Peebles Mayor Stephanie Harper signed and submitted the application for Peebles to be designated a Trail Town through the Buckeye Trail Association. Front, Hareper; Back, Steve Walker, Nikki Gerber and Debbie Ryan. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)
By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
Peebles has officially submitted its application to become a designated Trail Town through the Buckeye Trail Association, marking a major milestone in a two-year community effort to strengthen local recreation, wellness, and tourism.
The idea was first introduced to Village Council by Nikki Gerber, a member of the Buckeye Trail Association and leader of the Appalachian Foothills Chapter. Since that first presentation, Gerber and a group of community leaders have worked steadily to bring the vision to life.
“I’m super excited to get this done and to have our first Trail Town in our chapter in just two short years, when there are only 22 in the whole state,” Gerber said. “It’s a great accomplishment. I’m really happy that we were all able to come together and work collaboratively to get it done. I’m excited for the future — for the Buckeye Trail, the North Country Trail, and for Adams County.”
Trail Town designation signals that a community has taken steps to welcome hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, providing essential amenities like campsites, water, food and lodging, while also encouraging economic development and healthy living. For long-distance hikers or even those completing a segment of the Buckeye Trail, Trail Towns serve as reliable places to rest and refuel.
Steve Walker, president of the Buckeye Trail Association, emphasized the importance of these communities to hikers who depend on supportive stops along their journey.
“Trail Towns are an amenity that help our thru-hikers and even section hikers,” Walker said. “They know there’s going to be enough amenities — a free campsite, somewhere safe. They don’t have to get permission, just check in. It’s a big advantage if you can have a place to camp.”
Walker added that the Buckeye Trail Association has a strategic goal of reaching 25 designated Trail Towns by the end of this year. “Peebles is going to get us really close to that,” he said. “We’re formulating that campaign, so we’ll keep you posted.”
Peebles Mayor Stephanie Harper is fully behind the effort, seeing Trail Town status as an opportunity for both economic growth and a more active community.
“I think it’s going to be good for our village,” Harper said. “I think it’s going to get a lot of people into the healthy lifestyle and out in our community seeing what nature has for them here. And I think it’ll help our businesses too.”
That theme of health and wellness has been central to the project from the start. Debbie Ryan, who coordinates the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program and is an active member of the Adams County Health and Wellness Coalition, said the Trail Town application aligns perfectly with her mission to promote physical activity and active living.
“I think since the Buckeye Trail goes right down Main Street, we were the perfect first town in the county to be designated a Trail Town,” Ryan said. “It’s going to help the economy. It’s going to promote wellness. I venture to guess that many, many people had no idea that the Buckeye Trail — something that stretches throughout the entire state — comes right through Peebles.”
Ryan credited Gerber’s leadership and longtime involvement in the coalition as instrumental in moving the project forward.
“Nikki has brought so much to the county in terms of highlighting natural beauty and promoting physical activity,” she said. “This really fits in perfectly with the Creating Healthy Communities Grant, and I’m thrilled that the village signed their letter of intent.”
But Trail Towns aren’t just about maps and signage. They’re about creating a destination — a place where people can set up a camp, grab a meal, find a comfortable bed, or explore other outdoor activities like kayaking, biking, or simply walking a quiet trail. For Peebles, it’s an opportunity to showcase what the community already has while preparing for a new wave of outdoor tourism.
Ryan recalled attending a recent council meeting where a resident described hikers as “some of the kindest and nicest people” he’d encountered during his travels across states and counties. “If we can provide a place for them to rest, refill water, and feel welcome,” Ryan said, “that’s a great thing.”
The vision doesn’t stop at the village limits. Supporters believe that Peebles’ Trail Town designation will spark interest in other communities along the Buckeye Trail and help foster a regional identity centered around outdoor recreation, nature preservation, and active living.
“This is just the beginning of what’s going to take place,” Ryan said. “Businesses will see new customers. There will be hikers. There will be people coming in and discovering what we have here.”
For now, the application has been submitted, and the village awaits official designation — but the energy and enthusiasm behind the project have already brought new attention to the role Peebles can play in Ohio’s trail network.
In a state-wide system spanning more than 1,400 miles, Peebles is positioning itself not just as a stop along the way — but as a destination in its own right.
