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 golfing. Winding through the 2,200-acre park is the paved Bedford Reservation All Purpose Trail.
On its eastern end, travelers can begin at the parking lot off Hawthorn Parkway, just west of the Richmond Road intersection. From the parking lot, the trail heads west, paralleling the parkway but with enough distance in between for a comfortable ride. On its north side, the pathway is heavily lined with trees; beyond the trees, you'll catch occasional glimpses of Tinkers Creek, a tributary of the Cuyahoga River. Just over a mile from your start, the trail heads under I-480 and, farther on, goes under OH 8.
After crossing Union Street, you'll parallel Egbert Road a short distance before turning onto the path along Gorge Parkway. About a half mile from the turn onto Gorge Parkway, you'll pass Egbert Picnic Area, which offers restrooms in addition to picnic shelters. This final western leg of the trail is lushly wooded; highlights of this section include access to Bridal Veil Falls and the Tinkers Creek Gorge Overlook. The trail ends on Alexander Road, finishing its 7.6-mile journey. For a longer ride, you can cross the road and connect to the 34-mile Bike and Hike Trail.
Several parking lots are available along the route, including at the Egbert Picnic Area, Bridal Veil Falls, Tinkers Creek Gorge Overlook, and at the intersection of Alexander Road and Dunham Road on the western end of the trail.
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.
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