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.
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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

North Chagrin Reservation

Mayfield & Willoughby Hills · Cuyahoga & Lake Counties · Northeast Ohio
Managed by Cleveland Metroparks
2,112acres
—trail miles
1925established

Visiting information you can trust

Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Cleveland Metroparks (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
North Chagrin Nature Center, 401 Buttermilk Falls Pkwy, Willoughby
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits
Hunting is not permitted in Cleveland 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

North Chagrin Reservation is one of the original parks of Cleveland's Emerald Necklace, on the upper Chagrin River valley. The land was assembled after the Metropolitan Park Board formed in 1917, with the support of neighboring estate owners led by Amasa Mather. The biggest single tract, bought in 1925, came from the former holdings of Feargus B. Squire, a Standard Oil executive, and by 1930 the reservation had nearly 1,200 acres. It reached 2,112 acres by 2006.

Squire had bought 525 acres in the 1890s to build an English or German-style baronial estate. Only the gatehouse was ever built, a small castle of Euclid bluestone that locals started calling Squire's Castle after the park board bought the land. The Buckeye Trail runs through the reservation, and the Williams Woods Backcountry Sites are about half a mile off the trail from the Forest Picnic Area.

Things to do in the park

  • Backpack to the Williams Woods Backcountry Sites
  • Hike to Squire's Castle and the falls
  • Visit the nature center and its bird feeders
  • Walk paved and unpaved trails; combine loops of about 9 miles
  • Hike the Buckeye Trail through the reservation

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for North Chagrin Reservation.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • Penitentiary Glen and Lake Metroparks to the north
  • The historic downtown of Willoughby
  • Headlands Beach State Park, the Buckeye Trail's northern end
  • Brecksville Reservation and Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the south

Hiking trails

Hiking trails to Squire's Castle, Buttermilk Falls and the overlook, plus the Buckeye Trail; the Williams Woods sites are about half a mile from the Forest Picnic Area.

Wildlife you might see

  • Owls and a busy bird-feeder window at the nature center
  • Turtles in the ponds
  • Hemlock and hardwood forest along the Chagrin River

Fishing

  • Fishing is allowed in some reservation ponds; check Cleveland Metroparks. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Hunting is not permitted in Cleveland Metroparks reservations.

The Castle Nobody Lived In

In the 1890s, a wealthy Standard Oil executive named Feargus Squire fell in love with the Chagrin Valley and bought 525 acres of it. He planned an estate with two grand baronial halls, and he began with the gatehouse: a little turreted castle of Euclid bluestone at the gate. The road, ponds, bridges and groves went in. The main house never did.

The reason, the story goes, is that his wife, Rebecca Squire, hated the idea of country living. Squire built a huge home in Wickliffe instead and sold the valley in 1922. The empty gatehouse sat abandoned, and by the time the park board bought the land, locals were already calling it Squire's Castle. Today the castle is a favorite subject of local ghost stories.

Behind the legend

The history is documented by Cleveland Historical and the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: Squire, his 525 acres, the never-built mansion, the 1922 sale and the 1925 purchase that started the reservation. That Rebecca Squire disliked country life is the traditional reason the mansion was never finished, and Cleveland Historical repeats it. The ghost stories are folklore and are not documented; what is on record is a stone shell, vandalized over the years and used today as a picnic shelter.

Renovations in 1995 coated the ground floor with wax to deter vandalism.

If you go

Walk from the nature center to Squire's Castle and picnic in the shelter, then continue on the Buckeye Trail toward the Williams Woods sites.

Historic sites near North Chagrin Reservation

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

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 5 miles from this park · 1831–1838

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 12 miles from this park · 1876–1881

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 15 miles from this park · 1825 and 1871

Waterfalls near North Chagrin Reservation

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

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
Inside this park

Chagrin Falls

Chagrin Falls · Cuyahoga County
A wide river waterfall in the heart of downtown Chagrin Falls, viewable from a bridge and streamside park just steps from Main Street shops.
20 ftEasy walkAccessible overlook
About 9 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 11 miles from this park

Great Falls of Tinkers Creek

Bedford · Cuyahoga County
A wide sandstone ledge waterfall in Viaduct Park, set among the ruins of old mills, a dam, and a 19th century railroad arch.
15 to 20 ftModerate hike
About 13 miles from this park

Bridal Veil Falls

Walton Hills · Cuyahoga County
A short, family friendly boardwalk walk to a tiered cascade in Bedford Reservation, one of the most photographed waterfalls near Cleveland.
20 ftEasy walk
About 14 miles from this park

Brandywine Falls

Sagamore Hills · Summit County
The tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached by an easy boardwalk with a wheelchair accessible upper overlook.
60 to 65 ftEasy walkAccessible overlook
About 20 miles from this park

The Buckeye Trail at North Chagrin Reservation

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

26 Bedford Section

66 miles · Cuyahoga, Lake
Squire's Castle and the Williams Woods backcountry sites
5 parksTrail towns

Campsites

Williams Woods Backcountry Sites
Designated tent sites about half a mile from the Forest Picnic Area, with a group kitchen and food storage; open year-round by reservation
See Cleveland Metroparks

On site

  • Nature center with restrooms and a gift shop
  • Picnic areas and Squire's Castle shelter
  • Paved and unpaved trails
  • Open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Reserve a backcountry site →
Field Notes Ohio isn't connected to Cleveland Metroparks, so it can't hold a site or take payment. Tapping through opens it in a new tab — search "North Chagrin Reservation" there to finish reserving.
Prefer the phone?440-473-3370

Backcountry camping requires a reservation from Cleveland Metroparks. Trails can be muddy.

Restaurants nearby

Chagrin River Diner
Classic diner breakfast and lunch in historic Willoughby; open daily
Directions
Julia's 1902
Fine dining in a sandstone mansion; closed Sunday and Monday
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Shell
Open 24 hours, close to the park's south end
Directions

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