Find the top rated bike trails in Avon Lake, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Chippewa Rail Trail runs for 2.4 miles between Chippewa Road (SR 50) in Chippewa Lake to suburban Wycliffe Drive southwest of Medina (Lafayette Township). The trail is mostly rural in feel,...
The bucolic Headwaters Trail is a pleasant 8-mile journey through the rural landscape between Mantua and Garrettsville. The path has a crushed-stone surface and is mostly shaded. It follows the route...
The Brideway Trail is found within the Black River Reservation, a park in Lorain County, where you can walk, jog, inline skate, cross-country ski or bike. The trail runs between Day's Dam in Lorain...
The Chippewa Inlet Trail runs for nearly 4 miles between Lafayette Road/State Route 42 and the Chippewa Nature Area. The trail traverses an open, pastoral landscape along the Chippewa Inlet, which...
The South Chagrin Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a paved route just over 7 miles through its namesake park in northeastern Ohio. From its western end on Richmond Road, the trail follows Hawthorn...
The short North Olmsted Walking & Bike Trail parallels Interstate 480 and provides an alternate, non-motorized route linking neighborhoods with green spaces and business districts.
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The North Coast Inland Trail (NCIT) represents a regional collaboration among park districts across the Buckeye State to connect trails linking Ohio to Indiana and Pennsylvania. Begin this section...
When completed, the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Trail will make a critical connection between Cleveland's downtown neighborhoods and the vast Lake Erie. As of August 2015, the first phase of the...
The Maple Highlands Trail totals more than 20 miles. A majority of the trail follows an abandoned Baltimore & Ohio Railroad corridor through a mostly rural landscape, heavily wooded in places. The...
The Harrison-Dillard Bikeway is a north-south urban path that not only connects the Lake Erie shoreline with the University Circle district, but connects trail users with Cleveland’s cultural past....
Cleveland Metroparks’ Lake to Lake Trail links Lake Isaac and Lake Abram in Middleburg Heights via an asphalt- and boardwalk-surfaced path. The two lakes are the largest remaining glacial wetlands in...
The Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway extends 17 miles along the city's Lake Erie shoreline, between the suburbs of Euclid and Lakewood. The bikeway has on-road sections, and the route is signed. The...
The Bruce G. Rinker Greenway offers a north-south walking and biking route through Mayfield Village, a suburb of Cleveland. The paved pathway connects Mayfield Center Elementary School, the...
Big Creek Reservation All Purpose Trail provides a paved pathway connecting the Mill Stream Run Reservation, Big Creek Reservation, and the Fern Hill Picnic Area. At its southern end, you can connect...
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The North Coast Inland Trail is a series of trails across multiple northern Ohio counties that, as they expand and connect, are emerging as an impressive long-distance trail between Cleveland and...
The Brecksville Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a pleasant paved pathway connecting the community of Brecksville with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, a well-loved 81-mile route from...
For nearly 9 miles, the Mill Stream Run Reservation All Purpose Trail runs through a wooded park in Berea, a western suburb of Cleveland. Though the trail loosely parallels Valley Parkway, you will...
The Ohio to Erie Trail is a colossal project, not just for the state of Ohio but also nationally. Dreamed up more than 25 years ago, this route will eventually connect the Ohio River in Cincinnati to...
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The County Line Trail travels the path of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad between Rittman and Creston. A highlight of the trail is a former Baltimore & Ohio freight station located just west of...
The Olde Muskingum Trail parallels the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canalway between Cherry Street in Canal Fulton and Forty Corners Road just north of Massillon. The 6-mile scenic trail has a...
Euclid Creek Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a paved, scenic excursion in the northeastern Ohio community of Euclid, a suburb of Cleveland. The trail is currently divided into two disconnected...
The Harrison-Dillard Bikeway is a north-south urban path that not only connects the Lake Erie shoreline with the University Circle district, but connects trail users with Cleveland’s cultural past....
When completed, the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Trail will make a critical connection between Cleveland's downtown neighborhoods and the vast Lake Erie. As of August 2015, the first phase of the...
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Northern Ohio's Freedom Trail currently offers more than 7 miles of tree-lined pathway along the former Freedom Secondary Railroad. From Eastwood Avenue in eastern Akron, the paved trail follows a...
