Buckeye Trail: Oak Grove Picnic Area to Pine Lane

The Cuyahoga segment of the the 1,444-mile Buckeye Trail.

Trail Running Moderate

Distance: 23 km
Ascent: 558 m
Descent: 539 m
Duration: 2-3 hrs

Low Point: 196 m
High Point: 285 m
Gradient: 5˚

Buckeye Trail: Oak Grove Picnic Area to Pine Lane Map

1,444-miles long as of 2020, the Buckeye Trail is Ohio's showpiece long-distance trail, circumnavigating the entire state by way of trail, greenway, and some road. Part of the Akron Section, the Buckeye Trail Association considers "the remoteness of this section" to be "quite amazing." It's also "one of two sections that contain very large proportions of off-road trail"—the other is Loveland.

Photo from Buckeye Trail: Oak Grove Picnic Area to Pine Lane — Photo: Brendon Voelker

Description

Though the entire Akron Section is 57.6-miles long, this mapped portion is entirely on singletrack and helps form two excellent trail runs. The Buckeye/Bridle Loop is a scenic 6.5-mile run through beautiful forests and even offers some commanding views over the valley. The other, the Buckeye/Towpath Loop mixes challenging singletrack with an easy mixed-surface greenway and visits a stunning waterfall and historic house along the Ohio & Erie Canal.

The northern terminus for this portion is the Oak Grove Picnic Area. It includes a large parking area, pavilion, and a field that draws in plenty of visitors on the weekends. The southern terminus is the much smaller Pine Lane Trailhead. The Buckeye Trail continues south, coaligned with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. A mixed-surface, and well-graded pathway, it's not the greatest option if you're looking for a true trail run. Instead, explore one of the other nearby routes, such as the Plateau Trail or Langes/Wetmore Loop near Everett and Peninsula.

Source: https://www.buckeyetrail.org/sections/sections-map.php?section=akron# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuckeyeTrail