The Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) is the easiest long-distance trail to access from Portage County.  It is just a quick hop from the Portage Hike and Bike Trail to Summit County's Freedom Trail.  See the map on the Connecting to the Towpath Trail page to learn how to bridge a short gap between the incomplete Freedom Trail and the Towpath Trail (also part of the Ohio to Erie Trail).

If you are determined to start at OTET Mile Zero in Cleveland, you may want to be dropped off there.  However you can reach it by bike via the Summit Hike and Bike Trail and Towpath Trail.  You'll be retracing your steps (at least 15 miles worth) when you head south.

All the resources you may need to complete this trip can be found at the official website;
www.ohiotoerietrail.org/  The 2020 map below is from this site and provides a good overview of the route.  Detours and alerts are updated frequently on the website.

There are a number of road sections along this Trail, including travel through the city of Columbus.  The Wayne County gap is the hilliest, with a least one beast that may require walking.  As of 2022, about 11% of the trail is on rural roads and city streets.  A short rural road section in Holmes County will be replaced with trail starting in 2023.

Those interested in a slightly longer trip (and a more complete diagonal across the state) may wish to start or end at Lake Erie in Ashtabula.  You can find this route on the "Ohio to Erie Trail Alternate" page.