Ohio touring, traveling and visiting information

The Buckeye Trail

The Buckeye Trail is a maintained hiking trail that winds around Ohio for almost 1450 miles. It goes through about 40 of Ohio's 88 counties.

Originally envisioned in the late 50s as a trail from the Ohio River to Lake Erie, the hiking trail evolved into a loop around the state.

As a statewide trail it follows old canal towpaths, abandoned railroad rights of way, rivers, lake shores, rural byways and primitive foot paths over forested public and private lands. The Buckeye Trail Association seeks to make accessible the historic and scenic spots in the Buckeye State. Therefore the trail passes through forests, state and local parks, many small towns and urban areas where traveling on foot gives you an entirely new and unique perspective of the Buckeye State.

The trail is maintained by the prrivate, non-profit volunteer organization called the Buckeye Trail Association.

The trail is open to hiking year round and there is no fees for hiking on the trail.

The Buckeye Ttrail passes through many of the most scenic locations in the state, such as the Hocking Hills, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

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The Buckeye Trail

Look for the blue blazes that identify the trail. These are 2" x 6" blaze marks on the trail. Single blaze marks where the trail is easily identified and usually travels in a straight line. In areas where the trail makes a turn, a double blaze marks the turn that indicate a change in the hiking trail's direction.

Blue Blazes

Detail sections of the Buckeye Trail can be purchased for a large fee for the entire set, or a much smaller fee for the 25 individual sections from the Buckeye Trail On-Line Store that also offers patches and other items identified with the Buckeye Trail.

Click here for the Buckeye Trail Online Store

There website also has updates and alerts for each of the major sections

Buckeye Trail

Use of the trail

There is no charge for using the Buckeye Trail thanks to the cooperation of many government agencies and private landowners. When hiking, be courteous and remember many areas are privately owned. Obey signs, stay on the trail leave gates as you find them can carry out your litter.

 

The Buckeye Trail Association

The Buckeye Trail Association is a large body of volunteers who maintain and promote the Buckeye Trail. Though the entire route is marked, the Buckeye Trail continues to change and improve. The Buckeye Trail Association looks for ways to move road sections off the roads, and to upgrade those off-road sections to high quality trail.

The Buckeye Trail Association is more than just a management organization. It is also a social group. Several events are planned each year, both formally by the association, and by individual members. Most of these events are open to the public.

 

Our pledge...

Our goal is to bring as much information about the great state of Ohio as possible.

Part of that pledge includes providing a source of information about local festivals and events.

If you have a local event or festival that might be of interest to our readers, please let us know as far in advance as possible and we will include it in our listings.

Click here for our online form to let us know all the particulars.

Shorter Hikes

Don't feel like hiking 1500 miles this weekend? Consider doing one of the organization's shorter hikes. They have 6 listed short hikes.

Deer on the Buckeye Trail

Camping on the
Buckeye Trail

Camping is permited in a very few designated campsites which means you won't be able to go the entire route and be able to camp the entire way.