NCTA Trail Change

Date Posted

Jun 8, 2022

Section

Defiance

Chapter

The North Country Trail (NCT) has made a change to their trail that followed the BT to BT Point 14. The NCT will now continue on the BT to Point 20 and exit there, to continue their trail going north. This requires an update to the BT’s Point 14 and 20 in the Defiance Section. See the updated Point descriptions below:

CW 35.3 E | CCW 18.6 W | Point 14 | Intersection of C424 and SR 109 (R)

To the W of this point, C424 is generally known as E Riverview Drive; to the E, as Old US 24. Continue E past a roadhouse. Cross SR 109 (exits S). Enter North Turkeyfoot Wildlife Area. After 0.7 mi, reach a parking area for hikers [41.41245° N, 83.99671° W]. Facilities: P, PT. Contine E 0.3 mi and cross Turkeyfoot Creek on footbridge. Proceed N on dirt path 300’ to hunter parking area (Bulletin Board, P, PT) [41.41478° N, 83.98940° W]. Exit E onto grassy path that turns S. After 150’, turn E through old shed. After 0.26 mi at trail intersection, jog N onto gravel drive. After 500’, join Old US 24 heading E. After 200’, Old US 24 crosses Dry Creek on a stone culvert built for the canal. If interested, a view is found with a little bushwhacking S of the road. After another 500’, join Towpath Trail above Dry Creek. After 0.4 mi, cross ODNR drive [41.41905° N, 83.97414° W] to river access w/P. After 0.35 mi, towpath disappears, probably because of erosion caused by Maumee R. Drop onto grassy flat along river and continue E. After 0.45 mi, trail returns to narrow towpath above river with one temporary departure onto lawn. After 0.6 mi at grassy area, further progress on towpath trail is blocked by structure. Jog N. At Old US 24 [41.42352° N, 83.95022° W], turn E along berm of road.

CW 52.7 E | CCW 1.2 W | Point 20 | Bike Path at S River Rd (C53)

Note: this description was updated on 2-7-2023 for clarification. NCT diverges from BT here. BT hikers continue on the BT as described in the map update identified below on 11-5-2020.

In addition, the box titled “North Country Scenic Trail” on page 2 of the Defiance map, also changes to:
Extending from Crown Point State Park in eastern New York through 7 states to Lake Sakakawea on the Missouri R in central North Dakota, NCT is approximately 4600 miles long. Legislation is pending to extend the trail into Vermont to connect with the Appalachian Trail. NCT makes a 1067 mi swing through Ohio. Both BT and NCT follow the same route for 52 miles through the Defiance Section between Junction (Point 1) and the end of the Towpath Trail at River Rd (Point 20) where the NCT goes north. BTA maintains much of the NCT within Ohio. For more information about NCT, visit https:/northcountrytrail.org