Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
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Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

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117 parks in 7 regions

Akron Section

Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark · Northeast Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
57miles
25 of 26clockwise
3counties

Forests, canal towpath and parklands, including about 37 miles in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Follows the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Summit Lake, then Stark Parks paths to the Crystal Springs Trailhead.

Cushioned road or hybrid footwear works better than heavy boots on the flat towpath.

Highlights

  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Brecksville Reservation
  • Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath
  • Summit Lake

Parks on this section

Sand Run Metro Park
The Buckeye Trail runs through this Summit Metro Parks ravine park
Open
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The national park has no backpacking camping; use Brecksville's backcountry sites
Open
Brecksville Reservation
Ottawa Overlook Backcountry Sites are a quarter-mile off the trail
Open

Historic sites near this section

Hale Farm & Village
A living-history farm in the Cuyahoga Valley
Open
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
A 65-room Tudor Revival mansion built by a Goodyear co-founder
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official Akron Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Ottawa Overlook Backcountry Sites (Brecksville Reservation, Cleveland Metroparks): three tent sites about a quarter-mile from Ottawa Point Picnic Area, by permit
  • Summit Metro Parks: advance primitive camping permit required
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park itself has no backpacking camping

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Water

Clean tap water at developed city parks and trailhead hubs; seasonal water near the Ottawa Overlook sites (Memorial Day to September).

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

Google Maps: stops 1 to 5

The file holds 5 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Easy: the route crosses neighborhoods and canal towns with stores.

Food and fuel

Near Sand Run Metro Park
Harbor Lighthouse Grille
Right on the water, open daily until 11. The pickle bombs have a following
Directions
Dano's Lakeside Pub
Tucked in a neighborhood; you can dock a boat right in front
Directions
Circle K
24 hours on Manchester Road, the main route into the park area
Directions
Near Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Winking Lizard Peninsula
The standard post-hike stop; big beer list, right in the village
Directions
Fishers
Pub with a patio; the eggplant fries have a local following
Directions
Costco Gas (Boston Heights)
Off Route 8 at the park's north end. Membership required, but cheapest around
Directions
Near Brecksville Reservation
Brick & Vine Restaurant
Fully gluten-free gastropub; closed Monday
Directions
Flour | Valor Acres
Pasta and pizza; closed Sunday
Directions
Shell
Newer station off the freeway, open 24 hours
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.