Biking Ohio's Alum Creek Trail

The Alum Creek Trail is 22 miles long, making it one of the longest trails in Central Ohio. I parked at  Wolfe Park in Bexley which is on Highway 16 south of downtown Columbus. I biked 6 miles north, returned, and then went several miles south. The trail also passes through Three Creeks Metro Park and Innis Park along its route.

This is one of the loveliest trails I've ever biked. In fact, of the 225+ trails I've biked across the country, I am putting the Alum Creek Trail on my favorites list! If you enjoy scenery like in the next few photos, then this is a trail for you...

It's difficult to believe you're in an urban area with constant scenery such as this, and the usual noises of civilization are also missing.

The trail is paved and is in pretty good condition except for occasional cracks and frost/root heaves. Signage is very good, pointing you in the right direction and showing mileage to areas ahead of you, and they have also painted directions on the trail pavement showing when to turn or go straight.

The Alum Creek Trail crosses its eponymous creek numerous times, allowing photos of the creek like these...

... and the variety of bridge structures they've built to get you across the creek is startling. My son the architect would have taken far more photos than I did! Here are a few examples...

The newest and final segment of the trail was completed in October of 2015 and is especially well done as seen in this photo. This new section runs through the campus of Ohio Dominican University.

Most road crossings are via underpass and the few actual crossings have traffic lights or are less traveled streets.

Several wetlands are protected by extensive boardwalks like these...

...and if you noticed the profusion of wildflowers in the above photo, here's a closeup for you...

Finally, as a retired teacher, I appreciated two historical markers along the trail, this one on the University's campus, reminding us that the "Underground Railway" was neither (literally) underground nor a railway. The old Spiritual "Wade in the Water" referred to "God's gonna' trouble the water" so the bounty hunters' dogs couldn't track them.

...and farther south on the trail, in Wolfe Park, homage was paid to a gentleman I'd never heard of, and perhaps you haven't either, one of America's most famous cyclists, Marshall Taylor, who in 1899 set seven world records, including riding a mile in 1 minute and 19 seconds, nearly 46 miles per hour!

Finally, the Ohio to Erie Trail was envisioned and the process of its creation begun by Ed Honton in 1991, and this plaque is located along the trail at a bridge dedicated in his honor.