The rich Ohio landscape offers many views that are unique to our state. Breathtaking sunsets overlook meandering streams that cut and carve our wooded landscape, waterfalls cascade over glacially-constructed rock walls, and our trees are speckled with a variety of foliage that is unrivaled in diversity and color. But did you know that you can easily explore such places in the Greater Cleveland Area? In fact, you can easily enjoy some of the best hiking trails near Cleveland.

Truth is, the area in and around Cleveland is full of ecological wonders, and many can be reached via fairly short hiking trails that can be traversed in mere hours. Here are nine of the best hikes in Cleveland that are also among the best hikes in Ohio.

1. Wake Robin Trail Boardwalk (5185 Corduroy Road, Mentor Marsh)
Wakerobin Boardwalk Trail, 16-D-111-Y-00-022, 0, Mentor, OH 44060, USA
Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons
As one of the largest natural wetlands in the Cleveland area, Mentor Marsh has an impressionable quantity of reed grass. From the this scenic boardwalk, which is one of the most inviting kid-friendly hikes around Ohio, its movement seems to create a sea of lush greenery that one cannot help but admire with awe. This is one of the most beautiful hikes near Cleveland.
2. Ledge Trail (4361 Spruce Avenue, Princess Ledges Nature Preserve)
Princess Ledges Nature Preserve, 4361 Spruce Ave, Brunswick, OH 44212, USA
Nikki Rhoades/Wordpress
Just a stone’s throw from the bustling streets of Brunswick are imposing sandstone walls. These cliffs once formed the ancient shoreline of Lake Erie, but today are graced with warblers and wildflowers. If only all Cleveland hiking trails looked this beautiful!
3. Cattail Trail (11620 Ravenna Road, Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve)
Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve, 11620 Ravenna Rd, Chardon, OH 44024, USA
Andrew Cannizzaro/Wikimedia Commons
Though Cattail Trail is a mere mile long, one could easily spend hours transfixed by the views of the 30-acre Best Lake. The scenic location makes the perfect natural habitat for a wide variety of waterfowl, so this is an ideal location to finally try your hand at nature photography.
4. Whipps Ledges (Hinckley Lake Loop Trail, Hinckley Reservation)
Hinckley Lake Boathouse & Store, 1 Metropolitan Park W, Hinckley, OH 44233, USA
Analogue Kid/Wikimedia Commons
As part of the Cleveland Metroparks, the entire campus of Hinckley Reservation is expectedly overflowing with spectacular scenery. It features a picturesque lake that is perfect for kayaking, bird-watching locations including the scenic Buzzard's Landing, and imposing stone walls that were shaped by glaciers during the Pleistocene ice age. All told, the hike is one of the most scenic hikes in Ohio.

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5. Strawberry Pond Trail (3037 Som Center Road, North Chagrin Reservation)
3037 Som Center Rd, Willoughby Hills, OH 44094, USA
Yu-Hong Yen/Wikimedia Commons
Located in the heart of the Buttermilk Falls Nature Preserve is a stunning wooded path whose crown jewel is a glimmering lake. Once upon a time, this hidden lake was used as an ice skating site. Today, it serves to bring families closer to aquatic life via fishing platforms that extend over this picturesque pond. Just a stone’s throw away are the sites of Squire’s Castle and Buttermilk Falls, both of which make this location feel like a fairytale.
6. Lake to Lake Trail (4101 Fulton Parkway, Big Creek Reservation)
Big Creek Reservation, 4101 Fulton Pkwy, Cleveland, OH 44144, USA
James Bezak/AllTrails
Along this 2.4 mile path, visitors are treated to a view of aquatic plant life that stretches across 175 acres of glacial wetlands. A boardwalk stretches over part of the marsh, offering visitors a chance to gaze at the habitat that offers a critical home to both migratory and native birds.
7. Buckeye Trail (9000 Chippewa Creek Drive, Brecksville Reservation)
Chippewa Creek Drive, Chippewa Creek Dr, Brecksville, OH 44141, USA
Tim Kiser/Wikimedia Commons
Three miles of this celebrated scenic hike in the Cleveland Metroparks runs parallel to Chippewa Creek. Along this mildly strenuous hike inside of Brecksville Reservation, be sure to stop for water breaks at Deer Lick Cave, Deer Lick Cave Falls, and My Mountain Overlook.
8. Fort Hill Loop Trail (2400 Valley Parkway, Rocky River Reservation)
Fort Hill Loop Trail, North Olmsted, OH 44070, USA
Chris Light/Wikimedia Commons
This Fort Hill Loop Trail traverses 1.3 miles of the Rocky River Reservation. Though the hike is fairly strenuous due to narrow, uneven trails, adventurous hikers are rewarded to a view of of the Rocky River from an elevated point at the top of Fort Hill. The site, which is one of the best hikes in Ohio, also features 155 steps leading to earthen walls believed to be created by the Early Woodland Indians 2,000 years ago.
9. Wetland and Pine Forest Loop (6100 Ridge Road, Alderfer/Oenslager Wildlife Sanctuary)
6100 Ridge Rd, Cleveland, OH 44129, USA
Nancy H./AllTrails
This wildlife sanctuary at the Alderfer/Oenslager Wildlife Sanctuary consists of 103 secluded acres. A golden prairie, rich, blue wetlands, and vivid butterfly gardens are among the habitats represented in this sprawling landscape. In this stunning location, a boardwalk stretches out over the wetland to bring spectators closer to the waterfowl. However, as it is a wildlife sanctuary, pets are prohibited in this park.

Though Cleveland is widely known for its extensive urban jungle of architecture, its verdant forests and undulating hills make it an ecological gem that nature lovers can easily explore. What is your favorite Cleveland hiking trail? Share your photos and experiences with us!

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Best hikes in Cleveland

Lysa Allman-Baldwin | July 07, 2022

Where can I find waterfall hikes in Ohio?

One of the most popular waterfall hikes in Ohio is also the tallest – Brandywine Falls. Located at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the falls cascade down about 65 feet and offer spectacular scenery around it all year-round, but particularly in the fall when the leaves are changing. The hike to the falls is moderate, spanning about 1.75 miles. But you can also take a series of boardwalks to get to it as well.

Where can I find hiking trails near me in Ohio?

Of course, it depends upon your starting location, but there are so many wonderful trails throughout the state you’ll have several from which to choose. The Badlands Trail in the Miami Whitewater Forest is close for those who live in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. If coming from the Columbus area, the Sycamore Plains Trail is popular with hikers of all physical ability levels.

I’m looking for a kid-friendly hike near Cleveland.

One of the most kid-friendly hiking trails in Cleveland is the Stearns Trail at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center. It’s only a mile long, meandering throughout the 20-acre property. While here, the kids will have fun tromping through the beautiful gardens and searching for the various birds and other wildlife that call the area home.

What is a good place to visit for a day trip in Ohio?

You might remember the advertising slogan, “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good.” That is in reference to the J.M. Smucker Company Store and Café in the town of Orville. The attraction is popular with folks from all over the state. You’ll be absolutely amazed at all the different varieties of jellies and jams created here, as well as the other products that you might not have known were part of the J.M. Smucker Company brand.

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