I grew up in this area and remember trying to ride this Rail/trails when it was first abandoned in the 70's.
I am back visiting family and went out riding the southern part that is a loop. I found that I could cross some abandoned tracks off of 2nd and Bailey in Cuyahoga Falls to access the trail in Silver Lake. I was doing fine finding the trail until I was almost back to the Falls and had problems on Springdale Rd. I thought I was going to be on trail or at least bike lanes and there wasn't any markings. I did notice an abandoned tracks off of Springdale Road that from my map are the tracks that crossed in Cuyahoga Falls. I would be nice to see that they get this corridor and have a nice trail from Husdon Drive back to Cuyahoga Falls. Would love to know if that is the future of this trail.

This is my favorite bike trail in Northeast Ohio. The Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley is pleasant but I prefer this quieter less populated bike trail. The Hike and Bike Trail pavement is well maintained by Summit and Portage Counties with only a few occasional bumps. The section in Portage County between Hudson and Spell Road is only a mile and a half in length. The trail offers plenty of wooden benches to stop and break with some of them located in the cool heavily wooded areas. I like to ride the trail from Kent at the Judson Road Trailhead to Tinkers Creek Gorge in the Cleveland Metro Parks (about 40 miles round-trip). The trail is flat with the only inclines coming at road crossings. Most of the road crossings north of SR 303 are very quiet with very little traffic and can usually be crossed without having to stop. The highlight of the portion between SR 303 and Boston Road is the Sharon Conglomerate rock walls of the Boston Ledges that rise along the trail south of Boston Mills. This section of trail is located in the deepest section of woods on the trail. Just north of Boston Mills a bridge crossing over the Ohio Turnpike offers a decent view as the Ohio Turnpike snakes its way through the Cuyahoga Valley. Looking towards the east the Olde Route Eight Bridge steel arches straddle the turnpike.
At Brandywine the trail briefly ends and you have to take the road for about a mile. Traffic on Brandywine Road is light but the inclines on each side of the bridge over IR 271 are steep especially going north. After crossing over the IR 271 and Brandywine Creek bridges take a left into the parking area that lead to the Brandy Wine Falls and the Inn at Brandywine. This is definitely one of the highlights of the trail. The trail picks up again on the left a few tenths of mile after cresting the steep hill and continues through Sagamore Hills. At Sagamore Hills, there is three miles of trail that have power line towers directly over the trail or to the side. This is somewhat of an eyesore but the last half-mile does have some pleasant views of the Cuyahoga Valley. The section of trail maintained by Summit County ends at the Alexander Road parking area and The Cleveland Metro Parks Bedford Reservation begins once you cross Alexander Road. The metro parks are not flat like the hike and bike trail but most of the hills have only a moderate incline. Take the Gorge Parkway about two and half miles to the Tinkers Creek Gorge Overlook. There is an observation deck to view this outstanding natural landmark.
The bike ride back to the south offers a challenging climb, a choice of trail routes south of the SR 8 bike bridge and a couple of crossings with moderate traffic volume. There is a steep incline as you bike south past the SR 303 trailhead that is a strenuous 5% grade and is followed quickly by another smaller climb over the arch on the bridge over SR 8. The trail does a “Y” split after crossing over this bridge and you have a choice to go south to Cuyahoga Falls or south/southeast through the remainder of Summit County and into Portage County towards the Judson Rd Trailhead. I prefer to take the split to the left towards Portage County because it offers a quiet ride through several wetlands, peaceful farmland and tree lined trails. You will notice a difference in the volume of traffic at the crossings south of SR 303 at Norton and Stow Rd if you catch them during the afternoon rush hour. The split to the right takes you parallel along SR 8 to the Steels Corners Rd parking area and offers very little to look at; a right-of-way fence with businesses on one side and the highway on the other side. You’ll have to wait for the traffic crossing signal to change in your favor to cross Steels Corners Rd and Graham Rd. I've been told the trail improves on the other side of Graham Rd but I've never taken that far because I don't like waiting at busy intersections and I bike to get away from traffic and the city life.

I have ridden this complete loop 2 different times in the last month. Both times I most enjoyed the segment near Munroe Falls heading towards Stow. This segment is very hilly and really makes you work your legs. It does have some sharp, blind corners, however, it is a great cardio workout.

The markings by the section near Stow-Munroe Falls High School have been improved. After coming out of the residential section, there is a sign that directs you to the right to a stop light and then back in front of the high school. That used to confuse me because I was never sure which way to turn or go at that point. When you get to Stow-Munroe Falls High School, be sure to get up onto the sidewalk at the exit of the school or you have to take your bike up and over the curb to continue on the trail.

The Brandywine Road segment can be intimidating if there is a lot of traffic because you are riding on the road and it is a steep descent going north and an intense climb coming back south. Watch for traffic and hold your ground or you may not make it back up the hill without a great deal of effort.

The hill right around the Route 8 bridge is steep. It comes up on you rather quickly and if you are unfamiliar with its location, you can have a difficult time ascending or descending.

The ride through the residential areas is terrific. I haven't had an issue with dogs or a lot of traffic. The segment between Route 271 and Alexander Road is very pretty also. I was somewhat surprised the first time I rode this trail that I was riding underneath of powerlines, but once you get used to it, it isn't that bad.

The loop section of this trail is about 22 miles, so if you don't want to deal with Brandywine Road, just make the complete loop and it is a nice workout.