The Brecksville Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a pleasant paved pathway connecting the community of Brecksville with the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, a well-loved 81-mile route from...
Though not far from two of Ohio’s largest cities, Cleveland and Akron, the Bike and Hike Trail passes alongside beautiful natural areas, including the 65-foot Brandywine Falls, a stunning cascading...
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The North Coast Inland Trail will one day stretch across northern Ohio from Indiana to Pennsylvania on a network of connecting off-road trails. Today, large sections of the trail, especially from the...
The Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway extends 17 miles along the city's Lake Erie shoreline, between the suburbs of Euclid and Lakewood. The bikeway has on-road sections, and the route is signed. The...
The South Chagrin Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a paved route just over 7 miles through its namesake park in northeastern Ohio. From its western end on Richmond Road, the trail follows Hawthorn...
The Huron River Greenway MetroPark Trail has two separate segments, each just under 1 mile long. The northern (Huron) segment runs from DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve off River Road and heads...
The Lester Rail Trail in Ohio's Medina County runs 3 miles between Abbeyville Road and Lester Road in York Township. The trail passes through bucolic farmland with scattered remnants of prairie, where...
The Garfield Park Reservation All Purpose Trail is located in Garfield Heights, a southeastern suburb of Cleveland. The paved pathway spans nearly four miles through the Garfield Park Reservation,...
The North Coast Inland Trail is a series of trails across multiple northern Ohio counties that, as they expand and connect, are emerging as an impressive long-distance trail between Cleveland and...
The Chippewa Inlet Trail runs for nearly 4 miles between Lafayette Road/State Route 42 and the Chippewa Nature Area. The trail traverses an open, pastoral landscape along the Chippewa Inlet, which...
The Olde Muskingum Trail parallels the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canalway between Cherry Street in Canal Fulton and Forty Corners Road just north of Massillon. The 6-mile scenic trail has a...
South of Cleveland, the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation All Purpose Trail offers an outdoor excursion of just over 7 miles in Cuyahoga Heights. A good place to begin your journey is at the CanalWay...
Big Creek Reservation All Purpose Trail provides a paved pathway connecting the Mill Stream Run Reservation, Big Creek Reservation, and the Fern Hill Picnic Area. At its southern end, you can connect...
The North Coast Inland Trail (NCIT) represents a regional collaboration among park districts across the Buckeye State to connect trails linking Ohio to Indiana and Pennsylvania. Begin this section...
The bucolic Headwaters Trail is a pleasant 8-mile journey through the rural landscape between Mantua and Garrettsville. The path has a crushed-stone surface and is mostly shaded. It follows the route...
The Brideway Trail is found within the Black River Reservation, a park in Lorain County, where you can walk, jog, inline skate, cross-country ski or bike. The trail runs between Day's Dam in Lorain...
The Chippewa Inlet Trail runs for nearly 4 miles between Lafayette Road/State Route 42 and the Chippewa Nature Area. The trail traverses an open, pastoral landscape along the Chippewa Inlet, which...
Though not far from two of Ohio’s largest cities, Cleveland and Akron, the Bike and Hike Trail passes alongside beautiful natural areas, including the 65-foot Brandywine Falls, a stunning cascading...
The short North Olmsted Walking & Bike Trail parallels Interstate 480 and provides an alternate, non-motorized route linking neighborhoods with green spaces and business districts.
The North Coast Inland Trail is a series of trails across multiple northern Ohio counties that, as they expand and connect, are emerging as an impressive long-distance trail between Cleveland and...
The Harrison-Dillard Bikeway is a north-south urban path that not only connects the Lake Erie shoreline with the University Circle district, but connects trail users with Cleveland’s cultural past....
The Steel Mill Trail is a 2-mile continuation of the Bridgeway Trail, which lies within the Black River Reservation, a scenic wooded park in Lorain. The Steel Mill Trail picks up at the north end of...
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is an amazing trail journey that takes users from the heart of this country’s industrial might in cities like Cleveland and Akron, to some of the most beautiful...
