Shenango River Trail

This is a nice and enjoyable trail when the brush is clear, but more often than not it isn't. Every so often a group clears it aggressively, but the brush regrows just as aggressively. Start at either end, Kidd's Mill or Big Bend. It's generally easy to hike and follow at the start, but sooner or later the thick brush takes over. There are sections that are very wet, depending on how the rain has been, and there are many obstacles and large fallen logs to climb over. It is easy to get lost, but the important thing to remember is that it was once a towpath. So the trail will ideally hike along the manmade ridge next to the canal pools, much like the raised railroad bed of a rail trail. From New Hamburg, the southern section is generally much more clear. Mostly level river trail with a few dips for stream crossings. No engineered features, but many natural obstacles such as roots, mud, and loose sections. One old pipe crosses the trail at shallow angles. Stream crossings are frequent and vary greatly in difficulty. In some cases, the mud is surprisingly deep and can lead to some difficulty navigating through. Make sure your shoes/boots are tied tightly! The trail splits frequently for horses one direction and foot traffic the other. Follow the horse direction to ford a stream, or the hike direction to cross a narrow bridge with railing.