Hiking Near Cleveland
This is my working list of hiking trails near Cleveland. I’ve tried the hiking areas in the following table.
| Hiking Area | Difficulty | Miles from Downtown | Map | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinckley Lake Loop (and nearby) | Easy | |||
| Rocky River Nature Center | Easy | |||
| Whipps Ledges at Hinckley Reservation | Moderate | |||
| Holden Arboretum (main trails) | Easy | |||
| Black River Reservation (Lorain County) | Easy | |||
| Bridal Veil Falls at Bedford Reservation | Moderate | |||
| Worden's Ledges at Hinkley Reservation | Easy/Moderate | |||
| Henry Church Rock Trail at South Chagrin Reservation | Moderate | 22 | Comfortable 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 Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Kendall Ledges (Ritchie Ledges?) | CVNP | |
| Brandywine Falls | CVNP | |
| French Creek Reservation | Lorain County | |
| Tinkers Creek at Bedford Reservation | ||
| Lake Isaac | Middleburg Heights | |
| West Creek Reservation | Parma | |
| Chapin Forest | ||
| Blue Hen Falls | Boston Mills | |
| Buttermilk Falls | Boston Mills | |
| Cascade Park | Elyria | |
| Burton Wetlands | Geauga County | From 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 Woods | Marshallville | Old growth forest. |
| Penitentiary Glen | Kirtland | |
| Girdled Road Reservation | Lake County | |
| Hell Hollow | Lake County | Gabe 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 Woods | Historical - https://www.theoutbound.com/ohio/hiking/hike-to-ansel-s-cave | |
| Buckeye Trail through CVNP | ||
| Towpath Trail through CVNP | ||
| Allegheny National Forest | Pennsylvania | |
| Laurel Highland Trail | Pennsylvania | |
| Punderson State Park | ||
| Oak Openings 16 mi loop | Toledo | |
| Buckeye Trail 1444 mi loop | Much of Ohio | |
| Mastick Woods | ||
| Bacon Woods on the Vermillion River | ||
| Gorge Metropark | Akron / Cuyahoga Falls | |
| Furnace Run | CVNP | From 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 Bluffs | Perry / Lake County | From 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 Park | Twinsburg / Summit County | https://www.facebook.com/Liberty-Park-188593834509264/ |
| Nelson's Ledges | Garrettsville / Portage County | 12001 Route 282, Nelson Ledge Rd., Nelson Township/ Garrettsville, OH 44231 |
