The marsh along the Holmes County Trail near Township Road 346 is a good place to look for Virginia Rails, Sora, and other rails. Local birders call it “Rail Marsh.” During most winters a Virginia Rail can be found here–the Millersburg Christmas Bird Count usually has it on their list. Sandhill Cranes are frequently seen here as well. Most of the way along the trail the trees are too thick and tall to see into the marsh, however, there is a viewing platform at one place along the trail. Also, there are views of the marsh along Township Road 346.

Labeled as the first Trail in the nation to accommodate Amish buggies, the unique and scenic Holmes County Trail now has 15 miles of its 29-mile trail open from Fredericksburg to Killbuck.

One lane of the trail is paved with asphalt for biking, roller-blading, walking, running, and wheelchairs, while the adjoining buggy and equestrian trail is paved with “chip and seal” for horse-drawn vehicles and horseback riding. Upon completion of the 29-mile trail, Holmes and Knox County will consist of over 50 miles of uninterrupted trail giving trail users a unique recreational facility in the Ohio to Erie Trail System through Ohio’s heartland.

The Trail is a great place to connect and reconnect and become reoriented with nature. We need wild places of solitude at times. Not every county in this nation has a natural corridor of beauty 29 miles long cleaving its heartland and owned in common by all its residents. “Let those who championed the Holmes County Trail project be remembered for their courage, sacrifice, vision, generosity, and impact on the lives of the generations that will follow us.”