The Wabash Cannonball Trail is a

rail to trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

conversion in northwestern Ohio, U.S. It is long. The North Fork of the Wabash Cannonball Trail is part of the

North Coast Inland Trail The North Coast Inland Trail (often abbreviated as NCIT) is a work-in-process multipurpose trail project that currently consists of several separate portions, defined by their counties, in northern Ohio, United States. Affiliates with the trails ...

, which plans to fully connect Indiana to Pennsylvania, and portions of the trail are included in the

North Country National Scenic Trail The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the NCT, is a footpath stretching over from Middlebury in central Vermont to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota in the United States; ...

History

The

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary co ...

line used by the trail was first built in 1855, and service continued until 1969. The Norfolk Southern Railway then purchased it. The rails were finally abandoned in 1990. Local enthusiasts developed the idea of creating a public recreational trail and utility corridor. On March 24, 1994, the corridor was purchased from Norfolk Southern. The name

Wabash Cannonball "The Great Rock Island Route", popularized as "Wabash Cannonball" and various other titles, is a 19th century American folk song that describes the scenic beauty and predicaments of a fictional train, the ''Wabash Cannonball Express'', as it tra ...

stems from an 1882 American folk song about an imaginary train. No train actually had the name until 1949, when the Wabash Railroad actually named its Detroit-St. Louis day train the ''Cannon Ball''. Other rail-to-trail conversions of the

in the

Midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

region include the Kiwanis Trail in Adrian, Michigan, the Wabash Heritage Trail in

West Lafayette, Indiana West Lafayette () is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, about northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister cit ...

, and the Wabash Trail in

Sangamon County, Illinois Sangamon County is located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 197,465. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital. Sangamon County is included in the Sp ...

Location

North Fork

The northern section of the trail roughly parallels both the

Ohio Turnpike The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west in the northern section o ...

I-80/90 and US Route 20A for about starting in Maumee, and extending through

Monclova Monclova (), is a city and the seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. According to the 2015 census, the city had 231,107 inhabitants. Its metropolitan area has 381,432 inhabitants and a ...

Wauseon Wauseon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Ohio, approximately 31 mi (51 km) west of Toledo. The population was 7,332 at the time of the 2010 census. History Wauseon was platted 1853 when the Michigan Southern Air ...

, and West Unity, ending at its western trailhead near

Montpelier, Ohio Montpelier is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,072 at the 2010 census. History Montpelier was platted in 1845. The village was named after Montpelier, Vermont. A post office has been in operation at Montp ...

South Fork

An additional spur runs from Maumee southwest to near Liberty Center, Ohio. That trailhead has a parking area near

Whitehouse, Ohio Whitehouse is a village within the Toledo Metropolitan Area in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,149 at the 2010 census. History The area now known as the Village of Whitehouse was originally occupied by various Native Ame ...

Condition

All portions of the trail in Lucas County are paved. A section of the trail in

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

, owned by the city of

, also is paved. The remainder of the North Fork in Fulton and Williams counties are unpaved, as is the South Fork in Henry County. Note that distance information about the trail differs slightly from one source to another based on whether missing sections of the trail are counted or not. Some sources say the north fork is (not counting missing sections), others say (counting the missing sections), and still others (counting detour mileage).

References

External links

Traillink: Wabash Cannonball Trail, North and South Fork

Google Maps: Wabash Cannonball Trail (North Fork)

Google Maps: Wabash Cannonball Trail (South Fork)
{{Toledo Rail trails in Ohio Protected areas of Fulton County, Ohio Protected areas of Lucas County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Fulton County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Lucas County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Henry County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Toledo, Ohio Protected areas of Henry County, Ohio Bike paths in Ohio Rail trails in the United States Metroparks Toledo