The National Park Service (NPS) is hosting an upcoming public comment period to gather input on the ongoing Buckeye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study, intended to evaluate the potential inclusion of the Buckeye Trail in the country’s National Trails System.

Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility and suitability of designating the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail. The NPS will be hosting six meetings for members of the public to learn more about the study.

The Buckeye Trail is an existing system of trails creating a loop extending approximately 1,454 miles from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, including the farmland of northwest Ohio, the Bluegrass region of southwest Ohio, the Black Hand sandstone cliffs of the Hocking Hills region, and Hills of Appalachia. The trail was built from 1959 to 1980 by the Buckeye Trail Association, a non-profit organization that still administers it. More than half of the Buckeye Trail route overlaps the North County National Scenic Trail route as it passes through Ohio.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

An important aspect of the study process is gathering information from the public about the trail, including determining the level of support locally and from the general public, and identifying any issues or concerns associated with this trail’s potential inclusion in the National Trails System.

In these public meetings, NPS staff will share information about the study process, including the criteria used to evaluate the trail for inclusion in the National Trails System, and answer questions.

The public comment period will be open from January 6th to February 19th, 2025, and provides an opportunity the public to review the feasibility study process and share feedback regarding the study.

During this time, we invite individuals to review the project and provide input. Please visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/buckeyetrailfs for details and to share comments. Comments will be accepted online until February 19th, 2025.