Find the top rated walking trails in Rocky River, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_150855_st.jpg)
_162589_st.jpg)
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 Newton Falls Trail, built on a former railroad bed, follows the Mahoning River as it winds its way downtown. The route provides pleasant neighborhood views of the quaint township that was...
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 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 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...
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...
_162589_sc.jpg)
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 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 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....
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 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 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...
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...
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 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 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 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...
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 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 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...
_160095_sc.jpg)
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 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...
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 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...
Less than 20 miles from Cleveland, the Bedford Reservation offers a scenic, natural oasis with many amenities and attractions, including opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and...
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 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 Newton Falls Trail, built on a former railroad bed, follows the Mahoning River as it winds its way downtown. The route provides pleasant neighborhood views of the quaint township that was...
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 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 Heartland Trail is a developing rail-trail project that will one day connect the northeastern Ohio communities of Orrville and Clinton. A mile of the pathway is already on the ground in Orrville,...
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 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 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 Gates Mills Interurban Bridge, known locally as simply The Walking Bridge, offers a pedestrian-only route over the scenic Chagrin River. The steel truss bridge was built in 1899 for the Eastern...
_159217_sc.jpg)
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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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 Gates Mills Interurban Bridge, known locally as simply The Walking Bridge, offers a pedestrian-only route over the scenic Chagrin River. The steel truss bridge was built in 1899 for the Eastern...
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...
_150855_sc.jpg)
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 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...
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 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 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 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 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 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 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...
Hoover Park Connector Trail sits between Applegrove Street to the north and Maple Street to the south in the heart of North Canton, Ohio. The limestone and asphalt trail winds from west 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...
Less than 20 miles from Cleveland, the Bedford Reservation offers a scenic, natural oasis with many amenities and attractions, including opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and...
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....
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,...
We rode two parts of this trail on separate occasions. First, we rode the entirety of Cuyahoga Valley National Park from Lock 39 to Botzum. Second, we rode from Massillon (Ernie's Bike Shop) to the outskirts of Akron.
Cuyahoga Park: If you're trying to decide between your mountain bike or road bike, pick the mountain bike. This trail is mostly dirt / crushed limestone, and it's quite bumpy. There are paved portions, but they're equally bumpy. Plus, if it's busy, you're not going to get up to speed anyways.
The path itself, on a Saturday afternoon, was full of cyclists and joggers. The trail meandered through the park and was quite scenic. It's northern Ohio, so there's very little elevation to tackle. Overall, if you don't mind a leisurely pace, a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Massillion to Akron: Starting from Ernie's Bike shop going North, the trail is pretty beat up. Whatever gravel was there is gone, and there's exposed concrete mixed with gravel. Which, is a rough ride. However, the closer you get to Canal Fulton, the nicer the trail becomes. From that point, North to Akron, our road bikes did just fine on the mix of paved and crushed limestone surfaces.
Outside of the surface in the start of the trail, this was an excellent ride. Great scenery, interesting things to explore off the trail, not too much traffic (on a Saturday afternoon), and the trail was well cared for. Definitely our favorite out of the two portions.
The Hoover Park Connector Trail is a nice trail that combines asphalt and crushed limestone surfaces. It is maintained by the Stark (County) Parks. Basically this trail connects Hoover High School with Walsh University. Along the way it also connects to the Hoover Community Recreation Complex and Middle Branch Trail (and Glen Oak High School) while winding its way through several residential neighborhoods. The trail is fairly flat with a few short steep climbs that can be easily tamed if you stand up out of the saddle.
My one complaint about this trail was that there were a few spots where the trail ended at a street and it was not exactly clear where the trail picked up again. There was always an arrow sign at each of these endings indicating the direction one would need to travel but in each case the path arrow on the sign showed several turns and there was no indication how far it was to pick up the trail again. In this aspect the trail could be improved.
