MJH

Talked to a St Louis couple today while riding around Edwardsville, IL.
They were telling me about almost 200 miles of paved trails out of and around Xenia.
Can anyone tell me more about these? The Ohio bike path website was a little confusing.

AusTexMurf

Bike path systems in general are amazing in Ohio. A real bicycling transportation network. Xenia is on the main line of the Ohio to Erie Trail that is about 80-90 % contiguous from Cincinnati to Cleveland. Mostly well maintained asphalt trail surface. Xenia is also directly linked to Dayton via bike path. Dayton has bike trail systems that radiate out due north, northwest, east and north to Columbus, and really two different (SW and SE) routes to Cincinnati. I believe Xenia also has a bike trail that heads due north to the college town of Yellow Springs and beyond. I have only ridden through Xenia proper once about 3 years ago and I was making time towards Granville/Newark, NE of Columbus. I rode through the Dayton area on a separate trip and was very impressed with their connectivity. Very nice trail systems in Ohio. I very much enjoyed riding around Columbus, Johnstown, Alexandria, Granville, Newark, Black Hand Gorge, Buckeye Lake, and also north around Mt. Vernon, Gambier, Ohio Amish Country, and Akron, Cuyahoga National Park, on into Cleveland. All more or less connected from Xenia.

Also, you can order hard copies of the Ohio to Erie trail system. There are sent as 4 separate maps covering the different areas of the trail.
https://www.ohiotoerietrail.org/product/maps/

About the Trails

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.

MORE TRAIL RESOURCES
Distances
In 2016 at least 285 miles are on separated paved trails with about 45 miles on some city streets and rural roads. 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. In some areas we are adding more paved trail which removes the route from streets such as is being done in Knox and Holmes Counties.
Finding Your Way
The OTET is known as Route 1 in Ohio. 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!
National Route 21
In the near future the designation of US Bike Route 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 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 285+ 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 330 miles of Route 1 from Cincinnati to Cleveland now using the 285+ 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 18 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.

MJH

Wow, AusTexMurf! Great post. That is great information. I'm really going to look into doing some Ohio riding.

AusTexMurf

Xenia is right in the middle of the hub.
The Nation's Largest Paved Trail Network | Miami Valley Bike Trails

https://gcparkstrails.com/pdfs/XeniaStationMap.pdf

Trails | Trail Selector | Greene County Parks & Trails


Ohio Bikeways - Regional Ohio Bike Trail & Map List

I enjoyed riding in the Columbus area out through Licking County/Granville/Newark. Very nice trail network and I found the road riding, both urban and rural, to be so much friendlier than many other parts of the US.
https://www.ohiobikeways.net/newark.htm
https://lickingcountytrails.com/2011BikeTrailMap.pdf
As I stated in previous post, the Kokosing Gap Trail through Mt. Vernon, Gambier, etc. was very nice riding. Also continuing NE through Ohio Amish Country. Beautiful farms, produce, slow, friendly rural traffic, camp in fields, etc..
Also warmshowers hosts were easy to find and eager to accommodate in Ohio.