Camp Chase Trail Information

April 24 at 6:30 pm: Friends of Camp Chase Trail holds Monthly Meetings on the Last Thursday of the Month at Haydocy Automotive Community Room 3895 West Broad Street; Columbus, OH 43228 https://www.facebook.com/events/232742446932146

May 16, 2014: Columbus Bike to Work Day

Please join us for West Side Ride which will begin at Westgate Park. We will ride to Columbus Commons and meet up with riders from the other neighborhoods.  Friday May 16, 2014; 7:00 am for a 7:15 am departure; Meet at Westgate Shelter House (under the water tower); Route is 7 miles one way using the Ohio to Erie Trail route. Arrive at Columbus Commons at 8 am for a Bike to Work expo.  https://www.facebook.com/events/752504364781746/

More Information:

• Friends of Camp Chase Trail Website  http://www.campchasetrail.com

• Friends of Camp Chase Trail on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/campchasefriends

• Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park Trails http://www.metroparks.net/TrailsBattelle.aspx

• Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails - Camp Chase Trail Map http://www.fmcpt.com/06-TrailDescription-Maps/06-TrailheadDescriptions-Maps-CampChase.html

• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Chase_Trail

• Order your Full Map Set: http://igotabike.com/ohiotoerietrailmap.html

• Ohio to Erie Trail: http://www.ohiotoerietrail.org/

• Great Allegheny Passage - Trail Towns Programhttp://www.trailtowns.org/

• Captain Blue Hikes the OTET Spring 2013: http://outdooradventureconnection.com/blog.php

• The Land Yacht Gourmet BBQ https://www.facebook.com/landyachtbbq

• Rails to Trails Conservancy, Eric Oberg http://www.railstotrails.org/ourWork/whereWeWork/midwest/index.html

• 

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 have the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Central Ohio as the trail weaves its way across the Capital City region.  Camp Chase Trail is a rail with trail project, named for the Camp Chase Industrial Railroad it parallels. Camp Chase was a military staging, training and prison camp in during the Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves on Sullivant Ave.

Route (Current and Future)

The Camp Chase Trail is 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.

Camp Chase Trail: Current

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 Alton Road, north of Alkire Road in Franklin County. The segment to Galloway Road is partially complete and is expected to be paved in the first half of 2014. [2] 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 Big Darby Creek Metropark which is crushed, packed limestone.

Camp Chase Trail: Completion (expected 2016)

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 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 intersect two roads named "Wilson Road", one in each county.

Trail Attractions:  Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Hollywood Casino Columbus, Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, Westgate Park, Historic National Road, The Hilltop Y, Big Run Park and Athletic Complex (nearby), Land Yacht BBQ and Taco Trucks; Future: Columbus Park and Bike Hub at Wilson Road

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 and additional research suggests that location near nature trails could hold a financial benefit for homeowners and ultimately neighboring communities. 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. The most recent trail count on Camp Chase Trail by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy determined the overall annual use was 22,786 in 2013.

Trail Milestones

• March 21, 2012: Bridge Opens into Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park (Alkire Rd)

• October 10, 2013: The Friends of the Camp Chase Trail held their first meeting at the Haydocy Automotive Community Room. Area citizens met with members of the Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails to discuss creating a similar function for the Camp Chase Trail.

• November 15, 2013: Trail segment completed east of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park to Alton Rd.

Friends of Camp Chase Trail (Steering Committee)

• Dana Foreman - Franklinton Cycleworks

• Chris Haydocy - Haydocy Automotive Group

• Kathy Hoke - West Side Community Leader

• Vince Nobel - Westgate Resident, Photographer, Teacher

• Jodie and Tim Smith - West Side Residents, Recreational Riders, Active with Columbus Outdoor Pursuits

• Bob Waddell - Westgate Resident, Columbus Outdoor Pursuits Ride Leader; Commutes by bike regularly to work at AEP downtown.

• Jody Dzuranin - Ohio to Erie Trail Website Editor

Newsletters:

News from Camp Chase Trail Friends

02/26/2014http://conta.cc/1fsD9B9

02/12/2014http://conta.cc/1fhVod7

01/22/2014http://conta.cc/KFrdVq

01/02/2014http://conta.cc/1dYdtxw

12/02/2013http://conta.cc/1bEq1Nt