Ohio Rail Trails Are Top Notch.

August 10, 2023

I did not get much sleep last night. One of those night where I get up to use the bathroom at 2 am and cannot fall back to sleep. So I looked at the map and decided to revisit places I’ve been to before.

I had to be out of the hosts house by 0730 as they needed to get to work. I left at 7 and headed to the local Krogers, my second favorite grocery store next to Hy-vee. I bought a few necessities and some groceries for dinner and breakfast and headed to Xenia via the Creekside Trail. While these Ohio Trails do not have the stunning views found out west with the snow capped Rockies or Cascades, the trails are nicely paved and well maintained. And the bridges are the best I e ever ridden….smooth with no bump getting on or off.

Xenia has done a fantastic job with the trail that runs to Yellow Springs, the Little Miami Trail. In the past you had to ride on the sidewalk and take your chances at intersections. Now there is a dedicated bike lane on the road complete with its own traffic lights. Well done Xenia!!!! The old railway station is one of my favorites and they were smart to make it the hub where several local trail converge. Then I continued to Yellow Springs.

As I said before, Yellow Springs is stuck in the 60s. It’s a bit too progressive for me what with every house still displaying their BLM signs, and love and peace written on every brick wall. I guess they haven’t heard the farce that those BLM organizers pulled off. Or that everyone’s life matters. I was too early for lunch so decided to proceed to Clifton.

There is no trail in that direction and the road has no shoulder but traffic was light and respectful. Clifton has a still operational mill on the Little Miami, the last of many that once lined the gorge the river follows. This is an amazing geologic feature formed by glacial activity and if you have never been, you owe it to yourself to take a a look. It is very out of place given the rest of the local landscape and if they had not made it a park and put up signs to the entrance, you wouldn’t know it exists. Lots of hiking trails and history there. Go look!!!!

I visited a B&B I’ve stayed at several times, Clifton Garden Cabin. I was hoping to get a look at the cabin as it’s been completely redone since I was last there but I did not find the owner. I did get some pics of the garden. You can see the place on Facebook and I would recommend it as a place to stay when you go to see the Gorge.

From there I meandered to Cedarville. Now I’ve been there several times but have never really gone into town or through the Cedarville University campus. The bike trail, the Prairie Grass Trail, goes past the edge of town and that’s all I ever saw of the place. Today I rode through campus and am amazed at the place. Incredibly beautiful campus with modern buildings, ponds, trails, fountains……something I would never have imagined. I don’t know what tuition is there but I guarantee it is high. Still there is no way tuition could begin to pay for what I saw. There is big money behind that place!

The town of Cedarville is vey nice also. Well kept old homes and quaint narrow roads. Just outside of town on route 42 is the Indian Mound Reserve. I didn’t walk the long trail to see the mounds but I did take the short trail to the falls. This has to be a man made feature as it looked to be a dam made of poured concrete positioned in a rock narrowing of Massies Creek. I could not find info on this at the site but it looked like it’s purpose was to divert water to a mill or possibly two. In any case it is a beautiful area and again, not something I expected to see here.

Lunch was had at Lola’s Mexican. Last time was was here by bike in 2021 they did not look like they were doing very well. Of course this was during Covid. But they have more than survived and the place was packed. I had a Chicken Chimichanga with rice, beans, and salad. Great meal and just what I needed after riding 30 miles. The owner was great but certainly was no Lola!

From there it was back on the PGT to the towns of Selma, South Charleston, and Florence…..and finally to my overnight destination of London. Along the way I spent about five miles with a great couple riding Cat Trike recumbents. She was an ER then a PACU nurse now retired. I did not find out what he did. They were both 70, though they did not look it, and had decided it was time for three wheels instead of two. If you’re interested in recumbent trikes you cannot go wrong with a Cat Trike. I wish them well with their new rides!

Finally I arrived at the campground in London Ohio. This is directly on the trail and has a pavilion with picnic tables, tent pads, shade, an outdoor shower of sorts, water, toilets (real porcelain and clean), electricity, and Wi-Fi!!!! Free!!!! Can’t get any better than that. I fixed my evening meal on-site but there are lots of places in town to eat.

So if I were grading Ohio thus far……I’d give it an A+ for trail quality and a B-/C for scenery (corn, beans,cows, tree tunnel, but some interesting old architecture. Come visit…..bring your bike.

PS: Lots of history here. Many famous people. pics in no particular order. That’s how I roll.