The Missing Piece: Niles and Warren Are Finally Connected by Trail

In early October, the people of Niles, Ohio cut a ribbon on something their corner of the state has been waiting on for a long time: the missing piece of trail between Niles and Warren. Phase 4 of the Western Reserve Greenway Bike Trail is complete, and the trail now connects Trumbull County to Ashtabula County as a portion of the Great Ohio Lake to River Greenway Trail. That means a whole lot of northeast Ohio just got stitched together with asphalt, trees, and old rail line.

What happened

On October 9, per WKBN and WFMJ, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in Niles to mark the official opening of a 4.25-mile paved path connecting the Niles Greenway Trail to the southern tip of the Warren Greenway Trail. This wasn't a quick job. This portion of the trail has been in the works for 11 years, and the project totaled $5.7 million, with a majority of the funding coming from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program through the East Gate Regional Council of Governments, along with local funding sources.

The route itself is a classic piece of Rust Belt reinvention. The new section nearly doubles the length of the 4.5-mile Niles Greenway Trail, running through the former BDM Warren Steel Holding property and following an abandoned rail line. Where steel once rolled out by railcar, people now roll through on bikes.

Why it matters

Trail gaps are the heartbreak of every long-distance rider. You pedal miles of smooth, quiet path and then the trail just… stops, dumping you onto a busy road. This gap was the big one in the Mahoning Valley. With it closed, riders can now travel from the 43-mile Western Reserve Greenway trail that starts in Ashtabula County, through a 16.7-mile portion in Trumbull County and another 3.2 miles in Warren, onto the Niles Greenway and into Mahoning County. Per the Tribune Chronicle, the Western Reserve portion is now complete and spans 43 miles.

And the trail is already earning its keep. Trail users on TrailLink were out within days of the opening, noting that the connector opened as of October 9 with two new bridges at the Niles end of the trail — including, reviewers report, a newly opened bridge over Robbins Avenue with “Niles” painted on it. A town putting its own name on a trail bridge is a town that's proud of what it built.

The bigger picture: Lake Erie to the Ohio River

This is one chapter in one of Ohio's great long-game stories. It's all part of the Great Ohio Lake to River Greenway, which will connect Lake Erie to the Ohio River in one continuous trail — a vision created by four park districts over 30 years ago. The Greenway is a bikeway that runs through MetroParks in Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties. Thirty years of patient, unglamorous work — acquiring parcels, paving stretches, building bridges — and every finished phase makes the whole thing more real. If you've ever wondered what quiet persistence looks like, it looks like a rail-trail in Trumbull County.

It's the kind of thing that makes you proud to wear the state on your chest. Our Ohio collection exists for exactly this brand of Buckeye stubbornness.

Go ride it

Late October is a fine time to see it. Start at the Niles Greenway Trailhead on East Church Street — the same spot where the ribbon was cut — and head north toward Warren through the new section. Reviewers on nearby stretches this month were pleasantly surprised by the fall foliage, in awe at the beautiful fall colors of the tree-lined trail. Bring a flannel, a thermos, and if you want to announce your allegiance to the first stranger who calls out across the trail, the O-H Tee does the work for you. Somebody will answer. They always do.

Common questions

How long is the connected trail now?

The Western Reserve portion is complete and spans 43 miles, and the new connection lets riders continue from Ashtabula County all the way into Mahoning County on connecting greenways.

What kind of trail is it?

It's a paved rail-trail. The new section follows an abandoned rail line, which means gentle grades and a smooth surface — good for road bikes, walkers, and families.

Is the Lake-to-River trail finished?

Not yet — but it took a real step. The Great Ohio Lake to River Greenway is a continuous-trail vision created by four park districts over 30 years ago, and this connection closes one of its most-wanted gaps.

Reported by WKBN. Details as published at the time of writing.