ICON

NAME

CLASS

RATING

TRAIL DESCRIPTION

SPREE

Buckeye

-

-

3

This statewide trail circles from the Ohio River (near Cincinnati) to Lake Erie (near Mentor), west to Toledo and then back to the Ohio River. Here in Summit County, the trail passes through Deep Lock Quarry, O'Neil Woods, Sand Run and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. "Follow the blue blazes" for the Buckeye Trail.

Dogwood

1.8

C

3

Twenty-three species of trees are labeled along the wooded and challenging Dogwood Trail.

Jogging

6.0

BC

2

The Parkway Jogging Trail is the most popular in the park district, averaging more than 1,000 users a day, year-round. At the start of the trail, from the Old Portage Area, a one-mile (round trip) section earns Class B status and is good for users with wheelchairs, walkers, canes and strollers.

Mingo

3.3

CD

3

The wooded Mingo Trail harbors a variety of wildlife and oak, beech and tulip trees. West of Shady Hollow Pavilion, the trail becomes quite rugged, earning Class D status.

Parcours

1.4

C

3

For a good workout, try this challenging hiking trail with numbered exercise stations.

Valley Link

2.8

C

2

The Valley Link Trail connects to the Schumacher Valley Area of Cascade Valley / North.

Class  A=Multipurpose  B=Accessible*  C=Basic  D=Primitive  E=Bridle
Rating  1=Easy  2=Moderate  3=Difficult

*Flat, easy trail or section with asphalt or crushed limestone surface that meets or exceeds ADA requirements.
See Spree For All for more information about accessible trails. Click for OPDMD trails

The 994-acre Sand Run Metro Park opened in 1929, but the area has been welcoming visitors for centuries. The land surrounding Mingo Pavilion was a campsite for Mingo Indians. Portage Path was once an important Native American trail between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers; later, it was the western boundary of the United States. A high ridge above the Wadsworth Area was a lookout point for General Elijah Wadsworth, who made his camp near the present-day Old Portage Area during the War of 1812.

In the 1930s, Sand Run Parkway and many of the surrounding shelters and structures were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1974, the park district's Administrative Offices were moved here from Goodyear Heights Metro Park.

Today, visitors can drive through the ford crossing where Sand Run meanders across Sand Run Parkway. In the cool, shady ravines of Sand Run and its tributary streams, hemlocks, ferns, skunk cabbage and large colonies of horsetails grow. Each spring, large-flowered trilliums and other seasonal blooms appear, including bishop's cap, foam flower, bloodroot and pale violet.

The towering forest is home to red, gray, black and fox squirrels; screech, barred and great horned owls; and pileated woodpeckers. Red-tailed hawks roost in the treetops when they are not soaring over the ridges. Many rare species inhabit the park, including sharp-shinned hawks, butternut trees, and native orchids.

Near the intersection of Sand Run Parkway and Merriman Road is a small wetland that has become a highly productive amphibian breeding area. Every spring, the parkway is closed on nights when spotted salamanders migrate to this area for mating. The phenomenon has become a popular attraction for robust nature enthusiasts who often stand in the rain to witness hundreds of salamanders crossing the road. Other amphibians that breed in this area include spring peepers, wood frogs, American toads and green frogs.

Sand Run Metro Park features a soccer field, hiking and jogging trails, and areas for sledding, cross-country skiing and ice skating. Two pavilions and one open-air shelter can be reserved. The small Old Portage Shelter is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The park district's administrative offices are located in Sand Run. For information, call 330-867-5511, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.