The Slippery Elm Trail is a rail to trail conversion in Wood County, Ohio that runs 13 miles from Bowling Green, through Portage and Rudolph, to North Baltimore, Ohio.
History
The Bowling Green Railroad Company was founded in 1874. It functioned as a spur line to link Bowling Green to the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railway (C.H. & D.) that ran northwest of Bowling Green, through Tontogany, Ohio. In 1887, the CH&D railroad purchased enough stock to control the Bowling Green line. In 1890, the Bowling Green Railroad Company absorbed the portion of railroad that makes today's trail, which was then called the Toledo, Findlay and Springfield Railroad. The line was later purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1917, and operated as B&O until 1978.
The Wood County Parks District opened the rail trail in 1995.
Location
The trail is maintained by the Wood County Parks District, and the routing is per the following table:
Crossing Mileage Notes Coordinates (mi) (km) Montessori School, Bowling Green, Ohio Parking, non-school hours only. Northern terminus Black Swamp Preserve Bathrooms and parking off S. Maple St., via Gypsy Lane. Bike repair station. Underpass Portage, Ohio Bathrooms and parking. Bike repair station. Rudolph, Ohio Bathrooms and parking. Rudolph Savanna, with sand dunes, and native savanna meadow of tall prairie grasses, under mature trees.Wood County Park District: Rudolph Savanna Cygnet Road Cygnet, Ohio is 1 mile east. Between Cygnet Rd. and Freyman Rd, path follows winding creek instead of old railroad bed. Freyman Road Cricket Frog Cove,Wood County Park District: Cricket Frog Cove half mile west of trail, bathroom and parking. North Baltimore, Ohio Bathroom and parking at southern terminus.
External links Google Maps: Slippery Elm Trail, Ohio TrailLink: Slippery Elm Trail Ohio Bikeways: Slippery Elm Trail Wood County Park District: Slippery Elm Trail
References