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Recreation
Life’s Better With a Bike
Clermont County cyclists enjoy easy access to Ohio’s grand trail plan
Plans are in the works to extend the 70-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail into Cincinnati – and beyond.Bike paths crisscross this country from one end to the other, but it’s rare that they actually go anywhere. That’s not the case in Ohio, a state that’s determined to connect its major cities and landmarks via usable, accessible greenways. The Ohio to Erie Trail is a 453-mile path that will travel the length of the state from the Ohio River to Lake Erie.
When the trail is complete, Ohio will literally be connected by bike, and no community exemplifies this sense of connectivity better than Clermont County. In fact, its extensive greenway system has helped lay the groundwork for Ohio’s greater bike path plan, and a portion of the 70-plus-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail passes through the northern end of the county.
“The bike path is a centerpiece for our community,” says Martin Schickel, owner of the Loveland Bicycle Shop and a county native who’s watched biking grow over the years. “Businesses and restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts have sprouted up along the path. Every day, cyclists head out on this trail.
“Recreational cycling is a big part of life in Clermont.”
Roughly 10 miles of the Little Miami Scenic Trail lie in Clermont County, paralleling the Little Miami River and connecting Loveland to Morrow and all points between. The paved trail links neighborhoods with historic downtown communities and outlying businesses, serving as a healthy and viable transportation alternative for the county.
“Towns like Milford and Loveland and Miamiville are definitely connected through the trail,” Schickel says.
Clermont County’s section of the Little Miami Scenic Trail was the first portion to be laid and helped to form the foundation of Ohio’s ambitious greenway system. Plans are in place to extend the trail from Clermont County into Cincinnati, linking Clermont’s smaller communities with Ohio’s most vibrant city.
“I’ve been watching this trail for 30 years,” Schickel says, in awe of the community support for the bike path. “The thing is still growing.”
And the Little Miami Scenic Trail isn’t the only bike path that’s growing in Clermont. The Williamsburg-Batavia Hike/Bike Trail is an ambitious project that will connect the two townships of Williamsburg and Batavia via a 13-mile paved path that traverses the edge of East Fork State Park.
“This project started as an economic development tool,” says Mary Ann Lekfer, mayor of the Williamsburg Township. “But the more we pursue it, the more we realize this trail plays a significant role in the overall trail goal of Ohio, which is to be able to hike or bike along trails all the way from the lake to the river.”
Just as the Little Miami Scenic Trail helped start Ohio’s biking tradition in Clermont County, the Williamsburg-Batavia Hike/Bike Trail is poised to continue that tradition.
Story by Graham Averill
Photo by Stephen Cherry
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