View source for Buckeye Trail

{{short description|Long-distance hiking trail in the United States}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox hiking trail
 |name=Buckeye Trail
 |photo=
 |caption=
 |location=[[Ohio]], USA
 |length_mi=1444
 |trailheads='''Northern''':[[Headlands Beach State Park]]<br/>
'''Southern''':[[Eden Park, Cincinnati]]
 |use=Hiking, Backpacking
 |elev_change=
 |highest=
 |lowest=
 |difficulty=Easy to strenuous
 |season=Any
 |sights=[[Hocking Hills]], [[Ohio and Erie Canal]], [[Miami and Erie Canal]], [[Cuyahoga Valley National Park]], [[Wayne National Forest]]
 |hazards=[[Severe weather]]<br>[[Tick-borne disease]]s<br>[[Mosquito]]s<br>[[Biting flies]]<br>[[Harvest mite|Chiggers]]<br>Steep grades<br>Limited water<br>[[Wilderness acquired diarrhea|Diarrhea from water]]<br>[[Poison ivy]]<br>[[Venomous snake]]s}}

The '''Buckeye Trail''' is a {{convert|1444|mi|km|adj=on}}<ref>{{cite web|website=Buckeye Trail Association|title=What in the Blue Blazes?|url=http://www.buckeyetrail.org/bta.html|publisher=Buckeye Trail Association|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520135915/http://www.buckeyetrail.org/bta.html|archivedate=2012-05-20}}</ref> [[hiking trail]] and     [[long-distance trail]] that loops around the state of [[Ohio]].  Part of it is on roads and part is on wooded [[trail]].  Road portions of the trail are gradually being relocated to separate trail.

This trail passes through many of the most scenic locations in the state, such as the [[Hocking Hills]] region and the [[Cuyahoga Valley National Park]].  It also goes through many small towns in Ohio, making this trail both an outdoor as well as a history experience.

The trail's northern terminus is on [[Lake Erie]] in [[Headlands Beach State Park]] east of [[Cleveland]].  From the northern terminus, one branch leads south down the eastern edge of the state while another leads west across the north towards [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]].

The two branches rejoin in southwestern Ohio in the city of [[Milford, Ohio|Milford]], where a single branch continues southwest to [[Eden Park, Cincinnati|Eden Park]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], the southern terminus.

Major portions of the trail follow the old canal routes including the [[Miami and Erie Canal]] and the [[Wabash and Erie Canal]] in the West and the [[Ohio and Erie Canal]] in the East.<ref>{{cite web| title = Historic Signage Marks Canal "Junction"| publisher=Miami and Erie Canal Corridor Association| date = Fall 2008| url = http://www.meccainc.org/news/v11n3.pd| accessdate = June 28, 2017}}</ref> 

The [[North Country Trail]] coincides with the Buckeye Trail for a large part of its route, and the [[American Discovery Trail]] also coincides with it through southern Ohio.

The [http://www.buckeyetrail.org Buckeye Trail Association],<ref>{{cite web|website=|title=Buckeye Trail Association|url=http://www.buckeyetrail.org/|publisher=Buckeye Trail Association}}</ref> a non-profit volunteer organization, maintains and develops the trail. The trail is identified by blue [[Trail blazing|blazes]], {{convert|2|x|6|in|cm}}, 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.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Blaze on beech tree North Chagrin Metropark Buckeye Trail.jpg|BT blaze on a beech tree in North Chagrin [[Cleveland Metroparks|Metropark]]
File:North Chagrin Metropark Buckeye Trail.jpg|BT in North Chagrin Metropark
File:Lakelogan.jpg|BTA Trail Crew installing new puncheon at Lake Logan State Park
File:Trailattarhollow.jpg|Winter View of the Trail in Tar Hollow State Forest
File:Trailatbendview.JPG|View of the Maumee River from along the trail at Bend View Metropark
File:Mentormarsh.jpg|A typical BT blaze at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Hocking Hills State Park]]
*[[Wayne National Forest]]
*[[Little Miami River]]
*[[Miami and Erie Canal]]
*[[Ohio to Erie Trail]]

==External links==
*[http://www.buckeyetrail.org/ Buckeye Trail Association, Inc.]
*{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130615202215/http://buckeyetrailfest.org/ Buckeye TrailFest - Annual Outdoors Gathering]}}
*[http://www.miamiriverschapter.org Miami Rivers Chapter of the Buckeye Trail Association, Inc.]
*[http://trailtalk.buckeyetrail.org Trail Talk - The Forum of the Buckeye Trail Association, Inc.]

{{Ohio hiking trails}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Hiking trails in Ohio]]
[[Category:American Discovery Trail]]
[[Category:Long-distance trails in the United States]]
[[Category:Transportation in Cincinnati]]


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