Ohio & Erie Canal Southern Descent Heritage Trail

Franklin County, Fairfield County, Pickaway County, Ross County, Pike County, and Scioto County, Ohio

WHY

The Canal Partners is a coalition of communities in Southern Ohio along the Southern Descent of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Their goal was to create a heritage trail to attract tourists and communicate the history of the canal system to a broad audience.

HOW

The first phase of this grant-funded project was to engage the Canal Partners through workshops and a survey, and to map resources and sites along the trail. Once this was complete, Designing Local created a visual booklet of the sites that included descriptions of their various elements and a prototype trailhead design. The project study also included bike and pedestrian trail connections to the canal right-of-way.

WHAT

The end product was completed in summer 2021; it will be used by Canal Partner communities in their planning and capital improvement projects over the next several years. Tourists are now using the maps to explore canal features.

COLLABORATORS

Benjamin D. Rickey & Co.
Cathy Nelson
ACEnet

SERVICES

Urban Planning & Design
Landscape Architecture
Community Engagement