Think of it as a giant game of Connect the Dots. The ultimate goal is complete, easy, safe and connected access for cyclists, hikers, dog walkers, rollerbladers and others. Use of the trails can lead to transportation, economic, recreational and wellness benefits.
“The reason people love trails is because the stress level is low when you are divided away from cars,” says Jason Kuhn, communications and events manager for Bike Cleveland, a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes safety and transportation options.
Greater Cleveland has hundreds of miles of trails that are the envy of many cities. Existing trails weave in and around the region and several major ones connect to Cleveland’s urban and downtown areas. Connectivity of trails has been possible because of the cooperation of The City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and others.
6 Top Established Trails
The 101-mile Towpath Trail follows the route of the historic Ohio and Erie Canalway through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, past woods, fields, suburban and urban sites and snakes its way close to Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood to connect with other city trails.
Red Line Greenway (alongside RTA’s right-of-way) takes users through three Cleveland neighborhoods. You’ll see a fun mix of serious cyclists, scooters, baby carriages, recumbent cyclists and even unicycles here.
Morgana Run Trail follows a former Lake Erie Railroad corridor through Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood. The paved trail provides access to several scenic mini side trips, including Morgana Bluffs Nature Preserve, a natural area with a short trail loop.
Calley Mersmann, senior strategist, transit and mobility, City of Cleveland, suggests visitors and residents alike also check out
Lakefront Reservation’s multi-use trails, accessible through several connectors. Users of the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway (from Euclid to Lakewood), Lake Erie Water Trail, Whiskey Island Trail (from Edgewater Park to Wendy Park) and other routes can experience great views. Those include Lake Erie with its divine sunsets and sunrises, the Historic Coast Guard Station, Edgewater Beach House and the 55th Street Marina, as well as butterflies, water fowl and native grasses and fascinating, historic manufacturing relics.
Things should get even better for those who appreciate “people power.” The Memorial Bridges Loop Trail is a proposed 3-mile loop around the Cuyahoga River Valley, connecting east and west using the Detroit-Superior Bridge and Lorain-Carnegie (Hope Memorial) Bridge. It has been called a vital piece needed to connect downtown with the neighborhoods.
“It’s always very popular for runners and walkers and when completed it will be a game changer for these folks,” says Phil Kidd, the City of Cleveland’s Complete and Green Street program manager. “It will also greatly benefit cyclists.”
Also on the drawing board is RAISE: Cleveland East Side Trails, a $19,500,000 proposed project by Cleveland Metroparks. If funding is approved in June 2024, the Slavic Village Downtown Connector North and Morgana Run/Booth Avenue Extension will be another major puzzle piece that finds its fit.
Cooperation between park and city police, plus 400 volunteer Trail Ambassadors, keeps the trails safe and clear, according to Sara Byrnes Maier, Cleveland Metroparks principal planner.
“If a branch falls on a trail, our volunteers will alert Cleveland Metroparks staff if they can’t take care of it themselves,” says Byrnes Maier.
