Fall Hiking Spree

Wilbeth Road north to Summit Lake and back

2.2 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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392 W. Wilbeth Rd., Akron 44301

Hikers will enjoy a roundtrip trek to Summit Lake, which feeds into the Cuyahoga River watershed and is a little-known member of the Portage Lakes. This trail will allow hikers to visit the new Summit Lake Nature Center, a facility made possible through local and national grant funding.

Overlook Trail

0.5 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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354 Sackett Ave., Akron 44313

Everyone can enjoy this flat, paved hike to the best view in town of the Cuyahoga River. The Overlook Deck is a half-mile roundtrip walk from the parking lot and offers a spectacular panoramic vista of an oxbow located 125 feet below.

Quarry Trail

1.4 miles – Rating: 2 (Moderate)
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5779 Riverview Rd., Peninsula 44264

This trail provides glimpses of the Cuyahoga River, Towpath Trail and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, as well as a former stone quarry once owned by a founder of Quaker Oats. Named for what was once the deepest lock on the Ohio & Erie Canal, the park is a noted Important Bird Area (IBA) offering excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

Cherry Lane / Fernwood Loop

1.5 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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1828 Smith Rd., Akron 44313

Cherry Lane Trail is an easy-to-travel loop that connects to Fernwood Loop Trail at a 110-foot-long suspension bridge, taking visitors across a 45-foot-deep ravine.

Willow Trail

1.6 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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2620 Harrington Rd., Akron 44319

This trail loops past Little Turtle Pond, wetlands, the Tuscarawas River and the Tuscarawas Race. *Please note: The Centennial Tour panel location is at a different address in this park. Please visit summitmetroparks100.org for details.

Old Mill Trail

1.4 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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4955 Townsend Rd., Richfield 44286

This trail travels near Furnace Run, one of the Cuyahoga’s healthiest tributaries. Visitors will also enjoy hiking through beech-maple woods and viewing a marker describing the 1929 donation of the surrounding land to the park district.

Alder Trail

1.4 miles - Rating: 1 (Easy)
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550 Frazier Ave., Akron 44305

This trail leads through the woods to Alder Pond, where a newly renovated and accessible boardwalk travels through a cattail marsh. *Please note: The Centennial Tour panel location is at a different address in this park. Please visit summitmetroparks100.org for details.

Gorge Trail

1.8 miles – Rating: 3 (Strenuous)
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1160 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls 44223

Gorge Trail provides access to Old Maid's Kitchen (formerly known as Mary Campbell cave), an easy half-mile walk from the parking lot. The trail quickly becomes more rugged as it passes through stunning rock-ledge formations. The upper section of the trail is considered "primitive," earning a Class D status.

Ledges Trail

1.1 miles – Rating: 2 (Moderate)
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9999 Liberty Rd., Twinsburg 44087

Visitors pass by a unique system of sandstone ledges, into Glacier Cave and to a wetland before traveling back to the trailhead over a long boardwalk. Ferns, mosses and lichens growing close to the rock make up a “living skin.” For the protection of natural resources, please stay on the trail.

Chippewa Trail

2.0 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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5000 Hametown Rd., Norton 44203

Hike Chippewa Trail to see mature trees grown from thousands of seedlings planted decades ago by Girl Scout troops. *Please note: The Centennial Tour panel location is at a different address in this park. Please visit summitmetroparks100.org for details.

Prairie Trail

1.6 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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1400 Portage Line Rd., Springfield Twp. 44312

This easy trail leads visitors through a now-thriving prairie. During early fall, a variety of wild sunflowers, asters and grasses make for a kaleidoscope of color. There are two observation platforms: one to look over Young’s Bog and the other to look out on the manmade “baby bog.”

Downy Loop Trail

1.2 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)
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2121 Barlow Rd., Hudson 44236

Downy Loop Trail travels mostly through beech-maple woods before entering an open meadow, crossing the entrance drive and returning to the parking lot. Boardwalks and several bridges enable hikers to traverse wet areas.

Any Summit Metro Parks Trail

Hike any Summit Metro Parks trail to earn spree credit. We recommend hiking the temporary “Celebration Trail” at the Valley View Area of Cascade Valley Metro Park (1212 Cuyahoga St., Akron) to see what’s developing at the park district’s newest park area. Only one Hiker's Choice trail hike will count.