A nearly 1,500 mile loop of hiking trails in Ohio could soon join the ranks of the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.

The National Park Service is evaluating whether to add the Buckeye Trail, which runs from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, to its National Trails System. Over the next several weeks, the service will share information about its feasibility study and hear from the public at cities around the state. One of those meetings will be held in Cincinnati on Jan. 16.

The Buckeye Trail was built from 1959 to 1980 by the Buckeye Trail Association, a nonprofit. The loop of trail systems stretches 1,454 miles across farmland in northwest Ohio, the Bluegrass region of southwest Ohio, the Black Hand sandstone cliffs around Hocking Hills and the hills of Appalachia. More than half of the route overlaps the North County National Scenic Trail.

What are National Scenic Trails?

Currently there are 11 National Scenic Trails:

• The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,190 miles through 13 states between Maine and North Carolina.
• The Arizona Trail stretches 800 miles through Arizona.
• The Continental Divide Trail stretches 3,100 miles through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico.
• The Florida Trail stretches 1,300 miles through Florida.
• The Ice Age Trail stretches 1,000 miles through Wisconsin.
• The Natchez Trace Trail stretches 65 miles through Mississippi.
• The New England Trail stretches 215 miles through Connecticut and Massachusetts.
• The North Country Trail stretches 4,600 miles through eight states including Ohio.
• The Pacific Crest Trail stretches 2,650 miles through California, Oregon and Washington.
• The Pacific Northwest Trail stretches 1,200 miles through Idaho, Montana and Washington.
• The Potomac Heritage Trail stretches 710 miles through Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

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The designated routes for hiking and biking showcase some of the country’s beautiful landscapes and attract tourists from around the world. They are managed by federal and state agencies.

Make your voice heard

Ohioans can voice their stance on whether the Buckeye Trail should become a National Scenic Trail at the following meetings for public comment:

• Jan. 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hines Hill Conference Center at 1403 West Hines Hill Road in Peninsula.
• Jan. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Henry County Hospital Heller Community Room at 1600 E Riverview in Napoleon.
• Jan. 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center at 2380 Memorial Road in Dayton.
• Jan. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Digital Futures Building Level 1 Conference Room at 3080 Exploration Ave. in Cincinnati.
• Jan. 17 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Athens Community Center Room B and C at 701 E State St. in Athens.

There will be a virtual public meeting, too, on Jan. 23 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Participants can attend online.

The public comment period is open now through Feb. 19. Members of the public are invited to review the National Park Service’s study process and share feedback online.