careful as you would in any urban area.