Mary Jane Thurston State Park: Towpath Trail (Blog Hike #905)

Trail: Towpath Trail
Hike Location: Mary Jane Thurston State Park
Geographic Location: west of Bowling Green, OH (41.41118, -83.87638)
Length: 1.4 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: October 2022
Overview: An out-and-back on an old Miami and Erie Canal towpath along the banks of the Maumee River.
Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/mary-jane-thurston-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=923750
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Bowling Green, take US 6 west 15 miles to Henry-Wood County Line Road.  Turn right on Henry-Wood County Line Rd.  Drive Henry-Wood County Line Rd. north 2.6 miles to SR 65 and turn right on SR 65.  Drive SR 65 east 0.3 miles to the signed entrance for the dam/day-use area on the left.  Turn left to enter the park and park near the day lodge.

The hike: Easily overlooked due to its size, tiny Mary Jane Thurston State Park protects 105 acres on the south bank of the Maumee River, northwest Ohio's biggest river.  The park's roots date to 1928 when Mary Jane Thurston, a school teacher from nearby Grand Rapids, Ohio, donated her 14 acre plot of land to the State of Ohio.  It then took 40 years to acquire enough surrounding land to establish the park, which opened in 1968.

            The park has a surprisingly long list of amenities given its size, and that list includes a 39 site developed campground, 5 short hiking trails, several picnic areas, a disc golf course, a day lodge, and fishing and boating on the Maumee River.  This part of the Maumee River was also the route of the Miami and Erie Canal, which operated in the mid 1800's.  The canal transported boats between Cincinnati and Toledo by connecting the Great Miami River with Lake Erie, hence the canal's name.  This hike features the park's canal history because it follows the canal's former towpath, which has found new life as a hiking trail that connects the park with Grand Rapids 0.7 miles downstream.

Reconstructed lock near trailhead

            From the day lodge, climb the steps up the river's levy, and then walk across the iron/concrete bridge that spans the old canal and reaches the towpath.  An overlook gives a great view of the Grand Rapids Dam, a low-level dam built across the very large width of the river.  Also, a reconstructed wooden canal lock marks where river water would have entered the canal.

Part of Grand Rapids Dam

            Past the overlook, the trail heads east with the canal on your right and the river on your left.  The flat towpath turned wide gravel trail makes for easy going.  I did some good bird watching here that included sea gulls, egrets, mallard ducks, and Canada geese.

Hiking on the old towpath

Maumee River

            Soon the village of Grand Rapids appears across the canal on the right, and a trio of bridges connect the village with the trail.  You could easily have a nice lunch or dinner at a restaurant in the village midway through this hike, but I did not choose that option.  At 0.7 miles and just past the last bridge, you reach the other end of the canal's lock on the right and a fantastic Maumee River view to the left.  The trail ends here, so your only option is to turn around and retrace your steps 0.7 miles to the park's day lodge to complete the hike.