The Bruce G. Rinker Greenway offers a north-south walking and biking route through Mayfield Village, a suburb of Cleveland. The paved pathway connects Mayfield Center Elementary School, the...
The Lake Metroparks Greenway Corridor runs for more than 5 miles through Painesville, Painesville Township and Concord Township. The elevation rises a little more than 200 feet from Painesville (north...
For nearly 9 miles, the Mill Stream Run Reservation All Purpose Trail runs through a wooded park in Berea, a western suburb of Cleveland. Though the trail loosely parallels Valley Parkway, you will...
The Garfield Park Reservation All Purpose Trail is located in Garfield Heights, a southeastern suburb of Cleveland. The paved pathway spans nearly four miles through the Garfield Park Reservation,...
The County Line Trail travels the path of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad between Rittman and Creston. A highlight of the trail is a former Baltimore & Ohio freight station located just west of...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The Huron River Greenway MetroPark Trail has two separate segments, each just under 1 mile long. The northern (Huron) segment runs from DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve off River Road and heads...
The Morgana Run Trail runs on a former Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway corridor through Cleveland’s historic Slavic Village neighborhood. The paved rail-trail connects residents to Cleveland...
The North Chagrin Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a 4.2-mile route traversing its namesake park, which lies on the northeastern outskirts of Cleveland. Beginning just south of US 6 (Chardon...
The Rocky River Reservation All Purpose Trail parallels Valley Parkway through several western suburbs of Cleveland, but this is no traditional suburban side path. Instead, the winding trail through...
The North Coast Inland Trail (NCIT) represents a regional collaboration among park districts across the Buckeye State to connect trails linking Ohio to Indiana and Pennsylvania. Begin this section...
South of Cleveland, the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation All Purpose Trail offers an outdoor excursion of just over 7 miles in Cuyahoga Heights. A good place to begin your journey is at the CanalWay...
The South Chagrin Reservation All Purpose Trail offers a paved route just over 7 miles through its namesake park in northeastern Ohio. From its western end on Richmond Road, the trail follows Hawthorn...
My wife and I rode the Maple Highlands Trail from just below Chardon to the southern end at Swine Creek reservation. There are some changes in elevation, most are quite mild, but this trail isn't flat. Use by the Amish has left most of the southern section of this trail littered with horse manure. The two covered bridges across creeks are nice places to stop and take in a the rural countryside views. The trail is poorly marked in the town of Middlefield where you use streets for about half-mile before returning to the paved bike way. (We're familiar with the area and we still needed to use our GPS.) The last section of this trail is on a 2-lane rural road where, despite signs warning drivers of pedestrian use, vehicles whiz by a little too quickly. There's a nice mix of sunny meadows and shaded areas.
I rode 5.97 miles on an out-and-back ride on the Bruce G. Rinker Greenway through the Progressive Insurance Headquarters campus in Mayfield, Ohio. This is a very flat, wide asphalt pathway through a parklike setting.
Beside riding by the numerous Progressive Insurance buildings, you also pass by athletic fields, the Parkview Pool, the Mayfield Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, the Grove Amphitheater, and part of an industrial/commercial park before ending up on the south end of the trail at the First Responders Memorial Trailhead at the Mayfield Village Fire Department. Since there is lots of recreational and business sites along this trail, the trail is busy, so don't expect to post record speeds while riding this trail.
Combine this trail with the All Purpose Trail in the Cleveland Metroparks' North Chagrin Reservation [across SOM Center Road (Rt. 91)] from the Progressive Insurance campus for a much longer ride.
This trail is a real gem. You get to experience a great variety of scenery. The trail surface is paved and in pretty good shape, although there are some areas that could use a repaving. The route combines a rail trail with a city greenway, residential streets, and park trails. My biggest complaint has to do with the crossings of some of the more heavily traveled roads that the trail crosses; mostly in the Stow Loop. [Kent Rd. (Rt.59), Graham Rd., East Steels Corners Rd., Seasons Rd., and W. Aurora Rd. (Rt 82) in Sagamore Hills] Keep you eyes open and be aware of the drivers at these crossings. Twice I had a car stop to allow me to cross and people decided to pass around the stopped car as I was crossing. At one light where I was given a cross signal I had a car stop in the middle of the cross walk in front of me as I crossed. These crossings should be better marked, perhaps with signs with flashing lights at all of them with signage about stopping for all crossing cyclists. Regardless, I ride this trail several times a year because of the scenery.
