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Sippo Valley Trail - Review
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Location |
Dalton, Wayne County to Massillon, Stark County |
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Length |
9.5 miles - with mile markers every ½ mile |
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Surface |
Mixed asphalt, crushed limestone, & some medium ballast |
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Condition |
poor to good - the asphalt overall is decent but some areas have cracks, and small holes; the limestone varies from fine to pea size |
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Restroom sites |
Village Green Park in Dalton
Lincoln Park & Bottoms Park in Massillon |
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Drinking water sites |
At the above mentioned restroom sites |
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Food accessibility |
Stores in Dalton and stores & restaurants in Massillon |
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Traffic |
crossing traffic varies, some roads are very busy especially as one gets closer to Massillon |
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Bike shops |
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Highlights |
The majority of the trail is rural, shaded and scenic and pleasant |
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Parking access |
Village Green Pk in Dalton. 40+ spaces, W. Lebanon Rd – 8 spaces, Alabama Rd – 2 spaces, Kenyon Rd- 2 spaces, Lincoln Park 30+ spaces |
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Visited
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Aug 1, 08 |
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Enjoyment Rating |
6 of 10, mostly scenic, but trail conditions vary so be alert |
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Website |
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Concerns |
Burned out Bridge! Also, Anything less than 1-1/4" tires will have problems on limestone sections & with entry ramps at bridges.
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Positives |
Counted at least 8 benches along path for resting. Plenty of Shade. |
Commentary:
Surface Trail Conditions and Traffic
Conditions vary from good on most of the asphalt sections, to poor with the easterly asphalt section being in rougher condition with some decent sized cracks running perpendicular to the trail. At mile marker 9.5 in Dalton to about mile 7.25 the trail is asphalt. From mile 7.25 to about mile 3.5 the trail becomes fine crushed limestone with some short sections of larger stone. At the 3.5 mile mark until mile zero it is asphalt once again.
The center section of stone varies from fine limestone to a short section of pea sized ballast, and through this section there are soft places with some tire ruts from cyclists.
The short ramps from the trail (both asphalt & stone) are uneven and in some cases have a 1"-2" lip which the cyclist must navigate. Because of the stone and these uneven ramps anything less than a 1-1/4" tire will probably have problems. I rode this trail on a recumbent with a tire width of 1.35" at 100 psi, and I had control issues on the rougher stone sections, and the uneven ramps were quite jarring. Those with wider tires and lower air pressure will have less of an issue with these two concerns.
The traffic on the crossroads gets busier as you approach the larger city of Massillon where 17th street was busy, though route 93 near mile 4 can also be quite busy. Most of the other road’s traffic was light.
To the right is a picture of the burned out bridge on the Sippo Trail, police suspect arson, so if you have heard of anything, contact the authorities.
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