The Towpath Trail

The Towpath Trail follows the route where mules once towed flat-bottom boats on the Miami and Erie Canal and connects Farnsworth, Bend View, and Providence Metroparks along the scenic Maumee River. At Farnsworth, overlooks provide views of three islands in the river—Indian, Butler, and Missionary—and the ruins of a concrete, earth-filled Interurban Bridge that once carried the interurban rail system across the Maumee, while the area also includes a boat launch, a floating handicap accessible fishing platform, wheelchair access to the river, and rentable shelters. Bend View is known for its scenic vantage point over a dramatic 90-degree bend in the Maumee and includes a WPA shelter available for rent. At Providence, a roller dam built across the Maumee to divert water into the canal stands near the Isaac Ludwig Mill, a working water-powered saw and grist mill, Lock No. 44, a heritage center, and The Canal Experience, where the canal's history is brought to life. The sixty-passenger Volunteer Canal Boat operates on a restored section of the canal, towed by mules as a replica of the vessels that once carried people and supplies on the canal system.

Ohio · United States