Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
Popular:
  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Explore Ohio

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

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

Find a park

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.

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.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.