Camp Chase Trail

Camp Chase Trail
Length 15 mi (24 km) when completed
Location Madison and Franklin counties, Ohio, United States
Designation USBR 50 / State Bike Route 1
Trailheads Near Lilly Chapel to Galloway
Use Multi-use
Hiking details
Trail difficulty Easy (fully accessible)
Season Year-round

The Camp Chase Trail is a paved multi-use trail in Madison and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It serves as the Southwest Columbus segment of the 330-mile (530 km)[1] Ohio to Erie Trail. Bicyclists, hikers, runners, rollerbladers, and other groups such as bird watchers and nature lovers can explore the natural beauty of Central Ohio, as the trail weaves across the Capital City region. The entire length of the Camp Chase Trail is part of U.S. Bicycle Route 50, a west-east bicycle route across Ohio connecting Indiana to West Virginia.[2][3]

Name

Main article: Camp Chase

Camp Chase Trail is a "rail with trail" project, named for the Camp Chase Industrial Railroad it parallels. Camp Chase was a military staging and training camp for Union forces, and a prison camp for Confederates during the Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves, bordering Sullivant Ave. It was named for former Ohio Governor and Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase. Four future Presidents passed through Camp Chase as Union soldiers: Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, and William McKinley.

Route

The Camp Chase Trail is over 50% done, when fully complete it will be 15 miles (24 km) total, with 3 miles (4.8 km) in Madison County and 12 miles (19 km) in Franklin County. The Camp Chase Trail will extend from West of Lilly Chapel (Roberts Pass Trail) to Columbus Holton Park, with the trailhead in Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park as the midpoint.

Existing route

The Camp Chase Trail is complete from the conjunction with the Roberts Pass trail at the Wilson Road Trailhead in Madison County, Ohio to the intersection with Galloway Road in Franklin County. The segment from Galloway Road to West Sullivant Ave is under construction and expected to open in 2015.[4] City of Columbus approved funding for the final 3 miles of the Camp Chase Trail from Georgesville Road to N. Eureka Ave on November 3, 2014.[5] From Galloway Road (North), the Ohio to Erie Trail follows Hall Rd (East) Norton Road (North) to Broad Street (East) to the Westgate Bicycle Blvd (North) to the Steele Ave Bicycle Blvd (East) to Eureka Ave (North) to Valleyview (East) becomes Highland/Harper. The trail crosses McKinley Ave and utilizes the Hilltop Connector bridge to connect to the Scioto Greenway Trail.

For the most part Camp Chase trail is pavement, with the exception of the connector through Battelle Darby Creek Metropark, which is crushed, packed limestone. Distances from Camp Chase Trail NE end. (at Galloway Rd)[6]

Future route

The Camp Chase Trail upon completion will have a Southern boundary at the conjunction of the Roberts Pass trail at the Wilson Road Trailhead in Madison County, Ohio. The trail will run northeast alongside the active Camp Chase Industrial Railroad to the Holton Park Trailhead, where it connects to North Eureka Avenue. The Ohio to Erie Trail is marked on the short road route to the Hilltop Connector bridge, where it joins the Scioto Greenway Trail. For navigation, it is important to note that the completed Camp Chase trail will cross (or go under) two roads named "Wilson Road", one in each county. Mail inquires to Camp Chase Trail P.O. Box 106; Galloway, OH 43119-0106.


Communities adjacent to the trail

Trailside amenities

Local attractions

Milestones

Economic impact

The west side of Columbus is poised for revitalization and the Camp Chase Trail will contribute heavily to the effort. Studies have shown a trail positively impacts single-family residential property values, for example the study showed sale prices increased by $7.05 for every foot closer a property was located to the Little Miami Scenic Trail [15] and additional research suggests that location near nature trails could hold a financial benefit for homeowners and ultimately neighboring communities.[16] A new study of trails in the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's region is in process to be completed in 2015. The study will include research on the Camp Chase Trail.[17] The most recent trail count on Camp Chase Trail by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy determined the overall annual use was 22,786 in 2013.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rouan, Rick (8 October 2013). "Statewide bike path beckons". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Vitale, Marty (May 29, 2014). "Report to SCOH" (OFFICE OPEN XML). Louisville, Kentucky: Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ Townley, Jennifer (April 10, 2014). "USBR 50 update" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ Latimer, Sandi (25 March 2014). "County working on Camp Chase Trail issues". Columbus Messenger. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Sullivan, Lucas (4 November 2014). "Columbus approves $4.2 million to link Camp Chase trail on West Side". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Destinations". Google Maps. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "ODOT Historic National Road Byway". Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Bell, Jeff (15 March 2013). "Biking hub pitched as development booster on west side". Columbus Business First. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Zurbrick, Kristy (16 March 2012). "First phase of Camp Chase Trail completed". Columbus Messenger. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Friends of Camp Chase Trail (20 September 2013). "Friends of Camp Chase Trail Meeting". Ohio to Erie Trail. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "WABA Westland Area Business Association". Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  12. ↑ WSA Studio. "Wilson Road Trailhead Community Meeting". http://wsastudio.com/''. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  13. ↑ Wartenberg, Steve. "Camp Chase Trail Day". Columbus Dispatch Best Bike Blog Ever. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Wartenberg, Steve. "The C-C-Camp C-C-Chase Trail ride was...". http://www.dispatch.com''. Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  15. ↑ Karadeniz, Duygu. "The Impact of Trails on Single Family Residential Property Values". 2008. University of Cincinnati School of Planning. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  16. ↑ Fuller, Dawn. "New Research Finds that Homeowners and City Planners Should 'Hit the Trail' When Considering Property Values". 11 October 2011. University of Cincinnati. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  17. ↑ "RFP Professional Services to conduct an Economic Impact of Trails Study" (PDF). June 2013. MORPC. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  18. ↑ "Camp Chase Trail Count Report". Rails to Trails Conservancy. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2014.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Camp Chase Trail.