New Henry County Bridge Miami Erie Canal Towpath Photo by Bob Morrison

For nearly 1444 miles, the Buckeye Trail winds around Ohio, reaching into every corner of the state. From a beachhead on Lake Erie near Cleveland, to an hilltop overlooking the Ohio River in Cincinnati, a hiker can experience a little of all that Ohio has to offer. 

First envisioned in the late 1950’s as a trail from the Ohio River to Lake Erie, the Buckeye Trail evolved into a large loop, branching both north and east from Cincinnati. The separate legs rejoin in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Cleveland, and complete the trip to the lake. Because it is a loop, it is also in essence, endless. You may start a hike at any point and hike as long as you want without ever reaching an end!

The trail is identified by blue blazes, 2" wide by 6" high, on trees or poles. A single blaze marks the trail where the route is fairly straight or obvious, while a double blaze marks a turn with the upper blaze offset to indicate the new direction. A double blaze with no offset simply means pay attention - the trail route may not be obvious.

The trail is maintained and managed by the Buckeye Trail Association, a private, non-profit volunteer organization. Use this site to help plan your Buckeye Trail adventure. Start with the overview map, then zoom in on a section of interest. Read the section close-ups, contact the section supervisors, and get the detailed maps for those areas that interest you. Make use of the Featured Hike and Short Hikes sections for ideas. Check the events for a group hike, and finally, visit the on-line store to buy everything you will need. 

Most important…find the time to explore Ohio up close and personal along the Buckeye Trail. 

Special announcements:

• BTA's 50th Anniversary is coming in 2009! We are looking for several items that will help make this a special celebration for our members. If you have any of the following, please send them to the BTA webmaster:
• Pictures of past BTA Presidents
• Stories from early BTA trail days - hiking, trail building, human interest, events
• Interested in relay hiking the BT? Let us know.
  
• Articles for the Trailblazer should now be sent to trailblazer@buckeyetrail.org.
  
• The National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241, et seq.) (NTSA) recognizes the necessity of permanently protecting the resources that are the basis for the national scenic and national historic trails and of preserving continuous rights-of-way for the national scenic trails. The NTSA contains generic authority for the administering Federal agencies to acquire land for these purposes and encourages states and local governments also to help preserve the resources of these trails.
  
  However, nine trails were authorized between 1978 and 1986 with restrictions totally excluding Federal authority for land acquisition. These trails are the Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, Lewis and Clark, Iditarod and NezPerce National Historic Trails, and the Continental Divide, Ice Age, North Country, and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trails.
  
  Senators Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Carl Levin (D-MI) have introduced SB 169 providing willing seller land acquisition authority to the Federal agencies for the nine trails. Tom Petri (R- WI) and 5 colleagues have introduced companion House Bill HR 1847.
  
  If you would like to support this effort, the following are documents you may download, personalize, and send to your Representative and Senator:
  • Example Letter to a Senator
  • Example Letter to a Representative
  • Willing Seller Bill
  • Important Points About the Willing Seller Bill


• Check out the BTA Century Barn page.
  
  
• Support the Buckeye Trail. Make a donation to one of the four funds that finance the many projects of the BTA. You can read about the funds and donate online on our Four Funds page.
  
  
• Renew your BTA membership online! The Buckeye Trail Association now accepts credit cards allowing you to renew your membership on line. Check out our Renewal Page for more information.
  
  

Follow The Blue Blazes, written by BTA member Bob Pond is the definitive guide to the Buckeye Trail. Order your copy today from the BTA On-Line Store and save. BTA Members will save almost $5.00 over the cover price when they order directly from the BTA Store, and all proceeds will go back into the Buckeye Trail. For more information about the book, visit the Ohio University Press web site.

• Are your maps up to date? Check the latest publication date of all 26 BT maps on the Trail Alerts page. Use our Order Form to get the ones you need.
  
  
• HELP!! For more information follow this link!
  
  
• Please take our on-line survey to provide us with valuable feedback! Your time is appreciated.