The Red Line Greenway is a new bike trail in Cleveland, Ohio that opened earlier this Spring. My ride on this trail was part of a larger loop ride I took while in downtown Cleveland. The Red Line Greenway runs from Hoopples Sports Bar, which is across the Cuyahoga River from Rivergate Park in the Flats, out to the Michael J. Zone Recreation Center at West 65th Street and Lorain Avenue. The trail parallels Cleveland’s Red Line Rapid Transit light rail corridor that runs from downtown out to Cleveland Hopkins Airport on the city's westside. The greenway utilizes the former right-of-way along the Red Line to break decades-long transportation barriers, such as freeways and rail lines, that have hindered resident access to and from downtown. In addition, the plan is to provide this linear urban trail with areas where families can pull off for recreation, picnicking, and other activities. At present, there is not a lot to see along the trail other than the rail lines, and the destination points at either end -- the Michael J. Zone Recreation Center & Rivergate Park. Riding to the northeast end of the trail provides connections to the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the developing Canal Basin Park. When the planned Irishtown Bend Park project is completed in a few years, there will be even more incentive for people in the Detroit-Shoreway and Ashbury Towers neighborhoods to head downtown. This Cleveland Metroparks trail is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming years.

I’ve been on this new stretch twice now and I thoroughly enjoy it. Although only two miles, it will take you to other trail connections near downtown Cleveland.

What a nice trail with several trails linked to it. Most of the trail is paved. Area is mowed around it. You will share this trail. With other bikers and walkers. It is an easy grade you do have to shift to get over a few bridges. Great place for everyone to enjoy.

Been on most parts of this trail. Lisbon part is great. Tried recently opened
section North Shore Trail In Ashtabula which connects trail to lake Erie by Walnut Beach. Right off trail you enter 4 lane share the road, I road on sidewalk for this part. Then changed to 2 lanes for cars , 2 lanes for bikes. Turns west for short juant thru a park. Then go thru all nieborhoods till you get to Bridge St., after which you must carry bike up very steep, very long cement steps with no handrail to reach Point Park. Then you ride on to Walnut Beach. I did not carry bike up steps , I turned around and started back, did not see Lake Erie. This trail is all on street other than short part thru park. Will not go again.

Cycling this trail (Warren-Ashtabula-Lake Erie & back, 97 miles total) in June 2021, I found no open restrooms, not even port-a-johns! Not in Trumbull County, anyway. I checked the buildings at Garret Wonders Trailhead in Warren, at North River Rd, and at the Sunside Trailhead on Center St in Champion. Nada! All buildings locked. No information about where to find a restroom. So I ended up squatting in the woods. Come on, Trumbull County - you can do better! Sure, we're in a pandemic currently, but people still need to go! And there are hardly any local businesses to fall back on.

At north end of trail, in Ashtabula, the new North Shore Trail (mostly bike lanes) to the lake needs to be much better marked, with a map. It is very easy to miss. And it's not in Google Maps yet.

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.

We enjoyed this trail so much! Going under highway in tunnel was neat surprise! Very well maintained trail!

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.

Bridge should be completed by the end of this month (June 2021) I have been riding every week now to see how they are doing.