I took a day to ride all 3 Segments of the Portage Hike & Bike Trail and here are my impressions.
---The Franklin Connector is the shortest and most isolated of the 3 segments of this trail. It does not connect to either of the other two segments, it does however connect to the Bike and Hike Trail of Summit County at Young Road. This segment is very flat and goes through a wetlands area. Looking at a map of the Kent area, it certainly appears that this segment could be extended eastward and connect up with the Towner's Woods Segment of the trail. The asphalt surface of this trail was rough in spots.
---The southern most segment of the Portage Hike and Bike is the Cuyahoga River/Kent State University segment. tThis segment follows the Cuyahoga River from Middlebury Road through Fred Fuller and John Brown Tannery Parks, then there is a short on-road sharrow section on Summit Street and Franklin Ave. to connect to a bike path that goes through downtown Kent, Ohio until you reach the University. You will then ride on the Lester A. Lefton Esplanade through Kent State University until you reach Dix Stadium on the eastern end of Campus. The trail is fairly flat except for the middle of the KSU campus where you have to climb a couple of hills. On the western end you can connect to the Freedom Trail after a short .2 mile bike lane and travel into Akron, Ohio. If you plan on riding the Esplanade through campus, I would suggest riding this segment of the trail during the summer when there are not many students on campus.
---The longest segment of this trail is the Towner's Woods Segment. It sort of connects to the Cuyahoga/KSU segment in Franklin Mills Riveredge Park. However, the path through this park is narrow and can be crowded with pedestrians. In addition there is a stairway where you would have to carry your bike through. This trail runs from downtown Kent through the northern end of Ravenna, Ohio and beyond it is very flat but has a number of street crossings in Ravenna. I have seen long range plans to someday try to extend this trail eastward to Warren, Ohio where it could connect with the Western Reserve Greenway. I have not seen any recent news that this extension is in progress.
If the three sections of this trail could be connected without any barriers, and the Towner's Wood Segment extended to the Western Reserve Greenway in Warren this trail would give county residents trail access to quite a wide portion of Ohio. This would then really be an All-Star Trail.
Took a quick out-and-back ride on the Freedom Trail from the Portage-Summit County Line near Kent, Ohio through the City of Tallmadge and on into Akron, Ohio. The Freedom Trail is a pleasant trail with a few gradual hills. My only complaints are there are quite a few road crossings as this old rail line crosses just south of the traffic circle in Tallmadge, and at this point the western end in Akron does not yet connect to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Heading N/E, first 1/3 mile out of Kent (Crain/Lake/water st intersection) pretty heavily washboarded. Remainder is relatively flat, with easy grades crossing over few roadways. Nice
This section connects to the Bike and Hike Trail which is part of the Summit County, Ohio Metropark System. I started at the eastern end of this trail segment at the Tenney Trailhead. Heading west, the Portage County portion of this trail ends at Spell Road. But the trail continues from there as the Bike and Hike Trail. I rode on the Summit Bike and Hike up to Young Road where in the past I have turned south on Young Road to ride on the Stow Loop of the Bike & Hike. This was a very flat trail that seemed to go through a wetlands area. My one complaint was the asphalt surface was somewhat rough in spots. This was a 4.03 mile round trip.
Maps indicate that if the Franklin Connector was extended further east it could connect to the "main line" portion of the Portage Bike and Hike. Such a connection would connect the cities of Kent and Ravenna to the Summit County Bike and Hike Trail and the Cleveland Metropark All Purpose Trail System.
On Memorial Day Weekend 2019, we road our bikes 50 miles from Massillon (Hampton Inn is just a block away from the trail) north to Northfield and back the next day. We routinely ride 50 plus miles on rail trails and towpath trails. (GAP trail, Erie Canal in NY) I had lots of problems with this trail. I had checked for alerts, and what I had found greatly understated the problem areas.
