The Wabash Cannonball Trail is a rail to trail conversion in northwestern Ohio, U.S. It is long. The North Fork of the Wabash Cannonball Trail is part of the North Coast Inland Trail, which plans to fully connect Indiana to Pennsylvania, and portions of the trail are included in the North Country National Scenic Trail.
History
The Wabash Railroad line used by the trail was first built in 1855, and service continued until 1969. The Norfolk Southern Railway then purchased it. The rails were finally abandoned in 1990. Local enthusiasts developed the idea of creating a public recreational trail and utility corridor. On March 24, 1994, the corridor was purchased from Norfolk Southern.
The name Wabash Cannonball stems from an 1882 American folk song about an imaginary train. No train actually had the name until 1949, when the Wabash Railroad actually named its Detroit-St. Louis day train the Cannon Ball.
Other rail-to-trail conversions of the Wabash Railroad in the Midwestern region include the Kiwanis Trail in Adrian, Michigan, the Wabash Heritage Trail in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the Wabash Trail in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Location
North Fork The northern section of the trail roughly parallels both the Ohio Turnpike I-80/90 and US Route 20A for about starting in Maumee, and extending through Monclova, Wauseon, and West Unity, ending at its western trailhead near Montpelier, Ohio.
South Fork An additional spur runs from Maumee southwest to near Liberty Center, Ohio. That trailhead has a parking area near Whitehouse, Ohio.
Condition All portions of the trail in Lucas County are paved. A section of the trail in Fulton County, owned by the city of Wauseon, also is paved. The remainder of the North Fork in Fulton and Williams counties are unpaved, as is the South Fork in Henry County.
Trail section County Township Distance Surface Crossings Notes (mi) (km) North ForkNorth ForkNorth Fork Lucas Monclova Paved Jerome Road Eastern Terminus, near The Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site, Maumee, parking available. Fork branches South Waterville-Monclova Road Parking in Village of Monclova, Ohio. Keener Road Monclova Township Hall, with parking, bathrooms, and a bicycle maintenance station. Swanton Evergreen Lake Trail Oak Openings Preserve Metropark trail. Bathrooms and parking located one mile south at Ranger Station. Oak Openings Preserve Metropark bathrooms and parking. Fulton Swan Creek Cinder,gravel,dirt,grass Fraker Mill Covered Bridge Crosses Bad Creek, near Delta York Parking. NORTA (Northwestern Ohio Rails-to-Trails Association) offices. Bathrooms available in Delta. County Road 11 Two mile detour on County Road F, from County Road 11 to County Road 13 Clinton Paved County Road 13 Paved trail maintained by City of Wauseon Parks. Busy crossing Rotary Park, Wauseon Parking Automotive Parts Factory Pavement ends. One mile detour on County Road F via Krieger St. Cinder,gravel,dirt,grass County Road 16 Detour to County Road F. German County Road 23 (old SR 66) Parking in Elmira/Burlington. Tiffin River bridge. Large railroad bridge north of Archbold. Williams Brady Wabash Park, West Unity Parking and bathrooms. Jefferson Western Terminus, near Montpelier, parking. Bathrooms available in Montpelier South Fork Lucas Monclova Paved Jerome Road Eastern Terminus, near The Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site, Maumee. Parking available. Forks branch The Shops at Fallen Timbers Providence , White House Parking and bathrooms available. Bicycle repair shop. Neapolis Parking available. Henry Washington Cinder,gravel,dirt,grass Colton Parking available. County Road 6C Western Terminus end, Near Liberty Center
Note that distance information about the trail differs slightly from one source to another based on whether missing sections of the trail are counted or not. Some sources say the north fork is (not counting missing sections), others say (counting the missing sections), and still others (counting detour mileage).
References
External links Traillink: Wabash Cannonball Trail, North and South Fork Google Maps: Wabash Cannonball Trail (North Fork) Google Maps: Wabash Cannonball Trail (South Fork)