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

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117 parks in 7 regions

Medina Section

Lorain, Medina, Summit, Cuyahoga · Northeast Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
56miles
24 of 26clockwise
4counties

Parks, lakes and rolling hills, from Findley State Park to Cleveland Metroparks.

Passes Findley State Park, Spencer Lake Wildlife Area, Hinckley Reservation and Richfield Heritage Preserve, ending in Cleveland Metroparks near Brecksville.

Highlights

  • Findley State Park
  • Spencer Lake Wildlife Area
  • Hinckley Reservation
  • Richfield Heritage Preserve

Parks on this section

Spencer Lake Wildlife Area
Wetland and lake wildlife area on the route
Open
Hinckley Reservation
Whipp's Ledges and the annual return of the buzzards
Open
Findley State Park
A camping park right on the route
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 Medina Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Findley State Park has a campground under mature pines
  • Check the BTA section map for others

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

Water

Water at Findley State Park and the Metroparks.

Take the stops with you

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

The file holds 8 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

Small towns along the way; Medina and Wellington have the most services.

Food and fuel

Near Spencer Lake Wildlife Area
The Fox Den
Diner and bar under one roof, opens 7 a.m. Closed Mondays
Directions
Dimitri's Corner Restaurant
Open 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, big portions, cheap. Across from the 1885 town hall
Directions
bp
24 hours, south side of Wellington toward the park. Has a Dunkin inside
Directions
Near Hinckley Reservation
Fosters Tavern of Hinckley
Pizza and burgers; open daily
Directions
Buzzard Cove Pizzeria
Pizza with mini golf and ice cream; open daily
Directions
Par Mar Stores
Convenience store on Ridge Road
Directions
Near Findley State Park
The Fox Den
Diner and bar under one roof, opens 7 a.m. Closed Mondays
Directions
Dimitri's Corner Restaurant
Open 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, big portions, cheap. Across from the 1885 town hall
Directions
bp
24 hours, south side of Wellington toward the park. Has a Dunkin inside
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.