Ohio’s remarkable network of canals in the early 19th fueled development of the state’s interior cities. Places like Delphos on the Miami and Erie Canal, Milan on the Milan Canal and Akron on the Ohio and Erie Canal enjoyed many of the advantages of serving as a port on Lake Erie.

One of the features of canal operation and life was the towpath, defined by Wikipedia as “….a road or track that runs alongside the banks of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge.” Because they ran alongside canalways, towpaths were usually flat, and therefore in those places where canal beds remain intact, towpaths provide outstanding opportunities for modern trail use.

Such is the case with the Ohio and Erie Canal towpath, particularly the stretch between Cleveland and Akron. According to this interesting recent story in GreenCityBlueLake, a remarkable effort is underway to create a fully functional path, even in the midst of some intimidating post-canal obstacles – including metal barricades and train tracks. As the saying goes -- when there is a will, there apparently is a way.

According to the website of the Ohio Canal Corridor, the towpath along the Ohio & Erie Canal will eventually run some 110 miles, from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, and several additional man-made hurdles exist along the trail’s path. Funding is being sought to make this plan a reality; over $50 million has already been raised and spent on the project, creating 70 miles of towpath trail.

Photo:  Canal towpath -- Joe Hatfield/Creative Commons License