Ohio to Erie Trail Fund

The Ohio to Erie Trail Fund seeks to promote, develop and establish a multi-use, non-motorized network of regional trails and greenways linking Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland from the Ohio River to Lake Erie.

The Ohio to Erie trail was first envisioned in 1991 by Edward Franklin Honton, who subsequently founded and served as president of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to implementing the vision. Throughout our 30+ years, our Board of Directors have worked actively in each of their local communities along the 15-county route of the Ohio to Erie Trail. By working with a wide array of private, public, and nonprofit partners, each year new trail sections open replacing the road routes. We continue to advocate for the completion of and ongoing improvements to the route and trail systems.

The 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail route is for non-motorized travel and is named for its endpoints, the Ohio River at Cincinnati and Lake Erie at Cleveland. The route largely consists of rail trails and other multi-use trails but also includes some on-road segments in anticipation of future segregated cycle facilities. The route as a whole is intended for bicyclists and hikers, while some trails along the route also permit equestrian and horse and buggy traffic. The trail has multiple surface types including asphalt, cement, concrete, crushed limestone and hard-packed earth.