The National Road Bikeway gives St. Clairsville a distinctive cycling focus: it is the only rail-trail in Ohio with a tunnel. There is also a nature trail with waterfalls, activities at Memorial Park, and several local historical connections. If you choose a destination based on the experiences it offers, you can consider cycling, scenery, and history separately. This makes it easier to identify specific places and themes that match what you would most like to discover during your stay.
Cycling on the National Road Bikeway
The National Road Bikeway tunnel is 532 feet long and 40 feet high. Beyond the tunnel, the bikeway includes three miles of paved trail; it is also connected to a one-mile extended bike lane. These distances refer to different elements: three miles for the paved trail beyond the tunnel, and one mile for the connected extended bike lane. This lets you consider the tunnel structure, the trail section beyond it, and the bike lane as separate parts of the cycling option. Compared with the Newlin Falls Nature Trail, the focus here is not on woods and water, but on a tunnel and the described trail sections.
Nature and park activities
The Newlin Falls Nature Trail connects the northeast corner of Memorial Park with a densely wooded, undeveloped property. It features two waterfalls and a bridge over a winding stream. Woods, waterfalls, and the stream thus define the character of this trail. Memorial Park also offers pavilions, an outdoor pool, playgrounds, and a walking trail. Visitors can play basketball, baseball, pickleball, tennis, and disc golf, and bring their own equipment. The options have different focuses: the trail leads to a wooded property and features water and stream settings, while the park also offers a range of recreational and sports activities.
History in St. Clairsville
The St. Clairsville Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The Belmont County Heritage Museum is located in the St. Clairsville Downtown National Historic District. Its tour takes visitors through eight rooms and presents the history of Belmont County’s communities. The museum thus focuses on the county’s communities, while the Historic District’s listing in the Register provides a separate historical connection.
The historic Clarendon Hotel in St. Clairsville’s Downtown Historic District was built in 1890 and is associated with the Historic National Road. The road has another local connection: construction of the National Road began in Ohio on July 4, 1825, near the Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairsville. The dates refer to different events: 1825 to the start of construction on the road, 1890 to the construction of the hotel, and 1994 to the Historic District’s listing in the Register. One detail connects the Clarendon Hotel with the National Road; the other dates the start of road construction near the courthouse.
Discover more destinations: Bethesda.
Go to the main travel overview: Belmont County.
