Rail trails | Books and my backpack

The Rail Trail Hall of Fame book (click for earlier review) led us to a campground near Lebanon, Ohio, where we parked our trailer on May 24 and rode our bikes on another of the USA’s top 33 rail trails.

The Little Miami Scenic Trail was our favorite of our cross-country journey. The fourth-longest paved trail in the country, it runs 78 miles from Cincinnati to Springfield, almost entirely in the shade and near-level as it follows the Little Miami River. We started in Morrow and rode north to Caesar Creek State Park.

The multi-use path exudes tranquility, especially on weekdays. It travels through several state parks, charming villages and places to pause for cool or hot drinks. It is part of a 340-mile network of paved trails that makes Ohio a great state to explore on two wheels or on two feet.

The Little Miami is part of the North Country Trail (click for earlier post), the nation’s longest hiking path, which we had walked in Wisconsin.

In case you are wondering, we are riding the same Giant steel-frame hybrid bikes that Sue’s parents rode in Europe and around America. They are sturdy and reliable, but weigh 40 pounds, which adds to the work load a bit.

We have used the TrailLink and AllTrails apps throughout our trip for hiking and biking guidance.

Begin the bicycle journey of a lifetime (or perhaps several lifetimes) on the rail trails of America, all 24,000 miles of them. If that sounds beyond your pedaling endurance, a book, the Rail Trail Hall of Fame, will show you the 33 premier paths spread across the country.

Setting off from our campsite at Rafter J Bar Ranch in South Dakota’s Black Hills earlier in May, we rode south on the 109-mile George S Mickelson path that begins in Deadwood and ends in Edgemont. First, Sue deposited our payments of $4 each per day at the self-pay station, which offered trail brochures, including an elevation chart.

It was all uphill from there. Until our turnaround point, that is. After six miles of battling the crushed rock surface rutted with tire tracks and horse-hoof divots, we ran out of power, stopping for lunch at a shady bench on our downhill return.

It was a beautiful trail, but we prefer smoother, flatter surfaces, and our second trail from the book was perfect. Beginning in the charming village of Nisswa, Minnesota, we pedaled north on the 119-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail. Paved, mostly flat, with weather to match the beauty of several of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. We turned around after 11 enjoyable miles, pausing for lunch at a trailside park in the inviting village of Pequot Lakes.

The guidebook includes maps, directions, and a summary of each trail. If the book is not enough for you, there is a TrailLink App and so much more available online. AllTrails also has biking information on some of its hiking trails.

Lifetimes of rail-trail bicycling await.