Trails are the cool kids
what was old is new again
The school bus jolts to a stop before rumbling over the railroad tracks sending us bouncing from our seats. I crossed those tracks in my school days with cheers. Fifty-plus years later, cyclists, runners, and walkers cross Beechwood Avenue on the Iron Horse Trail. The railroad that fueled the economy of Eastern Stark County is now a green recreational corridor.
The Lake Erie, Alliance & Wheeling Railroad is long gone and repurposed as a rail trail, one of 188 trails in Ohio that cover 5,672 miles in the state according to the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The abandonment of unused railbeds is a gift to today’s world. Citizen-led groups, park districts, and governmental entities embraced the conversion of railbeds to trails. That embracing continues; adding miles of trails.
Naktionwide, RTC's trail counters showed an average increase in trail use of 36% compared with 2019, marking a second year of record-setting trail use across the country. - Rails to Trails conservancy, 12.21.2021
Locally, I see the growth of trail use when I cycle or walk my dogs on the Heart of Ohio Trail, Kokosing Gap Trail, and Mohican Valley Trail. These trails are part of the Ohio to Erie Trail network spanning 326 miles from Cincinnati to Cleveland.
Rail trails are the cool kids today. They provide a traffic-free path greenway for health, wellness, recreation, and commuting. The railroad fueled the economy of Eastern Stark County years ago whereas the Iron Horse Trail fuels the economy today. Destination trails such as the Ohio to Erie Trail are significant economic and tourism engines attracting international and national visitors seeking outdoor adventure.
Explore your local trails and venture to new trails. Each has a unique personality passing through varied landscapes and communities. Support your local trail organization. Keeping a trail clean and safe comes at a cost. Volunteers and financial support are welcome to help maintain and improve the trails.
What was cool when I was a kid riding the school bus is cool today. The difference is that the coolness goes for miles on my bike well beyond Beechwood Avenue. Get out and play with the cool kids!
Tom @ Tom on the Trails
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