Tempting Trails
Roll Into Summer with a Bike Ride
By Diane Jenks
Fresh off our stay-at-home orders, but still a long way from jumping back into our normal routines, biking has become a popular outlet for those craving a bit of sunshine and exercise.
Northeast Ohio is beyond fortunate to have some of the most lovely protected bicycle trails anywhere.* There are three in particular that my husband Brian and I ride regularly and I’d like to share them with you.
- For a relatively short, shaded, flat, and extremely well-maintained, paved path, try the Maple Highlands Trail. It runs between Hambden, off of Route 6 at the Mountain Run Station of Geauga County Park District, south to Middlefield, and measures about 12 miles, one way. There is plenty of parking at Mountain Run, too. (The Maple Highlands Trail also runs north for a short way that will eventually expand into Painesville.) There is a great spot at about 8.3 miles to rest, have a snack, and even ride down a gravel path to Headwaters Park, where we often stop to watch people paddle and picnic, then take a photo or two before we head back to the trail and finish up the last few miles into Middlefield before turning around and heading back.
You can download a map of the trail on the Geauga County Park District website.
- Another one of our favorite rides is on the Summit County Bike and Hike Trail. Protected from traffic and also well-maintained, we usually pick it up on Aurora Road, just outside the Bedford Reservation and begin our ride south towards Hudson. You can also start anywhere along the trail, including Brandywine Falls, Peninsula, Boston Heights, Hudson, and on into Stow.
The route is a bit more challenging as you head south from Aurora Road, but the scenery, quiet, shade and beauty of the mostly-secluded landscape are worth the extra pedaling effort.
As you swoop down into Brandywine Falls, you can find lots of folks taking photos of the beautiful landscape or stopping to use the facilities (if they’re open,) including a watering station for your dog if you’re walking the trail instead of riding, unless, of course, you have your dog in a trailer, as well as a pump available for you to top off your bike tires.
This is one of those trails that we ride until we get about half-way to the time and/or distance we want to go, and then turn around. It always seems quicker to get back to our car, too.
- My last choice for a great Northeast Ohio trail is our wildly popular Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. This trail receives over 2.5 million visitors annually who will hike, bike, run and enjoy the many species of wildlife in the area. With the Cuyahoga River on one side and the Erie Canal on the other, you can see egrets, turtles, ducks and many other varieties of birds, fish and reptiles.
This trail is mostly crushed limestone, which doesn’t do your aluminum bike parts a lot of good (so, we recommend rinsing your bike when you get home) But, the 87-mile trail now runs from downtown Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) through Summit County, into Stark County and ends in Tuscarawas County.
We usually start in either downtown Peninsula, where the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad boards, or Boston Mills Visitor’s Station and, depending upon the day and how we are feeling, will ride north toward downtown Cleveland, often stopping for breakfast or lunch at the Yours Truly, right off the path on Rockside or south toward Szalay’s Farm & Market, famous for their fresh corn in season. Check first to see if they’re open.
* EDITOR’S NOTE:
Since the publication of this article, we have received additional information about Lake Metroparks’ Greenway Corridor, compliments of John Venen, Promotions and Advertising Manager at Lake Metroparks.
If you would like to try this trail, the Highlands Maple Trail ends .4 miles south of Girdled Road, where the Greenway Corridor begins in Concord Twp. It then begins again off of Ravenna Road and runs 4.4 miles up through Painesville Township and into Painesville. There is also a trail off of the Greenway Corridor that takes people, on foot, down to Chair Factory Falls.
John Pana from Cleveland.com has posted a video of his ride along the Greenway Corridor: youtube.com/watch?v=tbViWwfFYXc.
