NORTH TO PORTAGE PATH AND BACK

2.0 miles—Rating: 1 (Easy)

1337 Merriman Rd., Akron, OH 44313

Travel along the Towpath Trail to a statue of an Indigenous person portaging a canoe, which signals the northern terminus of the Portage Path.

SOUTH TO MANCHESTER ROAD AND BACK

3.4 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)

392 W. Wilbeth Rd., Akron, OH 44301

Travel to the Manchester Road Trailhead, where nearby sits a statue of an Indigenous person portaging a canoe, which signals the southern terminus of the Portage Path.

MISSING LINK TRAIL

1.1 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)

1134 Cuyahoga St., Akron, OH 44313

This trail celebrates the Valley View Area as the “missing link” that connects 1,800 acres of continuous green space in Summit County between Cascade Valley, Gorge and Sand Run Metro Parks.

OVERLOOK TRAIL

0.5 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)

354 Sackett Ave., Akron, OH 44313

The flat, easy Overlook Trail provides spectacular views of the Cuyahoga River Valley and the river oxbow found 125 feet below the Overlook Deck. This trail is ADA accessible.

WILLOW TRAIL

1.6 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)

2620 Harrington Rd., Akron 44319

This trail loops past an ancient sand hill, Little Turtle Pond, wetlands, the Tuscarawas River and the Tuscarawas Race. It is a favorite for birdwatchers and plant enthusiasts alike.

ROCK CREEK TRAIL

1.3 miles – Rating: 1 (Easy)

4955 Townsend Rd., Richfield 44286

This trail travels around Furnace Run, one of the Cuyahoga River’s healthiest tributaries. Visitors will also enjoy hiking through beech-maple woods and past sycamores before crossing a bridge and returning along the opposite side of the creek.

PARCOURS TRAIL

1.8 miles – Rating: 3 (Difficult)

2077 Newton St., Akron, OH 44305

More than your casual hike, Parcours Trail offers 18 exercise stations, each with a beginner and “par” level indicated on its sign.

ADAM RUN TRAIL

3.2 miles – Rating: 3 (Difficult)

2925 Akron-Peninsula Rd., Akron, OH 44313

One of the park district’s most demanding hikes, this loop follows the glacial terrain left from the last ice age as well as open fields and meadows near Top O’ the World. There are several seasonal stream crossings, making it easy to get your feet wet.

LEDGES TRAIL

1.1 miles – Rating: 2 (Moderate)

9999 Liberty Rd., Twinsburg, OH 44087

Visitors pass by a unique system of sandstone ledges, into Glacier Cave and to a wetland before traveling back to the trailhead over a boardwalk. Plants growing close to the rock are called a “living skin” and are made of ferns, mosses and lichens.

DEER RUN TRAIL

2.0 miles – Rating: 3 (Difficult)

2550 Martin Rd., Akron, OH 44333

The challenging, aptly named Deer Run Trail follows a path worn by white-tailed deer and provides scenic views of the Cuyahoga River Valley.

NUTHATCH TRAIL

3.0 miles – Rating: 3 (Difficult)

1400 Sand Run Pkwy., Akron, OH 44313

Recently renamed, the wooded Nuthatch Trail harbors a variety of wildlife and oak, beech and tulip trees. The trail becomes rugged, earning Class D status, and connects to F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm near the top of the valley.

CHIPPEWA TRAIL

2.0 miles—Rating: 1 (Easy)

5199 Medina Line Rd., Norton, OH 44203

Chippewa Trail showcases the area’s history, from the Harter Dairy Barn to the thin wood lines that separated farm fields and old apple orchards. Seedlings planted by Girl Scout troops between 1967 and 1983 have matured along the trail, providing shade for hikers.

PRAIRIE TRAIL

1.6 miles—Rating: 1 (Easy)

1400 Portage Line Rd., Springfield Twp., OH, 44312

This easy trail leads visitors through a now-thriving prairie. During early fall, a variety of wild sunflowers, asters and grasses make for a kaleidoscope of color. There are two observation platforms: one to look over Young’s Bog and the other to look out on the manmade “baby bog.”