National Park Service considering making the The Buckeye Trail (including Loveland Bike Trail) a National Scenic Trail
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland certainly, and rightfully so, brags of having the National and State Scenic Little Miami River flowing through our Historic Downtown. Recent and ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of its water quality and shores demonstrate how entirely virtuous these bragging rights are. (Planning and Zoning Commission reverses course on SPD for 12 homes on Riverside Drive)
Now comes the opportunity to have a National Scenic Trail running, walking, and jogging through our renowned, resort-like community.
The National Park Service is conducting a feasability study to determine the status of the Buckeye Trail to become a National Scenic Trail. Community members and stakeholders can share their support for the Buckeye Trail through an opportunity to review the feasibility study process and share feedback regarding the study. You are invited you to review the project and provide input. Visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/buckeyetrailfs for details and to share comments. The public comment period will be open until February 19th, 2025.
National Park Service Public Meetings
The National Park Service is conducting meetings around Ohio the week of January 13‐17 as part of the feasibility study to determine National Scenic Trail status for the Buckeye Trail. There is an additional virtual meeting scheduled for January 23.
Meeting Information:
In these public meetings, NPS staff will share information about the study process, including the criteria used to evaluate the trail for inclusion in the National Trails System, and answer questions.
- Thursday, January 16, 2024 from 4:00 until 7:00 P.M.
Cincinnati, Ohio – Digital Futures Building
Level 1 Conference Room, Room 140
3080 Exploration Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45206
- Thursday, January 23, 2025 from 5:30 to 6:30 P.M.
This will be a Virtual Meeting using Microsoft Teams.
Login information will be available in a few weeks.
The 1,454-mile Buckeye Trail, spans Ohio’s diverse landscapes, connecting 47 counties and more than 100 communities.
The study was approved with bipartisan support Congress 2022. Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility and suitability of designating the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail.
According to the Buckeye Trail Association, “National Scenic Trail designation would see the Buckeye Trail join an elite group of 11 existing trails, making the Buckeye Trail the 5th largest in the nation, the only circumferential trail, and the first trail to receive this designation since 2009. This recognition would unlock significant benefits, including increased federal support, enhanced visibility, and expanded opportunities for community and economic development across Ohio.”
The trail was built from 1959 to 1980 by the Buckeye Trail Association, a non-profit organization that still administers it. More than half of the Buckeye Trail route overlaps the North County National Scenic Trail route as it passes through Ohio.
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About the Buckeye Trail
Since its establishment in 1959, the Buckeye Trail has grown from a 500-mile route into the nation’s largest loop trail, closing the loop in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 1980. Free and open to all, 1,454 miles of the Buckeye Trail pass through 21 designated Buckeye Trail Towns and landmarks such as Wayne National Forest, Serpent Mound, and Fort Ancient, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Buckeye Trail is within 90 minutes of every Ohioan, providing an accessible connection to Ohio’s Great Outdoors and showcasing the state’s scenic and historical diversity. buckeyetrail.org
About the Buckeye Trail Association
Established in 1959, the Buckeye Trail Association builds, maintains, preserves, and promotes Ohio’s Buckeye Trail as a sustainable resource connecting people to the state’s scenic and historical diversity. The BTA inspires conservation and outdoor recreation across the state. buckeyetrail.org
