Recreational Trail at Paint Creek State Park

The Paint Creek Recreation Trail is the flagship pathway of a planned trail network in the Ohio counties of Fayette, Ross and Highland. Nearly 35 miles of paved trail are currently open linking the communities of Washington Court House, Frankfort and Chillicothe.

The vast majority of the trail occupies a former railroad corridor acquired by the local nonprofit trails group in 1994. However, the trail does leave the original corridor where the right-of-way could not be acquired from its current owners. These diversions are generally brief, with the longest a 2.5-mile on-road segment on the eastern edge of Washington Court House.

Because most of the trail passes through rural Ohio countryside dominated by seemingly endless farmland, trail users will be exposed for long stretches to the beating sun. Fortunately, the path occasionally winds through a more wooded corridor adjacent to local waterways, such as Paint Creek and the Scioto River.

The Paint Creek Recreation Trail also passes through the downtown areas of the three towns along the way, offering ample opportunities for rest and replenishment. Just before Chillicothe, trail users will want to stop in at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. The Hopewell Mound Group, a portion of the park visible from the trail along Sulphur Lick Road, features earthworks and burial mounds built by local indigenous peoples nearly 2,000 years ago.

Overview

• Closest City: Bainbridge
• Region: Northeast
• Category: Things to Do
• Sub-Category: Outdoor Adventure