Moonville Rail Trail Association Leads Volunteers, Restores Corridor and Expands Access

Moonville Rail Trail Association volunteers have driven a yearslong push to restore a rail corridor that runs past the brick-lined Moonville Tunnel near Zaleski and through Zaleski State Forest and Lake Hope State Park wetlands. The nonprofit, established in April 2001 and organized as a 501(c)(3), says it secured approximately 10 miles of unused railroad bed for Vinton and Athens County commissioners and lists installing 11 bridges and receiving approximately nine grants among its accomplishments.

The Moonville Rail Trail is operated by the Vinton County Park District, with maintenance services provided by the MRTA, and ownership of stretches of the right-of-way is held in part by the Vinton County and Athens County commissioners. Traillink’s project summary credits an AMLER project with opening 12.2 new miles of trail that were previously inaccessible, installing seven new bridges, and installing safety closures for eight abandoned mine entries adjacent to the trail, work that improves access and addresses public-safety hazards tied to legacy coal mines.

Trail geography and access points remain specific: Traillink lists endpoints at Biddyville Road and SR 356 in Mineral and Mill Street just east of SR 278 in Zaleski, while Southern Ohio Trails lists a trailhead on SR 278 south of the reservoir at Lake Hope State Park. Surface descriptions across sources vary, noting ballast, crushed stone and grass or a natural-surface trail in different sections; user observations and project reports describe crushed stone and gravel added over old railroad ballast in places where bridges or grading work has been completed.

Infrastructure work has been tied closely to mine-safety needs and heavier equipment access. Traillink’s complementary content and user observations describe bridges being upgraded or replaced to carry trucks and equipment needed to seal abandoned underground mines, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes that additional trail improvements and bridges are being constructed by the MRTA. Traillink also documents safety closures for eight mine entries as part of the AMLER effort.

The MRTA’s volunteer model and meeting schedule anchor its work in the community. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday at the Hope Schoolhouse on Wheelabout Road, opposite the dam at Lake Hope State Park, and the association holds an annual meeting every April. Membership materials and the group’s public listings emphasize volunteer roles and responsibilities: "We are seeking new volunteers to help: Maintain the trail Manage social media Track membership Plan and staff events Fundraise." Visit Vinton County materials add that members support trail maintenance with annual dues and "Participate in trail work days."

State-level projections underline the economic case MRTA and partners present: the Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates trail development could potentially create more than 60,000 visitors per year to the area and an anticipated 11 additional jobs. Project partners named in public materials include the Moonville Rail Trail Association, Vinton and Athens County commissioners, Raccoon Creek Partnership, Zaleski State Forest, Lake Hope State Park, Uncle Bucks Riding Stable, the Athens County Planning Office and the Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Historical user reviews and site descriptions show access challenges in earlier years, with reports of overgrown stretches and water crossings lacking bridges; the MRTA’s published accomplishments and ongoing bridge construction indicate active work to close those gaps. For neighbors and visitors, the trail now combines heritage appeal at the National Register-listed Moonville Tunnel with infrastructure upgrades intended to broaden year-round, multiuse access and support regional tourism. The association provides a downloadable trail brochure and map, maintains a Facebook presence under Moonville Rail Trail, and lists contact information at P.O. Box 513, McArthur, OH 45651 and info@moonvillerailtrail.com as entry points for volunteers and supporters.