Miami Erie Towpath Trail - NCT

This Labor Day I found myself with a bit of free time and decided to get some more mileage on the NCT (North Country Scenic Trail). I’ve been trying not to duplicate NCT miles this year so I have to get creative with how far and which routes I take. I’ve already hit my 100 mile goal on the NCT this year but why not go for broke.

Today I decided to tackle the second half of a trail I started in June. In Northwest Ohio, the NCT runs concurrently with the Buckeye Trail and the Miami/Erie Canal Towpath Trail. I had previously hiked the towpath section from Independence Dam State Park to the city of Florida, Ohio. That was about 6 miles but I misjudged the distance and wasn’t able to finish the stretch from Florida to Napoleon. I intended to write this wrong today.

While it’s often difficult to find worthwhile forest hiking in Northwest Ohio, the Miami/Erie towpath is an exception. The pathway follows the canal (always on the left if you’re hiking north) and the Maumee River, though sometimes at a distance depending on the location. There is just enough forest cover on either side to provide for a feeling of isolation despite the proximity to the rural community.

The canal, originally built from 1825-1845 created a water route from the Ohio River to Lake Erie but with the advent of the railroads in the 1850’s the canal gradually declined until it was officially shuttered in 1913. Now, the towpath trail allows not only for a forested, gentle hike, but also provides an opportunity to hearken back to an earlier time which the economy of the nation relied upon rivers and canals such as these.

To reach the trailhead, just set your trusty navigational device to downtown (I use that term loosely) Florida. The trailhead is just before you cross the large bridge over the Maumee River.

You start the trail in a large field of corn which starts narrow then widens before narrowing again as it rejoins the river.

The corn lasts for the first mile or so before drawing in near to the river. The area is used by hunters and several shacks and lodges line the trail. The trail typically stays on the narrow ridge between the canal and the river but sporadically dips down for some beautiful views.

At this point the canal empties out into the river and briefly is gone. However, it reemerges but this time dry, or at least not filled with water. In the absence of water  a myriad of trees have emerged, mostly oak, black walnut, cottonwood, and even the storied Ohio state tree:

After about 2 miles the trail moves away from the river for another mile. Now I’m not 100% sure that I wasn’t trespassing during this period of time. The trail, as best as I can figure, cuts along the edge of a farmer’s cornfield. There isn’t much cover so the temperatures can heat up rapidly. This wasn’t my favorite portion of the trail both due to the heat and also due to the fact I was half expecting a pitchfork wielding farmer to come chase me off his property.

The trail becomes more obvious after it leaves the field and Canal survey marker signs let you know that you’re never far from the historic route. It works rejoins the river again as you near the edge of Napoleon.

I actually stopped about 5.3 miles in at the edge of Napoleon primarily because I didn’t want to do any road hiking and I knew I had to hike the 5.3 miles back out.

In summary, the Miami/Erie towpath is a nice, surprisingly secluded hike considering the surrounding area. I didn’t encounter another person on the trail and the canopy kept the trail shaded about 75% of the time. The hiking is beyond easy. If you combine this section with the nearby stretch starting at Independence Dam State Park, you can make a really nice 20 mile round trip that wouldn’t be too strenuous. It’s a nice stretch of the NCT in an area where the majority of the miles are road miles.