Ongoing Projects
Campground Connector- Partners: Athens Foundation, local chapter of Sierra Club, Athens Conservancy,
Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Athens, Strouds Run State Park, Bedrock Rentals
- Synopsis: This will be, when done, a fully-accessible (ADA compliant)
trail linking the campground at Strouds Run State Park with the waterfront area.
Currently, a deckwalk is being built at the campground, across the creek bottom,
then a graded walkway on the far side. For now, this will just connect to the
existing Homestead Trail until finished, and until upgrades are done to that trail.
Then it will be extended to Strouds Run Road.
Rockhouse Trail- Partners: City of Athens, Strouds Run State Park, Athens Conservancy
- Synopsis: Completion of the Rockhouse Trail: Mostly grading work, some drainage work,
and eventual extension eastward. More info to come.
- Partners: Athens Conservancy, City of Athens, Strouds Run State Park, Ohio University
- Synopsis: Extension of the Athens Trail, currently
both at The Ridges and westward from Sells Park. More info to come.
Strouds Run Trail- Partners: Strouds Run State Park, Bedrock Rentals
- Synopsis: Completion of a multi-use trail (bikeable), from the western entrance to
Strouds Run State Park, along Strouds Run then along the north
shore of Dow Lake, crossing the northern neck of Dow Lake, then down to the swimming area. More info to come.
- Partners: Moonville Rail-Trail, Inc.; Athens County Commissioners; Vinton County Commissioners
- Synopsis: Athens Trails is a minor partner in this effort, led by
Moonville Rail-Trail, Inc. This project
utilizes an old railroad grade, largely through the Zaleski State Forest. It extends from the Diamond plant south of Zaleski, in Vinton
County, NNE, then NE, then E to Mineral in Athens County. It passes Hope School in Vinton County and comes close to Lake Hope State Park.
The Vinton County Commissioners hold title to the Vinton County portion, while the Athens County Commissioners hold title to the Athens
County portion. The Waterloo Township Trustees also own a portion eastward of Mineral to New Marshfield, while the Athens County
Commissioners will soon own the spur grade to Carbondale. More info to come.
- Partners: Buckeye Trail Council, North Country Trail Association, American Discovery Trail Association,
Burr Oak State Park, Trimble State Wildlife Area, Sunday Creek Coal, Wayne National Forest, Smokerise Ranch
- Synopsis: Athens Trails is at best a minor partner at this time, but may play more of a role. These three
trails are quite long-distance trails, while our interest is primarily in the local sections. The principal work to be done is simply
gradually moving some trail segments that are still on roadways off-road onto dedicated trail. More info to come.
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Planned Projects
Chestnut Connector Re-Route- Synopsis: This would be a relocation of a short, about 1/2-mile, connector trail, but would involve a 45-foot
stairway and would pass through a rockhouse formation complex, and would be very scenic. Budget: about $1800. More info to come.
Dow Lake Dam Bike Trail- Synopsis: This would be a multi-use trail connecting Della Drive with the Dow Lake Dam parking area, and then
with the township road east of the park (McAfee Road), as well as including a new connector to the South Lakeview Trail. More info to come.
Chillicothe-Marietta Trace Trail- Synopsis: This would be a hiking-biking trail extending from the Athens Trail to the Finger Rock Trail /
Pioneer Cemetery Trail, largely parallelling the Finger Rock Trail but on the other side of the valley. The grade would be much more gradual,
thus an easier uphill for bicycles, and it would have a southern exposure so that it would be less likely to ice up in the winter, and it would
in any case enable easy loop hikes from the Pioneer Cemetery Trail Head. More info to come.
Pioneer Cemetery Trail Head- Synopsis: It's hoped to develop a pavilion, information board, and water source at this trail head.
More info to come.
Athens Trail Backpack Campsite- Synopsis: This would be a designated camping area for backpackers on the Athens Trail system, and would be
located fairly close to the Pioneer Cemetery Trail Head at Strouds Run State Park. It would be a primitive site. More info to come.
Trimble Wildlife to Lake Hope Hiking Trail- Synopsis: This would be a longer-distance trail, perhaps fifteen to twenty miles, connecting the Buckeye Trail
/ North Country Trail / American Discovery Trail in Trimble Wildlife Area to the Lake Hope trail system. It would pass through Sunday Creek
Coal Company land, Wayne National Forest, Trimble State Wildlife Area, Zaleski State Forest, Lake Hope State Park, and possibly AEP lands,
and would probably join with the Zaleski Backpacking Trail for a distance. Now only in the idea stage. More info to come.
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