🐾 Kids at the Dog Park: Real Stories, Safety Risks & Smarter Solutions
If you’ve spent time at an off-leash park, you’ve probably seen it:A parent strolls in with a stroller 🚼 or […]
If you’re looking for a dog-friendly outing in Scio, Ohio, the Conotton Creek Trail Scio Staging Area Trailhead is a fantastic choice for both you and your four-legged companion. The trail is paved and stretches for 11 miles, offering ample opportunities for walking, jogging, and biking alongside your pet. Its wheelchair-accessible parking and generally flat terrain make it easy for everyone to enjoy.
The area welcomes dogs, making it a great spot for pet-friendly hiking and outdoor activities. You’ll find picnic tables, covered shelters along the trail, and multiple benches where you can rest with your dog. While drinking water stations may be limited, the nearby towns have accessible amenities like grocery stores. Families will also enjoy the kid-friendly atmosphere and the shade provided by trees and shelters, especially helpful in the warmer months. With its well-maintained, scenic route, it’s a wonderful way to explore the outdoors in eastern Ohio with your pet.
I was on the Conotton Creek Trail in the fall of 2024 as part of a long distance bike trip. This review is more about the trail than the staging area. The trail is pretty nice and well kept, it is entirely asphalt and was an easy ride. While the information about the trail suggests that there are plenty of outhouses and the like on the trail, I did not find that to be the case. Just a couple noted, but given that this is only a 11 mile or so trail, that isn’t a problem. There was no water on the trail that I noticed, but a number of the small towns along the way have grocery stores and they are easy to get to, so the lack of water isn’t a problem. There are some pretty nice shelters on the trail and I ended up taking refuge in one for the night during a very bad rain storm. The area along the trail is fairly pretty and interesting and it was a fun part of the long trip. Be aware that like most of the area of Ohio that this is in, cell service may be very poor or not exist at all.
Great place for biking the trail in total from start to finish is roughly 11-12 miles. So down and back expect 22-24 miles in total. We parked at the halfway point in Scio and were able to enjoy half the trail and plan to come back another day to do the other half!
Highly recommend this trail for biking as it’s reasonably flat. With a lot of break points if needed with covered bridges and benches.
An unfortunately entirely paved trail that doesn’t have great views or much going for it.
Little shade through the morning we were walking, and overall a major disappointment as we just passed farmland and rundown old parts of towns.
Been here many times for a walk or jog.
Unless it’s high noon, I love that there are typically shadows to hide under when it’s hot
Beautiful in winter. Especially, when you’re the first to make tracks down the trail.
Beautiful and perfectly smooth paved rail trail. I only had time for half of it this trip but I’ll be back to do the whole thing. I hope they are able to extend it!