The Buckeye Trail could become part of the country's national trail system.
The Buckeye Trail is actually a series of trails creating a loop around the state, covering 1,400 miles in the process.
The National Park Service is trying to gauge support for the new designation with a series of public meetings across the state.
Tana Weingartner, from Ohio Newsroom member station WVXU, joined the Ohio Newsroom to explain the designation process.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
On where the designation process stands
“The National Park Service has been working with groups like the Buckeye Trail Association, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, various state parks, basically everyone who has a stake in the Buckeye Trail. We're about halfway through a feasibility study to see if the trail should get National Scenic Trail designation. They've been looking at mapping data, the cultural and national heritage sites along the trail, aesthetics, the overall experience, who uses it, where they're from, stuff like that.”
On what this designation would mean for Ohio
“A federal designation means federal funding. There'd be money for operations, for staffing, for programing, upkeep, possibly even a federal office to administer the trail. And then, of course, there is the prestige that comes with being a national scenic trail, and that could mean big tourism dollars for Ohio.”
On the broader context
“There are only 11 [other designated National Scenic Trails], and these are big deal trails, things you've probably heard of, like the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. This designation would put the Buckeye Trail on par with them.
“There's a bunch of criteria [the trail] has to meet. The focus is on things like preservation, public access and conservation. That was all laid out in the National Trail System Act of 1968.”
On the designation’s popularity in Ohio
“From what I can tell, [designating the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail] does seem to be pretty popular. Obviously, I've been talking to a lot of proponents, folks with the Buckeye Trail Association and things like that, who are obviously supportive. But I've also seen social media postings from the ODNR and several local and statewide hiking groups that I'm looped into. And they're all really encouraging people to participate in these public meetings.”
On next steps
“We're about halfway through the [feasibility] study. It should wrap up in 2026. Then, the National Park Service writes up its findings, passes them to the Secretary of the Interior, which then prepares a recommendation that gets sent to Congress for consideration. Depending on what that recommendation is, it would take an act of Congress to make the Buckeye Trail a National Scenic Trail.”
