Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Rocky River, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Portage Hike and Bike Trail stretches nearly 10 miles between Kent and Ravenna, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland and the southern shores of Lake Erie. As of December 2015, its entire length...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
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...
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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 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 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 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 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...
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 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 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 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 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 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....
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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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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 Portage Hike and Bike Trail stretches nearly 10 miles between Kent and Ravenna, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland and the southern shores of Lake Erie. As of December 2015, its entire length...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
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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 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 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 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...
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Portage Hike and Bike Trail stretches nearly 10 miles between Kent and Ravenna, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland and the southern shores of Lake Erie. As of December 2015, its entire length...
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 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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
Following a portion of the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad corridor, the Sippo Valley Trail spans 10 miles between Dalton and Massillon in northwestern Ohio, presenting a mix of rolling farmland,...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
Total distance is 10 miles. New mile markers every 1/2 mile. It ends at Lake Erie. The new section is 4 miles and has a combination of wooded, parks, street and city. It is definitely not boring.
I rode this trail on an exceptionally warm December day back in 2019 long before it was listed here on the TrailLink.com website. As stated in this website's trail description, this trail is at present, the most prominent piece of the planned 25 mile West Creek Greenway trail loop which will connect the Cleveland Metroparks West Creek Reservation in Parma and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the communities of Valley View, Independence, Seven Hills, Brooklyn Heights, and Cuyahoga Heights.
I parked and started at the Cleveland Clinic Business Operations Center off of Brecksville Road in Independence, Ohio. From here I headed east and downhill toward the Towpath Trail in Valley View. Unlike the trail description listed by TrailLink, I would not characterize the trail as running slightly downhill. You will drop 227 feet in elevation over the course of the first 1.5 miles, with 204 feet of that in a single half mile stretch. I mention this for two reasons. First, while many will find this type of drop exhilarating, it is unlikely that you will be able to completely cut loose as you will probably encounter quite a few pedestrians out using the trail just as I did. Secondly, since the West Creek Greenway loop is far from being completed, returning to your starting point will require that you climb back up out of the Cuyahoga Valley where the grade will reach 11% at points. Thus, in my opinion the trail is not for novice, or out-of-shape cyclists, or for young children on bikes.
When you head east out of Cleveland Clinic Business Operations parking lot, you enter wooded terrain that follows Hemlock Creek as it descends toward the Cuyahoga River. The trail surface is predominantly asphalt with concrete on many of the bridge surfaces. Since the trail opened in September 2019, the surface was smooth as glass when I rode in December of that year. The trail passes through the remnants of the millionaire William H. Hunt's estate, Terraced Lakes, which was created out of a historic mining landscape that created the foundation stones for many of Cleveland's first buildings. On your way you will cross over five bridges including a 200 foot span over the Cuyahoga before you reach the Towpath Trail at the eastern end of the trail. On the western end, the trail continues past the Cleveland Clinic Business Center and crosses over Brecksville Road, where it runs along Selig Boulevard passing Independence City Hall and then ends in Elmwood Park. In the future, this western end of the Hemlock Creek Trail will connect further westward toward the Seven Hills Recreation Center as some part of the West Creek Greenway.
This is a beautiful trail, and a great start to the larger West Creek Greenway. It's worthy of at least 4 stars but the climb out of the Cuyahoga Valley isn't a friendly one for everyone. Perhaps as this trail connects to future links in the West Creek Greenway then my rating of 3 stars will need to be re-evaluated.
We have rode this trail on our bikes from start to finish multiple times this year and love it! Great path with great scenery! Plenty of parking on either end.
May 10 2021. My ride started at the Greenway Corridor on Girdled Rd. Went down 18.6 miles to downtown Middlefield and back. I cannot speak for anything south of Kinsman Rd/ SR 87. This entire stretch is well paved the entire way. If you're planning your trip via Google Maps, take comfort in knowing the section cutting through Chardon is fully complete. There is no road riding required detours from Girdled to Kinsman. About 2 miles in, the trail runs next SR 44 and it isn't great here. It's a rather long steep climb in the wind and sun with not much pleasant to look at with traffic going by. Don't let that discourage you though. Think of the ride back and how much easier it will be on the return. Stop at any of the many benches for a breather if need be. Get past this hill, and back into the wooded area, and you're rewarded with shade and a decline to get your groove back. This one section you will not like upon your return, but it's not going to ruin your day. From here on, it's smooth sailing and mostly flat for most of the trail. A natural setting for a minute until you get closer to downtown Chardon. A couple road crossings in downtown may be busy depending on the time of day. Some crosswalks have lights. If you need last minute supplies of any kind, get them here before you get past the baseball field. Of which does have working water fountains and restrooms. There's fast food, small stores, and taverns if need be. Last you will see for a while. Once past the city, it's the heart of the trail. Good long stretches of scenery, wilderness, and some covered bridges. Some interesting parks like Claridon Woodlands, and Headwaters Park along the route. Still plenty of benches along the entire way for pitstops. Not many sources of water that I saw, but enough restrooms or port-a-pots. South of Headwaters park, you may end up sharing the trail with horse and buggies. Mind trail etiquette and right of ways. Watch out for road apples. Arrive in downtown Middlefield and back into civilization, taverns, & stores. This trail is a gem. What's great is it's length and long, (mostly flat) stretches of quiet nature. I drove about an hour to visit this trail, and It's worth it. This was on a Monday afternoon in May. 55 degrees, partly cloudy. Not much foot traffic. At some points miles between seeing anyone at all.
I really love doing this trail with my road bike, although it is quite hilly and a bit of work if that's what you're looking for! It is nicely paved and roomy for biking. It's hilly regardless of which end you start at (in other words it's not just one incline). I prefer to start at the Richmond Road end because I find that direction a little more difficult (then loop around and head back). Although if you start at the other end you can get the REALLY big hill out of the way first and enjoy coasting down it when you're done.
Anyway, great exercise trail - not one that I would bike if I were looking for a "stroll" so to speak.
This is an awesome scenic ride (very flat), but very short. It is fantastic for scenic exercise (went back and forth a few times)
Dedicated trail now goes through Chardon. Looks like it opened very recently. A great addition to an all-around terrific trail. Among the best ib NE Ohio.
Very nice trail. 15 miles round trip. We started in Garrettsville and rode toward Mantua. Beautiful, especially in the fall with all the leaves falling. The trail is primarily flat; however, there is the slightest uphill grade going toward Mantua. Parking easy to find and both towns at each end of trail are very quaint. I would definitely recommend this trail to all levels of bike riders, along with families with small kids.
Great trail. We broke this trail up into three sections. Did the south section a few years ago. Completed the central section in September. We parked at Headwaters Park to start. Along this section of the trail is a nice little rope course along with a small walking trail around a pond. There is a building with very nice bathrooms accessible. There are a few hills, but nothing extreme. We completed the north section in October. This section has the potential to continue on through a busy town but at the time we rode, part of the trail was still under construction. This portion of the trail does have some larger hills. The entire trail is very well maintained and travels through some beautiful areas.
I went on a hike with my dog. We saw beautiful wildlife and the vibe there was quite serene!
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