Waterfall trails, overlooks and park paths around Northeast Ohio.
Explore the placesA 65-foot waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Northfield and one of the best known waterfalls near Cleveland, seen from upper and lower boardwalks, with a 1.5-mile gorge loop for a longer walk. Lots fill by midday on warm weekends, so arrive early or park at the Stanford Trailhead and hike in.
An east side Cleveland Metroparks reservation in Willoughby Hills where loops start at Squire's Castle, an 1890s stone gatehouse, and short trails such as the Sylvan Loop reach marsh and river valley views. Buttermilk Falls, in the same park, has an overlook and runs strongest after rain.
A long wooded valley park along the Rocky River on the west side with hiking and bridle trails where deer and birds are common. Park at South Mastick and follow the bridle trail to the Nature Center for about 6.5 miles round trip.
A Cleveland Metroparks reservation in Brecksville where the Deer Lick Cave loop follows part of the Buckeye Trail to a sandstone overhang. A short walk off Chippewa Creek Drive reaches an overlook above the glacial Chippewa Creek gorge.
The Rocky River Reservation nature center in North Olmsted, where a 155-step staircase climbs to the Fort Hill Loop about 90 feet above the river with wide valley views. The Wildlife Management Trail is a gentler way up.
A large arboretum in Kirtland with a 500-foot canopy walkway 65 feet up and a 120-foot tower with views toward Lake Erie, plus trails across the grounds. Admission is paid.
A Lake Metroparks reservation in Kirtland where a hilly loop climbs to a sandstone ledge overlook with views of Lake Erie and the Cleveland skyline on clear days.
The waterfall in the middle of downtown Chagrin Falls off North Main Street, easy to pair with a walk through the village shops and cafes. Park on the street in the town center.
A Parma reservation where the Skyline Trail loop climbs to an observation deck with a view of the downtown Cleveland skyline. It is one of the closest spots for hiking near Cleveland on the south side.
A free Lake Metroparks reservation in Kirtland with about 8.5 miles of trails through forest and fields beside a deep gorge, across the road from the Holden Arboretum. The gorge itself is open only on guided hikes.
A long Cleveland Metroparks reservation in Strongsville and Berea with bridle and hiking trails, including the Sugar Bush Loop and the Royalview area. The former quarry lakes at Baldwin and Wallace sit along Valley Parkway.
A 15-foot falls on the Buckeye Trail near the Boston Mill Visitor Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, fed by a spring upstream so it runs year round. Keep following the creek about three quarters of a mile to reach Buttermilk Falls (not the North Chagrin falls of the same name).
A preserve on the Lake Erie shoreline off Lakeshore Boulevard on Cleveland's east side, with inner and outer loop trails, good birding and views of the downtown skyline. Dogs are not allowed.
A Lorain County Metroparks park near downtown Elyria where the branches of the Black River meet at a pair of waterfalls in hemlock forest. It makes a good west side stop for waterfalls near Cleveland and is open 8 a.m. to sunset.
A city park in downtown Olmsted Falls with a short riverside walk to the falls the town is named for. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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A flat boardwalk across a large marsh on the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached from the Ira Trailhead on Riverview Road near Peninsula. It is an easy choice for hiking near Cleveland with kids or for spotting wildlife.
A falls about 15 feet high spilling over a wide sandstone ledge in Viaduct Park in Bedford, seen from a half-mile paved trail with several viewpoints and old mill ruins.
A loop around sandstone ledges in the Virginia Kendall area of Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Peninsula, leading to a west-facing overlook that draws a crowd at sunset. Start from the Ledges Shelter on Truxell Road and expect weekend lots to fill by midday.
Cuyahoga County's tallest waterfall at 48 feet, reached along hilly ground beside Mill Creek near Garfield Park Reservation on Cleveland's southeast side, with an overlook off Warner Road.
A fully accessible overlook in Berea's section of the Rocky River Reservation facing a tiered waterfall, stone ledges and railroad trestles, right off its own parking lot.
A free state park near Garrettsville with short color-coded trails through narrow rock passages, past Cascade Falls and under hemlock and birch. Wear shoes that can get wet and muddy.
A Cleveland Metroparks reservation in Middleburg Heights and Parma whose multiuse Lake to Lake Trail runs about two miles between Lake Abrams and Lake Isaac. It tends to stay uncrowded and has fishing and picnic spots along the way.
A short loop from the Quarry Rock Picnic Area in the South Chagrin Reservation to a sandstone outcrop overlooking the Chagrin valley, with small falls along the river nearby.
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A carved sandstone boulder in the South Chagrin Reservation next to a tiered waterfall, with Double Decker Falls nearby and the Henry Church loop trail starting here.
A small Lake Metroparks park near Painesville in Leroy Township built around a stepped waterfall on Paine Creek. Nearby Indian Point Park adds a steep climb, a set of steps and a creek crossing.
A staircase at Columbia Park in Bay Village leads down to a small falls spilling toward Lake Erie below a cliff wall.
A short loop in the Hinckley Reservation past sandstone ledges carved with faces and symbols in the early 1900s.
A short stair and boardwalk walk off Gorge Parkway in the Bedford Reservation to a falls dropping about 30 feet over shale. The Buckeye Trail links it to the Tinker's Creek Gorge overlook.
A one-mile route in the Euclid Creek Reservation with a timber staircase that climbs about 130 feet above the creek to canopy-level views.
A rocky loop through mossy sandstone ledges under tall trees in the Hinckley Reservation, often combined with the 3-mile loop around Hinckley Lake for a longer day of hiking near Cleveland.
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