Rails to Trails of Wayne County, Ohio
What We Do
Rails-to-Trails of Wayne County is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, development, and conversion of unused railroad and greenway corridors into multi-purpose, non-motorized, public paths. We are comprised of local volunteers with the common interests for enjoying trails in many different forms including bicycling, walking, running, roller-blading, and horseback riding. We promote and inspire movement!
Riding the Great American Rail Trail - Aug/Sept 2020
On August 13th board and founding member, Keith Workman, started a 20 day, 800 trail mile ride from Crown Point, Indiana to Crawford, Nebraska. He's riding solo from Indiana, across Illinois to the Mississippi River at Davenport, Iowa. From there the trail gaps get longer and more numerous so his wife Carol will meet him in Davenport, with camper in tow, to shuttle him across the road sections between trails. Check out the daily action and photos by clicking the links below.
DAY 0 Preparations
DAY 1 Indiana: Erie Lackawanna Trailhead
DAY 2 Illinois: Illinois and Michigan Canal Trail
DAY 3 Illinois: Hennepin Canal Trail, Pt I
DAY 4 Illinois: Hennepin Canal Trail, Pt II
DAY 5 Crossing the Mississippi River
DAY 6 Iowa: Derecho Destruction
DAY 7 Iowa: Center Point to Evansdale
DAY 8 Iowa: Evansdale to Marshalltown
DAY 9 Iowa: Marshalltown to Woodward
DAY 10 Iowa: Perry to Audubon
DAY 11 Crossing into Nebraska
DAY 12 Nebraska: Travail on the MoPac Trail
DAY 13 Nebraska: Oak Creek Trail & More
DAY 14 Nebraska: Riding the Cowboy Trail
DAY 15 Nebraska: Cowboy Trail, Inman to Stuart
DAY 16 Nebraska: Cowboy Trail, Newport to Ainsworth
DAY 17 Nebraska: Cowboy Trail, Johnstown to Valentine
DAY 18 Nebraska: Cowboy Trail, Valentine to Merriman
DAY 19 Nebraska: The Finale
DAY 20 Nebraska: Epilogue
Support Our Founders Fundraiser
Honor our founders and our many volunteers. All Founders Fundraiser contributions go directly toward building and maintaining paved public recreational trails in Wayne County, Ohio.
Checks made out to RTWC with "Founders" in the memo can be mailed to:
RTWC, PO BOX 1566, Wooster, Ohio 44691
Credit card contributions: click here
CLOSE THE GAP!
We're actively raising funds to complete the trail between Allen Drive and Forrer Road.
Find out how you can help: Close the Gap!
Affiliated Agencies
- We are affiliated regionally and nationally with Rails to Trails
Conservancy. RTC provides incentives and especially networking opportunities
through regional and national programs. No funds from RTC come back
to local construction efforts. Rails to Trails
Conservancy
- Ohio Greenways Inc. is a non-profit that has developed statewide
trail and public corridor plans along major waterways and abandoned
canal towpaths and railroad right-of-ways. Again, Ohio Greenways provides
incentives and sometimes special studies for state-wide trails, but
does not fund local design and construction efforts such as proposed
here. The Greenway Collaborative
- Wayne County Commissioners have made a high commitment to our efforts by providing County Planning Department support personnel for
developing grants, contracts, and maps as well as doing extensive research
on right-of-way ownerships. Board of Commisioners
- The Ohio to Erie Trail (total length - 320 miles): In addition to expanding trails within Wayne County, we and our affiliated agencies aim to complete a trail link between the Ohio River at Cincinnati and Lake Erie near Cleveland. The Ohio to Erie Trail
RTWC Board Members:
President:
Don Noble II, Shreve
Vice President:
Ted Short, Wooster
Secretary:
Jennifer Reusser, Orrville
Treasurer:
David L. Lehman, Orrville
Trustees:
Tom Bahl, Shreve
Susan Baker, Creston
Sue Corfman, Orrville
Pat Glessner, Sterling
Becky Jewell, Orrville
Jon Kipfer, Sterling
John Stevic, Marshallville
Paul Vance, Orrville
Keith Winkler, Sterling
Keith Workman, Orrville