Water Trail From Point State Park To Ohio Gets National
Designation
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
4 June 2015
By Katherine Schaeffer
A paddling trail that follows parts of the Ohio River and other
area waterways was named Thursday as a national recreation trail
by the Department of the Interior and National Park Service.
The Ohio River Water Trail, which runs for 69 miles through
Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, was among 10 trails approved
for the honor in advance of National Trails Day, which is
Saturday.
The trail will receive a certificate of designation, a letter of
congratulations from Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and a
set of trail markers.
National recreation trails receive permission to use a special
logo and a link on the National Recreation Trails Program's
website, said Helen Scully, program specialist with the parks
service's National Trails System.
The Ohio River Trail Council, a nonprofit responsible for
stewardship of the trail, sought the designation.
To apply, trails must already exist, have permission from abutting
landowners and meet local safety standards, Scully said.
The program, started in 1968, has granted 1,285 trails the title,
she said.
The Ohio River Water Trail for kayaks and other watercraft extends
from Downtown's Point State Park to northeast Ohio, and includes
46 miles of the Ohio River, three miles of the Beaver River, four
of Raccoon Creek and 16 of Little Beaver Creek.
The Ohio River Trail Council is in the early stages of planning an
Ohio River Greenway Trail project, which will develop a path along
the river.
Katherine Schaeffer is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She
can be reached at 412-320-7832 or kschaeffer@tribweb.com