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.
›
Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
›
Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
›
Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
›
Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
›
Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
›
Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
›
Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
›

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

South Chagrin Reservation

Bentleyville, Solon & Moreland Hills · Cuyahoga County · Northeast Ohio
Managed by Cleveland Metroparks
1,438acres
15trail 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
Cleveland Metroparks (search this park)
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
South Chagrin Reservation, Bentleyville (representative point)
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
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

South Chagrin Reservation lies along the Chagrin River, one of Ohio's designated scenic rivers, in Bentleyville, Solon and Moreland Hills. It was one of six Cleveland Metroparks reservations bought between 1920 and 1930. Rugged trails run through hemlock forest, sandstone ledges, cold creeks and ravines, and the reservation has an arboretum, a polo field and the site of an old Boy Scout camp.

The Buckeye Trail follows the Chagrin River here. Historic sites include Look About Lodge, a log cabin built in 1938 by the Cleveland Natural Science Club that hosts outdoor education, and a sandstone block carved with a quiver of arrows and the four phases of the moon by the sculptor Henry Church Jr.

Things to do in the park

  • Hike the Buckeye Trail along the Chagrin River
  • See Henry Church Jr. Rock and Quarry Rock
  • Visit Look About Lodge
  • Ride the paved all-purpose trail or the bridle trails
  • Picnic at Harper Ridge or the Polo Field

Trails

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

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

  • North Chagrin Reservation and Squire's Castle
  • Bedford Reservation to the southwest
  • The village of Chagrin Falls

Hiking trails

About 15 miles of bridle trails and a 7.1-mile paved all-purpose trail; the Buckeye Trail passes through.

Wildlife you might see

  • Hemlock forest and sandstone ledges
  • Chagrin River, a state scenic river
  • Cold-water creeks and ravines

Fishing

  • Fishing in the Chagrin River; check Cleveland Metroparks. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Hunting is not permitted in Cleveland Metroparks reservations.

The Picnic Grounds Cleveland's Black Families Claimed

From the 1930s, South Chagrin Reservation was a place where Cleveland's Black community gathered and celebrated. Families came for picnics, fraternities held reunions, a business club met here, and camp programs such as Mt. Pleasant Day Camp and Friendly Inn brought children out to the woods.

The account of the reservation as a gathering place runs up through the summer of 1958.

Behind the legend

The account comes from Green Book Cleveland, a project that documents places where Black Cleveland found welcome. It names the events, including a Kappa Alpha Psi celebration and the Royal Vagabonds club, and says the reservation was used this way from the 1930s until the summer of 1958. It mentions Bourbon Zeigler, a park ranger promoted to assistant personnel director, who worked to open Metroparks jobs and use to Black residents. The source does not explain what changed after 1958, and this entry does not guess.

If you go

Walk the river trail to Henry Church Jr. Rock and the Polo Field, and read the Green Book Cleveland entry for the fuller history.

Waterfalls near South Chagrin Reservation

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

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 2 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 6 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 7 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 10 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 10 miles from this park

The Buckeye Trail at South 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
The trail follows the Chagrin River
5 parksTrail towns

There is no camping in South Chagrin Reservation. The Williams Woods backcountry sites at North Chagrin Reservation are the nearest camp on the Buckeye Trail.

Where to camp nearby

Williams Woods Backcountry Sites (North Chagrin Reservation)
Backcountry tent sites on the trail by reservation, about 12 miles north
Directions

Restaurants nearby

56 Kitchen
Modern American; make a reservation
Directions
Mavis Public House
Irish pub food and burgers; open daily
Directions

Gas stations nearby

Shell
Open 24 hours
Directions

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