Page 22 - The Buzz 04/17/2026

C2 | NEARBY NEWS The APRIL 17 - 30, 2026
Get Outside: The Great Guernsey Trail Ribbon

cutting planned
BY LYNETTE DOTSON | THE BUZZ
for new

Appalachian

Hills Wildlife
Area Visitor

Center in

Morgan County

BY LYNETTE DOTSON | THE BUZZ

MCCONNELSVILLE, OH — The Ohio
Lynette Dotson Department of Natural Resources
is planning a ribbon cutting to cele-
CAMBRIDGE — Throughout the next to sunset year-round. west from the Lore City trail head brate the opening of the new Appala-
chian Hills Wildlife Area Visitor Cen-
few months, we will be highlighting Birdwatching, kayaking/tubing, just before the Lore City Bridge. ter and new cabins at Jesse Owens
nearby parks, trails, disc golf cours- photography, walking, cycling, hik- Coal Ridge provides shaded walking State Park. The event will be held
es, and other outdoor recreation op- ing, jogging, and inline/roller skating paths and fishing and boating oppor- on Friday, April 24, at 10:00 a.m. at
portunities. Besides the cost of gas, are all activities that can be enjoyed tunities. Wildlife such as a wide vari- 110 Natural Resources Road 1, Mc-
all featured locations are free to ex- with a trip to The Great Guernsey ety of birds, beavers, foxes, and deer Connelsville. The public is invited to
plore and use. So lace up your sneak- Trail. The route is also dog, stroller, are prevalent. attend.
ers and let’s get inspired to discover and wheelchair friendly! The new two-story visitor center
new spaces, enjoy the outdoors, and A new addition was added last will house educational exhibits and
be more active this season. September to the Lore City end-of- boasts picture worthy views from a
the-trail sits a kayak-rental kiosk bison viewing deck and 360-degree
that makes getting out on The Leath- observation ramp.
er Creek Water Trail accessible to In addition to the new visitor center,
visitors. This water adventure starts improvements to Jesse Owens State
at Leatherwood Park in Lore City and Park will also be celebrated. Ten new
ends at a takeout location on St. Rt. 900-square-foot cabins were recent-
265. Rentals include a kayak, pad- ly constructed and are now available
dle, and life jacket. It is a 1-2 hour for booking. The ADA-accessible and
easy paddle experience available by pet-friendly cabins are architectural-
renting through the RentFun app, ly inspired by the style of Frank Lloyd
starting at $25. Wright.
Two optional unimproved scenic Other improvements to the Jes-
hiking paths connect to The Great Plans for a third trailhead to be se Owens State Park include The
Guernsey Trail, Coal Ridge Park added are in the works. Access to Big Muskie Campground with 50
and Trails and Boyd’s Bottom Open downtown Cambridge will be add- full-hookup RV sites, a new modern
The Great Guernsey Trail is a Space and Trails. Boyd’s Bottom is ed, extending the trail by three more showerhouse, a family-friendly play-
7-mile (one-way) rails-to-trails rec- a trail system set on over 60 acres miles. Additional parking and sig- ground, an on-site camp store, and
reational path located at 63500 of CDC-owned land and is accessible nage will be included with the down- infrastructure upgrades.
Corduroy Rd, Cambridge, Ohio, con- town access portion of The Great Send an RSVP for the ribbon cut-
necting East Cambridge to Lore City. Guernsey Trail. ting by visiting OhioDNR.gov/RSVP.
The flat, paved, and partially shaded The Great Guernsey Trail is main-
trail offers several little free library tained by The Guernsey County Com-
stations, rest areas with benches, a munity Development Corp. For more
trailside skate park, bridges, a dog information, visit https://guernsey-
park, and two extensions to explore countycdc.com and visitguernsey-
(Coal Ridge Park and Boyd’s Bot- county.com/things-to-do/the-great-
tom). Plus, recent improvements guernsey-trail.
were added, such as four educa- BUZZ FACTS
tional interpretive signs, a half-mile Dresden Buzz is locally owned
storybook trail, and self-serve kayak and operated.
rental. The trail is open from sunrise