COLUMBUS, OH - More than seven miles of trail at Mohican-Memorial State Forest in Ashland County is now open to mountain bike riding, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The new access for mountain bikes was announced during a trail dedication ceremony today at the state forest. The trails are now open for bike access, and a newly designated parking area, all lie north of State Route 97.
Last week at Hocking State forest, horseback riders and mountain bike enthusiasts joined forces to improve more than two miles of forest trail, said John Dorka, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. Im confident that we can see the same positive results here at Mohican-Memorial State Forest.
Opening the trail to mountain biking was a recommendation of the Mohican-Memorial Forest Ad Hoc Advisory Council, which finalized their efforts last fall. Members of the council represented a diversity of interests, including conservation professionals, local government leaders, environmentalists and private landowners.
Mohican-Memorial State Forest was created in 1928, when the State of Ohio purchased abandoned, eroding farmland in Ashland County. Trees originally planted to grow quickly and control erosion have been successfully managed by the ODNR Division of Forestry for more than 70 years, creating one of Ohio's most popular forest areas.
Today, Ohio is more than 30 percent forested, compared to just about 10 percent forest cover in the early 1900s, thanks in great part to vigorous reforestation programs conducted by ODNR over the past half-century.
The ODNR Division of Forestry grows and distributes more than 5,000,000 trees each year for reforestation efforts throughout the state. Over the past seventy years, the division has planted more than a half-billion trees in Ohio.