While I would not characterize this trail as a destination trail for people outside of the area, I can see that this trail has great utility to the local residents who can utilize it to travel between popular community facilities.
I rode almost 18 miles on an out-and-back on the Headwaters Trail between Mantua and Garrettsville, Ohio. The Headwaters Trail is so named as it covers some of the area that is considered some of the source of the waters that eventually make up the Cuyahoga River. It is a nice shaded trail that is very flat. This trail is about a 20 minute car ride from where I live and I usually ride it several times a year. The trail impressed me today because it was in the best condition I’ve ever seen it in, especially considering that it is a crushed stone surface. There are a number of interesting sights along the way including a few historical markers that I had not seen before.
If you decide to ride this trail consider riding The Esker Trail which is accessible from the Headwaters Trail west of St. Rte. 44 in Mantua. This short trail runs atop a glacial ridge or esker south of the town of Mantua. This ridge ran between the Cuyahoga River and the a large swamp in Marsh Wetlands State Nature Preserve. This trail was passable but I would not recommend it for a street bike. The nature preserve that this short trail runs in is pretty and there are several observation decks with benches to enable one to take in the scenery. If you have a mountain bike or a bike with wider tires this short diversion would be worth a look.
Currently, the Headwaters Trail is sort of in the middle of no where, but if Portage County would move to extend this trail in both directions it could attract a lot of riders. On this Sunday morning there were a number of cyclists, runners, pedestrians and dog walkers out on what turned out to be a beautiful day.
The Cleveland Metroparks' Euclid Creek Reservation and it's All Purpose Trail consists of two sections. The first section is on the Lake Erie lakefront where Euclid Creek empties into Lake Erie. The second section is further upstream south of Euclid Avenue where the creek drops over 250 feet over the course of the 2.5 mile trail.
The lakefront section of the trail is a circuitous route that will take you around the mouth of Euclid Creek as it empties into Lake Erie. This part of the park is also referred as Wildwood Park, after the Wildwood Marina located in the park. The trail gives you access to this marina as well as Euclid Beach Park, a public beach, located on the site of a defunct longtime local amusement park in the adjacent Lakefront Reservation. There is very little change in elevation here as we are on the shore of Lake Erie. I enjoyed this section of the trail because there is a lot to see. I think I spent more time taking pictures here than I did riding the 2.8 miles I put on the bike while in this section of the park.
The southern section of this park and trail are located further upstream on Euclid Creek south of Euclid Avenue. I rode almost 5.5 miles on an out-and-back ride on this section of the Euclid Creek Reservation All Purpose Trail. I started at the Highland Picnic Area Trailhead just off of Highland Road in Euclid, Ohio. The trail follows Euclid Creek as it runs through the park. Starting at Highland Road you climb almost the entire distance through the park until you reach the end of the trail at East Green Road. The slope is not severe but would prove to be a challenge for young and out of shape riders. The reward for climbing along side Euclid Creek in this direction is the ability to coast the entire way back through the park to where you started. However, you really can’t cut loose on the downhill because of the numerous pedestrians walking the trail.
I would recommend checking out both sections of this trail because of the abundant wildlife and the natural beauty of the surroundings. Will the two sections of the park ever be connected? I don't know, but there are a number of obstacles that would have to be overcome to do so -- numerous active rail lines, an interstate highway, several heavily trafficked roadways and quite a bit of residential and commercial development.
The North Olmsted Walking and Bike Trail runs roughly 2.5 miles along Interstate 480 from Great Northern Boulevard to Stearns Road. The trail is quite flat. It is surrounded by chain link fence on both sides for almost its entire length. The surface is asphalt which shows signs of significant root uplifting in several areas. One of the recurring complaints in the reviews for this trail is a lack of maintenance, particularly regarding weeds growing along the inside of the fencing. I will confirm that it is pretty overgrown in some places.
