Experience the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET)

Over the next several months, Visit Westerville will highlight ways to make the most of your cycling adventure to the city and to find essential services. Follow along with these educational blog posts and videos on YouTube to stay engaged and experience the OTET!

Navigating the Ohio to Erie Trail through Westerville, Ohio

Westerville has long been a hub for recreational cycling, and the city boasts 51 miles of trails, bike lanes and marked streets. The showcase is a 4.5-mile paved segment of the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET), a nationally acclaimed 326-mile pathway that runs from the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Cleveland. The Westerville segment is also part of the Great American Rail-Trail that’s under development and will cross the U.S. from coast to coast.

The OTET brings to town many “through” cyclists in both directions. You’ll see them year-round — riders of all ages on bikes of all types. Hungry cyclists will find numerous dining options here. And the city’s location near the middle of the OTET makes it an ideal overnight stop on a multi-day journey, with lots of opportunities for fun, culture and exploration!

Let’s get an overview of the Ohio to Erie Trail and how to navigate it through the city. The best resource for information on the entire trail is the OTET website. It is a one-stop shop for maps, information about services along the trail, construction updates and much more.

The Ohio to Erie Trail uses dozens of local trails and connectors as it traverses the state. In Westerville, the OTET travels along the Alum Creek Trail, the Westerville Bike & Walk Way, the Schrock Road bike lanes and some other smaller trails and streets.

The 2.2-mile Westerville Bike & Walk Way was built on a former railroad right-of-way that runs just a couple of blocks east of Uptown and roughly parallel to State Street, the city’s main north-south thoroughfare.

Signs and pavement markings help cyclists navigate the OTET through Westerville. But sometimes they’re easy to miss. Seeing what the route looks like from a cyclist’s point of view can help. Therefore, Visit Westerville put together a video that shows what you’ll see from your bike seat as you enter the city from the Interstate 270 underpass and pedal north, connecting with the Genoa Trail as you leave town. (We chose northbound because that’s the direction many riders go when riding the entire OTET, offering an increased likelihood of a tailwind.)

Here are links to customized Ride With GPS maps to download to your phone or bike computer to help with turn-by-turn navigation within Westerville. For northbound, go to https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46447954 . For southbound, go to https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46447997

So get your bearings, then check back for more updates that will tell you how to make the most of your cycling visit to Westerville!

Fuel Up

We know you can get hungry and thirsty and look for ways to cool off on your adventure. Stop in to these must-stop shops when in Westerville, for a quick bite, cold beer, delicious coffee or sweet treat - they're all along the trail!

Extend your visit in Westerville

Located just 15 minutes northeast of downtown Columbus, OH, Westerville is a vibrant city with a variety of offerings including unique shops, restaurants, breweries (a few of which are on the Columbus Ale Trail), hotels and activities and is known for its vast parklands and 50+ mile trail system. As the birthplace of Prohibition and other important historical moments, Westerville boasts a thriving cultural arts community. Avoid traffic coming into and out of the city for the eclipse and extend your stay in Westerville to being your exploration.

Find all there is to eat, play, shop and stay in this thriving town.

Bike shops and amenities

If you need anything for your bike while on your ride, or looking for specific amenities, these are the places for you - and they're all along the OTET.

Bike rack and trail maps in Westerville