Athens County Hockhocking Adena Bikeway

1 BikewayBikewayHockhockingAthens County AdenaHockhockingAdenaWelcome to the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway An introductionThe Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is an mile long rail trail that is flat and paved along its entire length. The Bikeway can be visualized in two sections. The open, urban section (mile 5 to eastern terminus) provides access to Ohio University, up-town Athens , Athens Parks and Recreation facilities and east side shopping areas and malls. Mile 5 to is rural, predominately forested, and a delight for those interested in nature.

2 Unlike most bike paths, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is open at night, providing a unique experience for 0 is located behind the Athens Parks and Recreation Com-munity Center and Skatepark. From this point the path extends eastward for miles and westward for miles, collectively amounting to miles of trail. A westward extension of the path from mile will be completed in the fall of 2009 or later, and will take the trail through the Hocking College Campus and into Nelsonville, a distance of approximately Hockhocking Adena Bikeway is named in honor of the first inhabitants of this southeastern Ohio region.

3 Hockhocking , which means bottleneck or twisted, was the native In-dian name for the Hocking River; Adena reflects the history of the Adena Indians who lived in the Hocking Valley over 2,000 years ago. Burial mounds built by the Adena can be seen today in The Plains, a small community just off the invite you to explore the Bikeway s history and beauty by bike, foot, wheelchair, rollerblades or other forms of non-motorized transportation. No horseback riding permit-ted.

4 For more information, go to location The Bikeway is built on the old Columbus and Hocking Val-ley Railroad bed, a rail line between Columbus and Athens that was completed in 1870. Before the railroad, the Bike-way was a towpath alongside the Hocking Canal. The Ca-nal, approved in 1836 and its completion celebrated in 1843, moved agricultural products and other goods to Carroll, Ohio, where it joined the Ohio-Erie Canal. The Hocking Canal had 26 locks, seven culverts and one aqueduct crossing Monday Creek south of Nelsonville.

5 Repeated flooding, especially in the late 1800s, severely damaged portions of the Canal, and the railroad became the favored mode of transportation. To-day, remnants of the Canal and Canal basin are visible from the Bikeway , particularly between miles and faunaNatural wonders can be seen during all four seasons. View high cliffs and rock outcrops be-tween miles and Outstanding displays of spring wildflowers are visible along the Bikeway , especially between miles The wildflowers, best viewed from late March through early May, include Bloodroot, Hepatica, Wild Geranium, Dutchman s Breeches, Phlox, Virginia Blue-bells, Canada and yellow Vio-lets, Blue-eyed Mary, three species of Trillium and many others intermixed with Maidenhair and Wood Ferns.

6 Au-tumn ushers in spectacular fall foliage viewing. From spring through early fall, short sections along the path be-tween mile 6 and 14 are left unmowed to encourage this unique wildflower Hocking Valley Birding Trail ( ) lists the Bikeway as one of the best plac-es to find birds. Watch nesting Prothonotary Warblers between miles Other birds include Wood Ducks, Wild Turkey, Red-tailed Hawks, Redstarts, Cerulean Warblers, Yellowthroats, Indigo Buntings, Pileated Woodpeck-ers and many more. In addition to the various bird species, watch for cottontail rabbits, chipmunks, mink, gray squirrels, deer, fox and snakes along the for a few meanders, the entire Bikeway parallels the Hocking River.

7 From mile to its eastward terminus, the Hocking River has been channelized to prevent flooding in Athens . The Hocking River is classified as a warm water aquatic habitat and is home to 97 species of fish, 27 mussels and 266 macro invertebrates. The Hocking River offers ca-noeing/kayaking and fishing opportunities. For details, con-tact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, at of interest A t h e n s Co u n t y Co n v e n t i o n a n d vi s i t o r s Bu r e a u, th e at h e n s Co m m u n i t y Ce n t e r a n d sk a t e p a r k: m i l e 0 These facilities are located just off East State Street, about miles east of the SR 33 and East State Street junction.

8 The Convention and Visitors Bureau is a one-stop location to find information on the Bikeway , hiking trails or other recreational opportunities, as well as lodging, restaurants and area attrac-tions. The 18,000 square foot concrete Skatepark is one of the most innovative and challenging skateparks in the east-ern United States. For more information contact the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-878-9767 or or contact the Athens Parks and Recreation Department at 740-592-3325 or A t h e n s a n d oh i o un i v e r s i t y: m i l e 1-3 Chartered in 1804, Ohio University was the first university in the Northwest Territory.

9 Nestled along the Hocking River, Ohio University boasts historic architecture, brick streets and tree-lined walkways. Today over 20,000 students are en-rolled at Ohio University. Athens , first settled in 1797, has a population of over 20,000. As a college town, Athens offers an array of cultural events and facilities. For more information, see H a B i t a t ho u s e a n d Wh i t e s mi l l: m i l e Athens County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity offic-es are housed in this former storage shed, which was moved to its current site in 2001.

10 The building sits adjacent to the Bikeway and its restrooms and water fountain are open to the the Hocking River from the Habitat House is White s Mill. Now a garden and feed store, it began as a mill built by Captain Silas Bingham in 1816. Oral his-tory has it that the old Bing-ham mill was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The original massive cut sand-stone foundation is visible today, but the dam, made of massive hewn logs, was destroyed by a 1975 flood. The Bingham mill was destroyed by a 1911 fire, two months after Ed White and John Davis purchased it.