National Scenic Trail status sought for Ohio trail

NORWALK — A scenic trail that runs through the local area may be about to get more national exposure. Efforts to have the Buckeye Trail, named as a National Scenic Trail, have taken a few steps forward. The Buckeye Trail, 1,454 miles long, runs through Norwalk and portions of Huron and Sandusky counties as it passes through 47 Ohio counties in total. A National Scenic Trail designation would apparently provide a tourism boost and more publicity for the trail. The Appalachian Trail is one of the better-known trails with the National Scenic Trail designation. The Buckeye Trail Association, which maintains and promotes the trail, announced that a series of public meetings are being hosted this month to discuss the proposed designation. Those representing National Park Service is conducting a feasibility study for the National Scenic Trail designation. It's supposed to be done before the end of 2026. The Buckeye Scenic Trail loops through much of Ohio, passing through national forests and prominent Native American heritage sites, such as Serpent Mound and Fort Ancient. In northern Ohio, it goes through many communities, including Wakeman, Norwalk, Monroeville, Bellevue and Fremont. A website at buckeyetrail.org offers an interactive map of the trail, and printed maps may be ordered from the site's gift shop. The interactive map on the website offered spotty performance when the Register tested it, but the OuterSpatial smartphone app worked well for showing trail locations and where to join the trail locally. The National Park Service indicates the National Scenic Trails provide hikers and bicyclists "outstanding scenic, natural, and recreational values, often showcasing diverse ecosystems, picturesque vistas and cultural heritage along their paths." The U.S. has 11 National Scenic Trails. They are the Appalachian, Arizona, Continental Divide, Florida, Ice Age, Natchez Trace, New England, North Country, Pacific Crest, Pacific Northwest and Potomac Heritage trails. The only one of those 11 that are found in Ohio is the North Country Scenic Trail, which runs through portions of northern and eastern Ohio. The National Park Service is hosting a series of public meetings this month in Ohio on the proposed National Scenic Trail designation. The meetings closest to the Sandusky-Norwalk area are one from 4-7 p.m. Monday at Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Hines Hill Conference Center in Peninsula and one from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Henry County Hospital Heller Community Room in Napoleon. There will also be a virtual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23. For a link, see a press release on the Buckeye Trail website. The National Public Service will accept public comments online until Feb. 19. Once a study for the National Scenic Trail happens, at the end of 2026, then the secretary of the interior will make a recommendation to Congress, which must pass a law to create the new National Scenic Trail.