Independence Dam State Park: Towpath Trail (Blog Hike #907)

Trail: Towpath Trail
Hike Location: Independence Dam State Park
Geographic Location: east of Defiance, OH (41.29177, -84.25544)
Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: October 2022
Overview: An out-and-back on the old Miami and Erie Canal towpath.
Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/independence-dam-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=924026
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: On the east side of Defiance, take US 24 to SR 281 (exit 28).  Exit and go south on SR 281.  Drive SR 281 south 1.1 miles to CR 424.  Turn left twice to go east on CR 424.  Drive CR 424 east 2 miles to the state park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pass an old canal lock and Independence Dam, and drive the main park road 1.6 miles to the parking lot at the campground entrance.  Unless you have a camping reservation, you will need to park here and walk through the campground to the Towpath Trail's trailhead.

The hike: Established in 1949, Independence Dam State Park protects a narrow spit of land between the Maumee River to the south and the old Miami and Erie Canal to the north.  The Miami and Erie Canal allowed boat traffic to travel between Cincinnati and Toledo by connecting the Great Miami River to the south with Lake Erie via the Maumee and Auglaize Rivers to the north.  In fact, the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers is located in Defiance just a few miles upstream from this park.

            The canal operated for only a few years in the mid 1800's before it was replaced by the railroad, but its legacy is seen all over this park today.  The park's name refers to a wooden dam built in the 1800's that provided the water necessary to keep boats in the canal afloat.  The wooden dam was replaced by a concrete structure in 1924, and that structure can still be seen in the Maumee River near the park's entrance today.

Independence Dam

            Due to its unusual shape, the park offers only limited amenities: boating and fishing on the Maumee River, several picnic shelters, and a 25 site developed campground.  The park also contains a trailhead for the Miami and Erie Towpath Trail, which starts here and continues many miles to the east.  This hike explores the westernmost 1.25 miles of the Towpath Trail.

Towpath Trail trailhead

            Unless you happen to have a campground reservation here, this hike starts with a walk through the campground.  Stay on the road to the left with the campsites on your right.  At the rear of the campground, a large wooden sign that reads "Miami and Wabash Canal Towpath Trail" marks the trailhead.  Note that the Buckeye Trail, the 1440 mile around the state route, runs conjointly with the Towpath Trail here.  The Buckeye Trail is marked with powder blue blazes, and you will see many of them on this hike.

Hiking the Towpath Trail

            In some sense this is a boring hike because the scenery never changes: the old canal remains to the left and the Maumee River remains to the right for as long as you are hiking eastbound.  On the other hand, the wide flat old towpath makes for easy hiking, and there are some interesting little things to see if you look carefully.  For example, if you look in the canal only a few hundred feet from the trailhead, you will see some stone piers that probably supported a bridge at one time.

Still on the Towpath Trail

Maumee River

            Distance markers appear on wooden posts at 0.25 mile increments; these markers were erected by Tyler Shafer as an Eagle Scout project.  The forest along the towpath is dominated by sycamore trees with a dense understory of honeysuckle.  1.25 miles from the trailhead, you reach a bench with a nice view of the Maumee River.  The trail continues east for many miles, but I came here late in the day and needed to get back to my car before sunset.  Thus, I turned around here and retraced my steps to my car to complete my hike.