The trail provides walking and riding access for neighborhood residents to North Olmsted High School, an elementary school, and the district administration building as well as Great Northern Mall. This leads me to believe that perhaps the building of this trail was part of the deal to develop the land that became the mall. Definitely not a destination trail for people outside of the community, but probably useful to local residents.
I rode the All Purpose Trail in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation. This park parallels the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and in fact part of the Towpath runs through the park.
The Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation is a beautiful little park that lies just south of Cleveland’s Industrial Valley. Together with the Cuyahoga River, the northernmost remaining 4.4 miles of watered canal provides wildlife management areas, fishing opportunities and scenic beauty. I find it hard to believe that this beautiful nature preserve can be so close to the heavy industry of steel mills and petroleum tank farms and yet thrive.
TrailLink.com lists the trail length as 7.2 miles but I did not get nearly that milage when I rode just the routes indicated on TrailLink's own map. Perhaps they counted the length of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail through the park as well, but if they did I'm not certain why considering that the Towpath gets its own separate listing on this site.
This is a pretty little park that is a green oasis in the middle of Garfield Heights, Ohio. The loop in the body of the park has one steep climb/descent depending on which direction you decide to ride the loop. Make sure you also ride the Mill Creek Trail out of the park. If you follow this trail along the creek you will be rewarded at the trail’s end by the 48 foot Mill Creek (or Cataract) Falls — the tallest in Cuyahoga County. Whether you walk or ride this trail I think you will like it. However, it is too short for 5 stars in my opinion
I rode about 12.25 miles on a lollipop-shaped loop on the Cleveland Metroparks’ Bedford Reservation All Purpose Trail. I started this ride at the Egbert Picnic Area trailhead near the middle of the trail. I road west toward the Alexander Road Trailhead where you can pick up the Summit County Metroparks Bike & Hike Trail. From the Alexander Road trailhead, I turned around and rode back past the Egbert Picnic Area through the remainder of Bedford Reservation in order to connect to and ride the All Purpose Trail in the South Chagrin Reservation Metropark.
The trail in the Bedford Reservation is a very pleasant mostly tree-covered trail following the main roadway, the Hawthorn Parkway, through the park. It’s a bit hilly, which may pose a problem for young riders, or out-of-shape riders, but not for those that ride on a regular basis. I mention this to TrailLink users as this is not a rail trail with gentle ascents and descents they might be expecting.
No matter whether you start from the southwest or northeast end of this trail you will find yourself climbing. This is because the trail crosses over the ridge that separates the watersheds of the Chagrin River to the east and Tinkers Creek to the west. Of course, once you pass the Harper Ridge Picnic Area near the trail's midpoint then it is downhill the rest of the ride. The climbs are not necessarily difficult, but their are a few short spots where the gradient in all likelihood exceeds 7%. I mention this as many TrailLink users will find that this trail is definitely not a rail trail with gentle climbs.
Much of this trail runs through a thin park green space that surrounds the Hawthorn Parkway which connects the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation with the Bedford Reservation to the west. This connection between Cleveland Metroparks is part of a longer 75 mile route through the Cleveland Metroparks Reservations that surround downtown Cleveland known as the Emerald Necklace. Because this particular trail runs through this thin green space between the two aforementioned parks the more interesting sights found in the South Chagrin Reservation are found in the larger park on the eastern end of the trail, though many if these attractions require hikes off the trail to see them.
Very well maintained paved trail from the trail head at Tannery Park in Kent to the southwestern end near Perkins in Akron. We were pleasantly surprised at the trail.
My wife and I have been avid road cyclists in the past, but with the increase in distracted drivers have opted to stay on well maintained trails (preferably paved).
Have been riding the Portage County Bike and Hike trail, but looking for other opportunities tried this route. Mostly flat with just a few small hills.
As other reviews have stated there are several road crossings that are somewhat annoying but we usually ride early on Saturday and/or Sunday morning, so traffic is light at those times.
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.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_159217_st.jpg)
_160095_st.jpg)
