Cleveland,  Outdoors

Hiking Near Cleveland

This is my working list of hiking trails near Cleveland.  I’ve tried the hiking areas in the following table.

Hiking AreaDifficultyMiles from DowntownMapNotes
Hinckley Lake Loop (and nearby)Easy
Rocky River Nature CenterEasy
Whipps Ledges at Hinckley ReservationModerate
Holden Arboretum (main trails)Easy
Black River Reservation (Lorain County)Easy
Bridal Veil Falls at Bedford ReservationModerate
Worden's Ledges at Hinkley ReservationEasy/Moderate
Henry Church Rock Trail at South Chagrin ReservationModerate22Comfortable loop along the Chagrin river. Not a challenging trail but quite a few stairs. Lots of paved trails elsewhere in the South Chagrin reservation (Cleveland Metroparks)

The table below contains a list of hiking areas I have heard about, but I haven’t tried them (yet).

Area NameLocationNotes
Virginia Kendall Ledges (Ritchie Ledges?)CVNP
Brandywine FallsCVNP
French Creek Reservation
Lorain County
Tinkers Creek at Bedford Reservation
Lake IsaacMiddleburg Heights
West Creek ReservationParma
Chapin Forest
Blue Hen FallsBoston Mills
Buttermilk FallsBoston Mills
Cascade ParkElyria
Burton WetlandsGeauga CountyFrom Reddit: Not a forest per se, but Burton Wetlands is rarely explored and relatively unknown. It's a designated National Natural Landmark, Burton Wetlands is widely considered to be one of the most ecologically significant areas in Geauga County. This 287-acre parcel is part of a larger 700-acre complex of kettle holes, lower slope seeps and wet flats referred to by The Nature Conservancy as the Cuyahoga Wetlands. The area supports several rare and endangered plants, including the northern rein orchid, cranberry plants, and the carnivorous pitcher plant. Some of the rare animal species are the nesting brown creepers, northern water thrush, spotted turtles, and four-toed salamanders. http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/burtonwetlands
Johnson WoodsMarshallvilleOld growth forest.
Penitentiary GlenKirtland
Girdled Road ReservationLake County
Hell HollowLake CountyGabe Leidy: Outside of a short loop near the parking lot and 250 stairs leading to the valley floor, this 800+-acre preserve is trail-less. However, there are amazing sights to be seen, if you know where to look - most notably an abundance of beautiful waterfalls.
Ansel's Cave at West WoodsHistorical - https://www.theoutbound.com/ohio/hiking/hike-to-ansel-s-cave
Buckeye Trail through CVNP
Towpath Trail through CVNP
Allegheny National ForestPennsylvania
Laurel Highland TrailPennsylvania
Punderson State Park
Oak Openings 16 mi loopToledo
Buckeye Trail 1444 mi loopMuch of Ohio
Mastick Woods
Bacon Woods on the Vermillion River
Gorge MetroparkAkron / Cuyahoga Falls
Furnace RunCVNPFrom NEO Hikes & Bikes: The Furnace Run trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers a great workout with steep, challenging climbs. Bonus: it begins and ends near the unforgettably scenic Everett Covered Bridge.
Lake Erie BluffsPerry / Lake CountyFrom NEO Hikes & Bikes: One of the nicest beaches along Lake Erie is located in Perry, Ohio, at the Lake Erie Bluffs. Maintained by Lake Metroparks, the parks central (and newest) attraction is a 50 foot observation tower that provides a stunning view of Lake Erie and its coast. Access to the beach front is just a short walk from the observation tower, and there are several easy, short hiking trails that run through wooded area located adjacent to the beach.
Liberty ParkTwinsburg / Summit Countyhttps://www.facebook.com/Liberty-Park-188593834509264/
Nelson's LedgesGarrettsville / Portage County12001 Route 282, Nelson Ledge Rd., Nelson Township/ Garrettsville, OH 44231

Resources

Northeast Ohio Hikes and Bikes