Explore the best rated trails in Columbus, OH, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Hoover Scenic Trail and Heart of Ohio Trail . With more than 49 trails covering 4542 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
We started at Mile Marker .5 in Chillicothe on a delightful ride through South Eastern Ohio. We stopped after 19 miles at Austin next to a new establishment (Austin Mill) selling beverages and food. This trail is fabulous! We were thrilled to see how well the trail is being maintained; finding the trail quite smooth with normal asphalt separations that had been filled. Yes, there are occasional root bumps; nothing to worry about as the tree canopy provides great shade. Yes, there are a couple of places where the big arrows had faded to direct us but trail sense kept us on trail. Thank you to the three Ohio counties teaming up to make/maintain the memorable bike trail.
A wonderful trail that slowly climbs out of Xenia. It begins with a canopy of trees and later turns to fields. An Inn on the trail in Cedarville warmly welcomes cyclists for a rest stop. It saved us from a passing thunderstorm.
Five Stars. We rode 51 miles.
South out of Xenia this trail deserves a five-star-plus rating. Well maintained, wooded with a river, you will be tempted to ride this forever. We did 60 miles.
North is a little more urban but still a five-star trial. We did 41 miles. Thank you, Xenia!
The north part of this trail is in a less than stellar part of town
We rode from Beatty Station near Springfield south to Xenia station on 4/9/2024. We liked the trail just fine. Not too many road crossings, paved, rail trail grades, etc. If headed south, when you get to Xenia be aware that the trail turns right at a street with virtually no signage except for a sign that said Xenia Station .5 straight ahead. So we stayed straight ahead which encompassed the sidewalks of Xenia instead of the actually bike path. Other than that mixup we were happy with the trail. We hope to do the rest of it at a future date.
This was a fairly decent trail, if you like straight paths and wide open spaces. I ran this trail in February 2024. I divided it up in to 7 days and started in Springfield. The first mile or so is road side and there is a specific lane to stay in. This turns to some wooded areas and over some busy roads while in town. The path from lagonda to Eagle City was probably the most scenic part of the trail, crossing over the Buck Creek trail. Once past Eagle City soccer fields the terrain seems to be newly paved but there are a lot of little dips that I was very aware of since I was on foot and not on a bike. Coming in to Urbana there were some wooded areas and I am sure in the early spring and summer there may be more to look at, but it wasn't very scenic in February. There was little to no signage other than the SKT mile markers noted sporadically along the trail. It seems like once you get past Railroad street in Urbana there isn't much to look at other than railroad tracks. This is also where the trail changes from asphalt to the chip and seal. I hadn't ran this kind of terrain but was pleasantly surprised how smooth it was. I was concerned about flipping bits of stone in to my shoes but that didn't happen. There is another segment of roads to run and again, there is no signage to direct you on the right path. I did see bike signs, which to most of you reading this will take as signage, however, I would like to see signs of the actual trail listed. The map listed here on trailink shows the red line to insinuate the trail, however, when looking at it more closely, there is more route around a park in Urbana that was missed. Again, after Railroad rd in Urbana the path is straight and there is no place to stop for rest or parking and that makes for a lengthy run/ride for anyone on the trail. There is always a safety concern in this regard too. Overall, the trail is decent, however, I wouldn't run it again...maybe the part from Lagonda to Eagle City...but that's it. This was trail #35 for me, and I would say it wouldn't make the top 10 for me.
This was a fairly decent trail, if you like straight paths and wide open spaces. I ran this trail in February 2024. I divided it up in to 7 days and started in Springfield. The first mile or so is road side and there is a specific lane to stay in. This turns to some wooded areas and over some busy roads while in town. The path from lagonda to Eagle City was probably the most scenic part of the trail, crossing over the Buck Creek trail. Once past Eagle City soccer fields the terrain seems to be newly paved but there are a lot of little dips that I was very aware of since I was on foot and not on a bike. Coming in to Urbana there were some wooded areas and I am sure in the early spring and summer there may be more to look at, but it wasn't very scenic in February. There was little to no signage other than the SKT mile markers noted sporadically along the trail. It seems like once you get past Railroad street in Urbana there isn't much to look at other than railroad tracks. This is also where the trail changes from asphalt to the chip and seal. I hadn't ran this kind of terrain but was pleasantly surprised how smooth it was. I was concerned about flipping bits of stone in to my shoes but that didn't happen. There is another segment of roads to run and again, there is no signage to direct you on the right path. I did see bike signs, which to most of you reading this will take as signage, however, I would like to see signs of the actual trail listed. The map listed here on trailink shows the red line to insinuate the trail, however, when looking at it more closely, there is more route around a park in Urbana that was missed. Again, after Railroad rd in Urbana the path is straight and there is no place to stop for rest or parking and that makes for a lengthy run/ride for anyone on the trail. There is always a safety concern in this regard too. Overall, the trail is decent, however, I wouldn't run it again...maybe the part from Lagonda to Eagle City...but that's it. This was trail #35 for me, and I would say it wouldn't make the top 10 for me.
I like this trail. You can ride and park to OSU football games, Crew soccer games, Red, White and Boom, and any festival in the Columbus city. But there is also wildlife- hawks, Eagle sightings, deer, beaver, muskrats, owls, etc. You can find picnic benches as well to use all year. There is a frisbee golf course up in Worthington along with Antium lake. It has a bit going for it in my opinion but at times a bit crowded around Whetstone Park and OSU campus. I just chill around these areas and go very slow. This is also something I wish the serious speed bikers would do considering it is a multi-use trail.
We did a 8.45 mi round trip between Harvard Rd and Warren Rd overhead bridge. Being in a wheelchair we had no issues whatsoever with the surface of the trail.
Still closed at Cartridge Brewing but can pass through.
Wow! I decided to go 100 miles out of my way to ride this trail and I'm so glad I did! In my quest to ride my bike in all fifty states, I "settled" on the Kokosing Gap Trail for my Ohio ride. I knew it was highly regarded, but I must say it truly exceeded my expectations! I've ridden on trails all over the United States, and I would put this one in my top ten!
The trail provides so many pleasurable experiences. There are woods that create a canopy over the trail, beautiful river views, cornfields, pastures with cows and horses, historic railroad bridges, wildlife, rolling hills, sculptures, an old-timey train, Kenyon College, and the friendliest trail users I have ever encountered. I did this ride in early October with some of the leaves beginning to change color, but they must be absolutely spectacular in their full autumn peak!
Be sure to allow enough time to travel the entire trail from end to end to enjoy and appreciate the total experience! It's flat enough to do the full round trip.
Kudos to all for the design, development and upkeep of this awesome trail!
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