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

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

117 parks in 7 regions

Girdled Road Reservation (Lake Metroparks)

Concord Township · Lake County · Northeast Ohio
Managed by Lake Metroparks
—acres
—trail miles
—established

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Lake Metroparks (search this park)
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Girdled Road Reservation, Chardon area (representative point)
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Hunting is not permitted in Lake Metroparks reservations.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The story of this land

Girdled Road Reservation is a Lake Metroparks property on the Buckeye Trail's Burton Section, a few miles south of the trail's northern terminus. Buckeye Trail hikers can camp in a primitive site there at no charge, at Point 10 of the section, if they request a permit at least 48 hours ahead by calling 440-358-7275. A map to the campsite is on the Lake Metroparks website.

The reservation is part of the parkland corridor, including the Lake County Metroparks Greenway, that carries the trail south from Lake Erie.

Things to do in the park

  • Camp at the free primitive site with a permit
  • Hike the Buckeye Trail through the reservation
  • Walk part of the Lake County Metroparks Greenway

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Girdled Road Reservation (Lake Metroparks).

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Headlands Beach State Park and the trail's northern terminus
  • Penitentiary Glen Reservation nearby
  • Chardon and Mentor for food and supplies

Hiking trails

The Buckeye Trail passes through; the Lake County Metroparks Greenway is nearby

Wildlife you might see

  • Woodland birds and deer
  • Streams and wetland
  • Second-growth forest

Fishing

  • Fishing is not a feature here; check Lake Metroparks for nearby lakes. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Hunting is not permitted in Lake Metroparks reservations.

The Free Night Near the Lake

The first days of a Buckeye Trail thru-hike can feel expensive, with towns, roads and few campsites. Girdled Road Reservation is a small gift on that stretch: Lake Metroparks lets hikers camp free in a primitive site, as long as they call two days ahead.

It is one of the first quiet places a hiker heading south from Headlands Beach can lay down a pack.

Behind the legend

The free primitive site, the 48-hour permit rule and the phone number are on the Buckeye Trail Association's Burton Section page. It gives the location as Point 10 of the section. The rest is the mood of the stretch.

If you go

Call Lake Metroparks at least two days ahead for your permit, and plan your first day around Girdled Road.

Historic sites near Girdled Road Reservation (Lake Metroparks)

Forts, villages, furnaces and lighthouses within reach of this park. Tap one for its story and visiting details.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse and Marine Museum

Fairport Harbor · Lake County · Northeast Ohio
A 60-foot sandstone lighthouse and keeper's house museum a mile from the Buckeye Trail's northern terminus.
National Register of Historic Places
About 7 miles from this park · 1825 and 1871

James A. Garfield National Historic Site (Lawnfield)

Mentor · Lake County · Northeast Ohio
The Mentor home of the 20th president, where a candidate spoke from his front porch and a widow built the first presidential library.
National Historic Landmark
About 8 miles from this park · 1876–1881

Historic Kirtland and the Kirtland Temple

Kirtland · Lake County · Northeast Ohio
The village where the Latter Day Saint movement built its first temple, with a story of revelation, dissent and violence.
Headquarters of the early Latter Day Saint movement
About 10 miles from this park · 1831–1838

Century Village Museum, Burton

Burton · Geauga County · Northeast Ohio
A museum village of moved 19th-century buildings on a working farm just off Burton's town square, on the Buckeye Trail.
Western Reserve village
About 15 miles from this park · 1798 to about 1900

Waterfalls near Girdled Road Reservation (Lake Metroparks)

Falls inside or within reach of this park. Stay behind railings and on marked trails; wet rock is slick in every season.

Paine Falls

Leroy Township · Lake County
A 25 foot waterfall on Paine Creek viewed from a rim trail in a quiet Lake Metroparks preserve east of Painesville.
25 ftEasy walk
About 5 miles from this park

Affelder Falls

Russell Township · Geauga County
A 20 foot sandstone cascade on a cold water trout stream in The West Woods, reached by a 1.5 mile trail from the nature center.
20 ftModerate hike
About 13 miles from this park

Buttermilk Falls (North Chagrin Reservation)

Willoughby Hills · Cuyahoga County
An easy, family friendly cascade in North Chagrin Reservation, with a wooded overlook deck that highlights the exposed shale geology.
10 to 15 ftEasy walk
About 14 miles from this park

The Buckeye Trail at Girdled Road Reservation (Lake Metroparks)

Ohio's 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop passes through or beside this park. Tap a section for its route, camping, water and resupply.

1 Burton Section

57 miles · Lake, Geauga, Portage
Free primitive camp for hikers, Point 10
3 parksTrail towns

Campsites

Buckeye Trail hiker primitive site
Free primitive camping for Buckeye Trail hikers; request a permit at least 48 hours ahead by calling 440-358-7275
Free

On site

  • Primitive campsite
  • Trail access
Continue to ReserveOhio →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to ReserveOhio, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "Girdled Road Reservation (Lake Metroparks)" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?440-358-7275

The permit request needs at least 48 hours' notice, so plan ahead. Details and the campsite map are on the Lake Metroparks website.

Restaurants nearby

Mason Social
Big bar-food menu with games; open daily
Directions
Señor Masa
Tacos and quesabirria; closed Sunday and Monday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

GetGo
Open 24 hours
Directions

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