hikes and scenery to warrant a day or two off the bike. Seeing the aptly named Pictured Rocks is best from Lake Superior, but if you’re not an experienced kayaker, I’d suggest booking a tour with a local outfitter (paddlepicturedrocks.com) who can help keep you out of trouble. I can say from experience that the weath- er on Superior can change in an instant, and you do not want to be on the lake when a storm is rolling through. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio Just south of Cleveland, you’ll find the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a welcome oasis of nature in the urban region. But it wasn’t always. The ancestral home- land of the Lenape Nation, it was rendered toxic by heavy industry and decades of misuse, leading to an expensive Superfund cleanup that was completed in 2015. I can’t help but think of that degradation of the land and its ultimate rebirth every time I pedal the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail (rtc.li/ohio-erie-towpath), which traverses the remnants of an old canal. About 20 miles of the trail’s 87-mile, crushed-limestone path runs through the park, highlighting some of its most scenic forest and wetlands. There are nearly a dozen
PHOTOS: Left to right: Neowise Comet above the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | Robert Annis; Cuyahoga Valley National Park along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail | Joe Beyer. Wonders of the Ohio to Erie Trail” on the TrailBlog to read more about it: rtc.li/seven-wonders-ohio-to-erie. vacation a bit more epic, you can do the entire 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail network (ohiotoerietrail.org) taking riders from the banks of the Erie River in Cincinnati, through Xenia, Columbus and Akron, and finally up to the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland. Check out “Seven of the more than 100 waterfalls scattered among the 125 miles of trails throughout the park. One of my favorites is 65-foot Brandywine Falls (rtc.li/brandywine-falls), which can be found at the end of a short board- walk that starts at the trailhead and continues to a 1.5-mile hike. If you want to make your easy access points along the trail where you can park and pedal. Read all about this trail in Rails to Trails magazine’s Winter 2023 cover story, “Of History and Industry”: rtc.li/ history-and-industry. And bonus, you don’t have to pedal back the entire way if you don’t want to. You can hop on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (cvsr.org); many visitors bike one way, then take the train back to their starting point. (Just be aware the trains run seasonally and typically don’t run Monday or Tuesday.) You can hop on and off at any of the stations, exploring at your leisure, or book a specialty tour like “Chill N’ Grill” or “The Tiki Train.” There’s plenty to do off the towpath. I’ve visited only a fraction
have your own boat, there are plenty of outfitters who will take you on a guided tour. Running from the visitor center in Empire, Michigan, to the Port Oneida Rural Historic District (nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/ portoneida.htm), the trail weaves through the hemlock and black cherry forest surrounding Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and into the tourist town of Glen Arbor. Pedaling through the small downtown enter- tainment district, you’ll find plenty of spots for a cold beer and hot lunch. If you’re feeling adventur- ous, the trail takes you by the Dune Climb parking lot. The 460-foot sand dune doesn’t appear to be that in- timidating, but hiking it can be more difficult than you might expect. The sand gives way under your feet, so with every three steps, you’re falling back one. By the time you get to the top and the view of the lake, you’ll be huffing and puffing for sure. In Empire, Joe’s Friendly Tavern (joesfriendlytavern.com) serves one of the best burgers you’ll find in the area. It’s a good reward for hiking the nearby 1.5-mile Empire Bluff Trail (rtc.li/empire-bluff- trail), which leads you to a scenic viewpoint of Lake Michigan, and, on a clear day, South Manitou Island. If it’s a clear night when you’re visiting, take Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive to one of the viewpoints and enjoy the stars. If you have time, detour up to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (nps.gov/piro), about four hours north in Michigan’s Upper Peninsu- la. Although there are no real bike trails in the park, there are enough
Robert Annis is an Indianapo- lis-based freelance writer spe- cializing in cycling and outdoor travel. When he’s not hunched over a keyboard, you are likely to find him pedaling the back roads and trails of the Midwest or traveling around the globe. Find examples of his work on robbertannis.contently.com.
Rails to Trails MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2025
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