How to pass through (Cincinnati, Dayton: appointed, how much, neighborhoods)

[dontworrybrah]

I am in the works of planning a cross country hike, and so far one of the only hiccups in my route planning is "how the hell do I get around Cincinnati?". I am doing my best to avoid all major cities. I will be following route 50 until I get around Mariemont or Terrace Park or so. I don't see anyway I could sweep south of the city as there doesn't seem to be anyway way to cross the Ohio river. I wanted to go south because it looks more sparsely populated, but as long as I am being forced to pass north, are there any neighborhoods I should look to avoid? Any suggested route which would meet me back up with route 50 on the other side of city limits?

*Keep in mind it is illegal to walk alongside US interstates. Numbered highways are ok.

[Wilson513]

How about the tracks. The railroad tracks run from Mariemont right through to 50 West except for a gap in the Smale riverfornt park and Banks development along the river right at downtown Cincinnati. No trains. Just tracks. Maybe a two mile gap, then pick up again at US 42 and head west along US 50. After they pick up the trains return. US 50 just West of Cincinnati is a daytime walk, not nighttime.

The gap is safe and flat. I'd call the tracks safe from Mariemont to the west side of Cincinnati. But, the where it starts up at US 42 should be traversed in daylight hours.

[SalamanderSmile]

There are trains on some of those tracks daily.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

There are trains on some of those tracks daily.

Ok . . .

So when the trains get to the Smale Park, do they disappear or just back up?

[WILWRadio]

Also most of those rail lines are privately owned. And if you happen to come across a bridge you may find yourself in a position you'd rather not be. Happened this past Summer to two women in Indiana if I recall. Got caught on the tracks in the middle of a bridge when a train came. They managed to survive by laying flat in the middle of the tracks.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

Also most of those rail lines are privately owned. And if you happen to come across a bridge you may find yourself in a position you'd rather not be. Happened this past Summer to two women in Indiana if I recall. Got caught on the tracks in the middle of a bridge when a train came. They managed to survive by laying flat in the middle of the tracks.

The run from Mariemont to downtown has no bridges.

[goyguy]

US 50 is one of the highways extensively described in a book about "lonely roads" which has a similar title. If it possessed me to explore one of those routes on foot I'd go with US 83; then again I wasn't asked!
"Bypass 50" is a thing of the past - but nearly all of the once-rural roads it followed have been gobbled up by suburban sprawl anyhow.
It used to be more of an adventure to travel under one's own power when thumbing rides was still done. Even so, at least in the countryside there should still be people passing by who will extend the kind offer of a lift. (The opposite type exists also - no need to dwell on that.)

Missing from the OP is any indication of how far off the numbered highway they're willing to go. The inclination to deviate southward is wise now that Cincinnati and Dayton are all but a complete megalopolis with little to no undeveloped land between them. What I would do if I were in their hiking boots would be to see where the small ferry operations are situated east of Cincinnati. Take the first numbered, or other "through," road south from 50 which intersects with US 52 closest to one of those ferries. (IIRC 52 is another "lonely road," incidentally, though it also passes through some major cities all the same.) Kentucky not only numbers its interstates and arteries, there are also highway numbers assigned to what I'd call "capillaries." Those are lightly-traveled two-lane roads which serve as shortcuts and have numbers as high as four digits, e.g. KY-1548. It will be a meandering journey, but do-able, to use a river ferry and then traverse NKY between the sprawls of Cincy and Lexington en route to either Warsaw or the Markland Dam. One could then pick up US 421 and let it take you back to 50.
What will happen when St Louis and Kansas City loom on the horizon?

[ProkNo5]

Unless you're willing to hitchhike across the river on I-275 there's really no way to avoid downtown Cincinnati.

Here's a suggestion that I implore you to consider though. Along the river feels very rural and you'll be surprised how much you can escape the city down there.

I would jump on the Little Miami Trail in Milford and follow it to Newtown Rd. Take Hwy 32 / James Rhodes Appalachian Hwy to Beechmont Ave / Hwy 125 across the Little Miami River and then jump on Eastern Ave. Take Eastern Ave around the bend to Delta where you'll cut over to Riverside Dr / US 52.

Take US 52 all the way in to downtown. (US 50 picks up a lot of city traffic and leaves everything to the rivers edge pretty quiet. You really won't feel like you're in the big city until you get to the Theodore M Berry International Friendship Park. From there you can jump into the park and follow the string of trails all the way downtown. (Definitely in the city, but the parks are nice, safe, and relatively seclude you from the city.

West of downtown along the river is pretty industrial and I wouldn't recommend it. Instead, you should think about crossing the Roebling Suspension Bridge (truly one of a kind) and following Rivercenter Blvd and 3rd St in Covington KY to Hwy 8. This small stretch in KY is truthfully the only part of the journey that will feel like you're in the big city.

Follow Hwy 8 along the south side of the Ohio to the Anderson Ferry. Again, the Industrial stuff is on the other side of the river, so this side is incredibly rural and beautiful. Cross the river on the Anderson Ferry (another truly wonderful experience) and continue your journey west on US 50.

I know, I'm taking you right to the center of the city and crossing the centermost bridge, but based off what you've written, I don't think you'll be disappointed, overwhelmed or anything else of that nature. Cincinnati is VERY hilly and can feel incredibly rural in the center of town. All of the neighborhoods I'm walking you through function more like small towns than suburbs of the city. Please consider this route.


SIDE NOTE: Will you be documenting this journey anywhere? I'd love to see some photos and hear some experiences.

[dontworrybrah]

Great responses go and pro, I appreciate em,

As for Go: I am hoping to not deviate far from my original route at all. I am not looking to detour myself more then a day at most to find a roundabout the city, let alone the extra week or more I assume heading south may bring. As for St. Louis and KC, they are far more manageable to me then Cincinnati. Upon approaching St. Louis when route 50 becomes I-44, the historic remnants of route 66 follows alongside it for the most part and I intend to absolutely jump at the opportunity to explore that road. After deviating for a bit, route 66 does perfectly meet up with route 50 again just as the interstate section ends. I also intend to be on route 66 again for the last leg of my journey throughout the Mojave!

To Pro: My current loose plan is to take Indian Hill Road to Madison Road and continue to follow backroads in a way that skitters over the top half of the city while avoiding key areas I have been warned about such as Over-The-Rhine. I understand this lands me in the western, apparently industrious part of the city, but perhaps I will splurge during my time in the area and get a room somewhere halfway through so I can get past the western half during the day and not get caught there at night. I am in fact planning to document the journey as much as I can through video, pictures, and journaling, but I kinda prefer living in the moment. I feel like being that person with a camera always in front of you to memorize that moment also kind of spoils it a bit, so I don't know how many souvenirs I'll come away with after it's all said and done. If the concept does interest you though, look into getting Nate Damm's book: Life on Foot, he's a resident of Maine who completed a coast to coast journey in 2011 (I believe?). I have been in contact with him for advice and his book was a really great read (and pretty damn cheap on Kindle).

[ProkNo5]

I'm kind of confused about what you're hoping to avoid in the city. Traffic? Crime? Skyscrapers? Crowds of people?

I ask because you're choosing a route right through the center of the city.