In researching yesterday's blog post, I came across a reference to The Headwaters Trail in northeast Ohio. Following the abandoned path of the Cleveland-Mahoning Railroad, which provided passenger and freight service between Youngstown and Cleveland until the mid 1970's, the current hike-bike trail stretches eight miles, from Garretsville to Mantua; plans to extend the trail both eastward and westward have not yet been realized.
Named for the numerous lakes and wetlands in the area that feed upper tributaries of several Ohio rivers, the trail crosses the Ohio Divide (see yesterday's post), connecting the watersheds of the Upper Cuyahoga and Mahoning Rivers. Most of the route passes through scenic, rural landscape and several sections of the Headwaters Trail are also used by the Buckeye Trail, which circles through the entire State.
This afternoon, my wife and I stopped by Mantua, where the Trail crosses the Cuyahoga and then runs above the Marsh Wetlands State Nature Preserve, a rich emergent marsh which has been recognized as a National Natural Landmark since 1976. While we did not have time to explore the entire route today, this section of the Headwaters Trail is highly recommended for anyone interested in a bird's eye view of a magnificent wetland ecosystem.