At Manchester Road, the path was blocked and under reconstruction with no marked detour. We followed others under the equipment, walking our bikes over some gravelly areas (.2 miles or so?) and then lifted our bikes over the fence at the end.
Through Barberton, the trail is lovely but the rolling terrain follows the ups and downs of the hills rather than the level ride of a towpath or train bed.
In downtown Akron, there are confusing signs and roadblocks. We went one way on the way there, and another on the way back, but doable.
After Mustil Store, the trail has been detoured straight uphill for about 1 mile before putting you back on huge gravel chunks for a bit before returning you to the trail. Very frustrating because you can see the rail bed below you proceeding on it's flat and steady route. I wanted to walk on the tracks instead of the detour, but caution got the better of me.
We stopped at R Shea Brewing on Merriman Rd for lunch which was great. The Path signage around there was confusing.
The scenery along the way is lovely with the usual geese, ducks, turtles, etc and wonderful birds around the Beaver Marsh and Summit Lake.
But there are many areas where the trail bed needed some attention. Rocky, rutted, little or no crushed asphalt.
We stayed at a lovely B&B in Northfield, Shady Oaks. But the road to reach it was an evil 1.5 mile hill. I would only recommend it to others if the owners agree to pick you up at the trail. I didn't know to ask!
So, I can see that this is a good trail and I'm glad we did it, but I would tell people that it's just not in that great shape for a long ride right now.
Short Sunday morning jog while traveling in the area. Nicely paved trail. Great for walking, running or biking.
There are actually two trails here, though, eventually they will probably fall under the name of Brecksville Reservation All Purpose Trail. First there is the Valley Parkway Connector Trail.
The Valley Parkway Connector Trail runs from the eastern edge of Mill Stream Run Reservation to the western edge of Brecksville Reservation. The Valley Parkway Connector Trail was the final and key link in connecting the Westside and Eastside Cleveland Metroparks. It truly connected the "Emerald Necklace" around Cleveland, OH and created about 70 miles of continuous off road trail (which includes approximately a 5 mile connection using the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.) This trail parallels the Ohio Turnpike for much of its route. You will pass under the turnpike and over Interstate 77 along the way. For a March Wednesday afternoon ride, the trail was not crowded, but it was moderately trafficked with cyclists and pedestrians. I can imagine that there will be a lot of people using this trail on the weekends particularly as the weather continues to warm up.
The other trail is the Brecksville All Purpose Trail. It is a beautiful tree shaded trail (or at least they will be once the leaves on the trees come out). Traveling east along either the Valley Parkway or Chippewa Creek Drive is easy as you descend into the depths of the Cuyahoga Valley. Heading west along either road presents some challenges with some steep climbs. Such climbs are not unusual in the Cleveland Metroparks but the two routes within the Brecksville Reservation may be among the longest and steepest on All Purpose Trails within the Cleveland Metropark Reservations.
Once you are in the valley if you head east on the trail along Chippewa Creek Drive you can connect to the Station Road Depot and Train Station for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. The Cuyahoga River flows not 50 yards from the station and the tracks. Should you choose to cross the Station Road Bridge you can walk or cycle the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. On the Towpath you can travel north into downtown Cleveland or south to Akron and beyond. The Towpath Trail is part of the Ohio to Erie Trail cross-state route. Again, this is a popular destination and it attracts lots of visitors on the weekends. You might find fewer people on these trails late in the afternoon and evenings during the summer.
While this trail is described as 34 miles, it is a 43 mile ride if you do the entire thing. It is a combination of rail trail, power line right of way, suburban streets and park trails. The street sections were unexpected but ok since there was pretty much zero traffic. You have to keep an eye out for tiny green bike trail signs along the way so as to not miss a turn. I managed to get off route a couple times and needed to use google maps and the PDF map of the trail to figure out where to go. That didn’t bother me since it was a good opportunity to get out of the saddle and drink water. More annoying were the frequent road crossings. Some were extremely busy and required use of a crosswalk button.
All this added up to a nice sense of adventure. I parked at the northern end on Alexandra road and did the lollipop counter clockwise. This worked nicely and I would recommend this trail to friends. Just be aware that this is not a typical rail trail. It requires a bit of navigational skill.
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