Volunteers sought for Hipp Station cleanup at Millersburg Depot Saturday

Hipp Station in Millersburg is more than a scenic stop on the Holmes County Trail. It is the trail’s headquarters and visitor center, a place where families, walkers, cyclists and horse-and-buggy traffic all cross paths on one of the county’s most used public corridors.

Holmes County Rails to Trails is asking volunteers to help spruce up the depot with a short Saturday morning work session from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Millersburg Depot. Jen Halverson, Holmes County Park District director and a Rails to Trails board member, is helping lead the call for help, giving the effort a familiar local face and a practical purpose: keep a well-known county stop clean, welcoming and ready for heavy daily use.

The site’s importance goes well beyond its appearance. Holmes County Trail officials say the Millersburg Depot, also known as Hipp Station, serves as a trail and railroad information center. Picnic areas are located there, along with trail access points at Killbuck and Glenmont. Trail users also find wildlife displays, restrooms, vending machines, a covered picnic area and a playground at the restored depot, making upkeep at the site a direct part of how the trail functions for visitors and residents alike.

The trail itself was built for mixed use from the start. The Holmes County Rails-to-Trails Coalition was formed in 1996 by Dr. Robert A. Hart of Millersburg to turn the former railroad into a recreation-and-transportation trail for Amish buggies and other non-motorized travel. Today, the Holmes County Park District says the trail has more than 26 miles of paved surface with one lane for bikes and pedestrians and an adjoining lane for horse-and-buggy traffic. The route stretches through segments from Fredericksburg to Holmesville, Holmesville to Millersburg, Millersburg to Killbuck and Glenmont to Brinkhaven, with the Glenmont-to-Brinkhaven paved section opening in 2017.

The cleanup also comes as the organization keeps a full calendar of stewardship and fundraising. The 20th annual Holmes County Rails-to-Trails Benefit Auction is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Harvest Ridge, 8880 State Route 39, in Millersburg. For now, the focus is on a pair of hours at Hipp Station, where a few volunteers can make a public space look better and feel more cared for in a county that depends on the trail for recreation, transportation and tourism.