Once considered a convenient stopping point between more worthwhile destinations, Lorain County finally is proving what residents have known all along: This area has just as much to offer as Cleveland and Sandusky.

This re-education began earlier this year with the rebranding of the Lorain County Visitors Bureau, which has shed its officious sounding name and is now known as “Visit Lorain County.”

More important than the name change, the agency is marketing Lorain County like it never has before with its Back Roads & Beaches guide, a handy resource filled with all things Lorain County from premier bicycle trails to kayaking on Lake Erie and hiking through state parks to taking in the local history.

The effort seems to be working.

“There has absolutely been more cyclists coming through the area,” said Rex Engle, owner of the Oberlin Inn.

He knows of six different groups of cyclists coming through at the end of July, making their way from Alabama to Canada, along the Underground Railroad trail.

Another group of cyclists from the Bronx, N.Y., who passed through last summer are coming through again this year, he said.

“The increase in cycling has certainly been brought to the forefront thanks to Back Roads & Beaches,” he said.

But it’s not just cycling that has people showing up. Kayaking has gotten a lot of attention, too.

While Engle can only guess at how many more outdoor adventurers are showing up, he does know they are coming, and Oberlin is a very good rest spot for them, he said.

“This is a very positive thing for the county,” he said. “We’ve always known we’ve had a great natural resource with the lake and fishing, and we still have a focus on the lake and fishing, but now there is a focus on kayaking, too.”

As the visitor’s bureau celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, Lorain County promoters wanted to make sure the area was recognized for what it truly is - a fun, inviting place, said Barb Bickel, executive director of Visit Lorain County.

“We’re not just a convenient stop and go for people on their way to Cleveland or Cedar Point or the islands,” she said.

Not only is the area known for its kayaking, one of the few places along Lake Erie to rent a kayak is located in Lorain, and its premier cycling and mountain biking trails, but there are a lot of historical and ecological attractions as well.

The Back Roads & Beaches guide links it all together.

“We found that there is a lot of crossover between eco-tourists, heritage tourists and adventurers,” Bickel said.

And there is definitely enough to draw them here with 10 miles of single-track trails: the Thorn Mountain Bike Trail, which has been getting attention from mountain bikers across the country; the Lorain County Metro Parks’ Steel Mill Bike Trail and the Water Trail for kayaking.

There also are two adventure cycle routes in Lorain County, the Northern Tier, which travels along U.S. Route 6, and the Underground Railroad trail, which goes from Alabama to Canada and passes through Lorain County.

“We’ve tied all the best multi-road trails together,” Bickel said. “Once we get people to come through, we want to keep them here.”

That’s why the agency lists a number of other activities in the area, such as fishing, scuba diving, Lorain Lighthouse tours and wineries.

“Using non-motorized transportation increases the visibility a traveler has of our local culture,” Bickel said.

Engle marvels that trails in the county can take people from Oberlin all the way to Lake Erie through Vermilion and over to Avon.

“You can spend the whole day cycling Lorain County,” he said. “We live here and we take for granted the natural beauty. There are a lot more physical things to do that keep people involved and outside and they are able to do them in our own backyard.”

Jim Galloway is one such person. The 49-year-old has been cycling for 35 years traveling all over on two wheels, but the best trails that he has found have been in Ohio.

He travels between 100 and 150 miles each Saturday along the very same path outlined in Back Roads & Beaches and says the experience has spoiled him for other trails.

The lack of traffic and the beautiful scenery are a hard combination to find elsewhere. He enjoys the route so much, he often promotes it to others cyclists he sees, encouraging them to continue on the path up to the Lake and even handing out maps of the trail.

“We really do have premier cycling roads,” he said. “One reason is the signage. The trails are marked with permanent trail signs, so cyclists don’t have to carry a map and they still know where they are going.”

Although Galloway is familiar with the trails, one thing he hears from other cyclists is how easy they are to navigate.

“A lot of people are afraid to venture into an area they don’t know,” he said. “While this trail is off of the beaten path, the guide posts are there so you don’t go astray.”

It always surprises him when he sees people peddling away along traffic-riddled state Route 58 or U.S. Route 20, when they could travel one more mile and be on a serene bike trail. The trails are never too crowded, he said.

Galloway is training for the Vermilion Harbourtown Triatholon, which runs along the trail. He competed last year, finishing in 10th place, and hopes to have a better showing this year.

He already has a leg up on the competition cycling the trail so regularly. In fact, he even knows where cyclists can refuel.

“There are a lot of small stands and farmers markets along the route,” he shared. “There is a pick-your-own cherry place right by Mill Hollow.”

Cyclists can take a break, relax and fuel up for the scenic ride home - definitely a different kind of pit stop than what took place before Back Roads & Beaches connected the dots.

Contact Christina Jolliffe at 329-7155 or ctnews@chroniclet.com.

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