Moonville Rail-Trail

The Moonville Rail-Trail is a sixteen-mile (25 kilometer) rail-trail in southeast Ohio, located in Vinton and Athens Counties. It is largely embedded in the Zaleski State Forest and passes close to Lake Hope State Park. It was formerly part of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad, which eventually became part of the B&O Railroad, which eventually was absorbed by CSX Transportation. The line was abandoned in the 1980s. The section of the railroad grade from Mineral to the Diamond Powder Plant was acquired by the respective county governments through Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grants. Work to restore the many bridges in order to make the entire stretch passable is underway.

This rail-trail is open to hikers, horse riders, and bicyclists. It has a gravel/dirt surface. The trail features two tunnels: the Moonville Tunnel, a masonry tunnel in Vinton County that is reputed to be haunted, and the King Switch Tunnel, a timber tunnel in Athens County.

The underlying property is owned by the Athens County Commissioners in Athens County, and by the Vinton County Commissioners in Vinton County.

The governing organization, Moonville Rail-Trail, Inc., also hopes to eventually extend the trail eastward to New Marshfield and beyond.

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