Seeking 'Accessible' Trails
NE Ohio has some beautiful, accessible trails. But how to define "accessible?"
At a release event for the fourth edition of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland, I was asked about accessible trails, and not just those that are labeled “accessible,” but specifically about those that a small-to-medium sized person could push a manual wheelchair over, with a full-sized adult in said wheelchair.
Now, that’s a good question. I had a couple of pretty good answers, and the greatest respect, for the person who asked.
The first trail that came to mind was the Overlook Area, part of the Cascade Valley Area of Summit Metroparks. The Overlook parking lot is located at 354 Sackett Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls. (Scroll down for a few other suggestions, below.)
And the park website clearly labels it as an ADA accessible trail.
But what about other trails?
Identifying Accessible Trails: Shades of Gray
Summit Metroparks define accessible trails as having a “Flat, easy trail or section with asphalt or crushed limestone surface.” Note that’s “accessible” in the general sense - not to ADA standards. (An ADA accessible trail must be 36” wide, among other things.)
There are no ADA-accessible trails, for example at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm. But, there are several paved, mostly-level paths around the grounds between the parking lot and the visitor center.
Are they accessible?
This is when I start to sweat. Defining “accessible” begs questions like “for what ability,” “with what accommodation” and then, there are the myriad surfaces. And. Other. Things. Yikes.
While the descriptions each park system uses to identify the accessibility or difficulty of a trail are helpful, none of them can tell you everything you need to know about a trail for your abilities or those of your hiking companions.
A Few Other Accessible Trail Options
A friend1 suggested Alder Pond at Goodyear Heights, another Summit Metropark. The park website describes it like this: “Alder Trail leads through the woods to Alder Pond, where an accessible boardwalk takes you through a cattail marsh. The start of the trail – a short, half-mile, round trip section – earns a class B status and is good for visitors with wheelchairs, walkers, canes and strollers.”
All true, but missing a few important points for folks in wheelchairs. The most important point: you’ll probably want to start on the trail going clockwise so you can reach that beautiful boardwalk - and then turn around before you get to a hill, unless you’re up for climbing a fairly steep section on soft dirt.
The devil’s in the details, as the saying goes, but I hope that as we talk about trails and share our experiences, those details won’t prevent people from getting out to explore…
Quail Hollow Park, in the Stark Parks system, is another place that I recommend as wheelchair accessible - at least, a short section of the park’s trails is.
The Nature for All Trail there is a asphalt paved trail, almost entirely shaded by tall pines and deciduous trees. It leads to the other hiking trails, so for accessibility, you’d have to plan on doing it as an out-and-back configuration (for just about 1 mile, total distance). The good new is the trail is wide enough so that turning around is easy.
Another important note: the main parking area at Quail Hollow is quite a distance from the trailhead, which is behind the manor house. Ideally, you’ll have a handicap parking permit so you can park closer to the trailhead for an outing there.
Easy, But Not Quite Accessible
You can enjoy a short and easy hike at Viaduct Park, an outpost of Bedford Reservation. The paved, .5 mile (one way) trail is great for folks with limited mobility or stamina, but it’s not truly an accessible trail.
Here’s what you can expect at Viaduct Park
Everett Road Covered Bridge offers an accessible parking area leading to the iconic sight in CVNP. A wheelchair could easily roll up to and across the bridge, but not much further. Nearby, Beaver Marsh Boardwalk and Indigo Lake also offer flat natural surface chairs that are amenable to most rugged wheelchairs and strollers.
Accessible Trail Info from Other Sources
Cleveland Metroparks’s website has a page dedicated to accessible trails and other inclusive park amenities. Woodpecker Way at Acacia Reservation is one of the top-rated accessible trails on the page; it is a .75-mile paved loop.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources offers a list of accessible trails, by surface (paved and boardwalk) at this link. The .5-mile boardwalk trail at Cooperrider-Kent Bog made this list.
If you haven’t been to the Kent Bog, it’s billed as "a living relict from the Ice Age." Don’t go thinking that means it’s all sepia and gnarly! It’s actually a panorama of color, with needles on the deep green tamarack trees turning bright yellow before they drop off in the fall. (They are deciduous conifers, a phrase I think we all can agree deserves more airplay!)
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park site maintains that many popular sites on the Towpath Trail are accessible - and I won’t argue, but again, define “accessible,” right? The Towpath is crushed limestone, and about half of it is paved - but it can also be crowded, and how far can you push a wheelchair through wet limestone? Worries aside, Everett Road Covered Bridge is one very accessible spot that’s also very beautiful - and more are listed here.
See also: Short Towpath Trail Walks in CVNP and a description of a short, easy trail in Bedford that is partially paved (but not fully accessible)
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes deserves special mention for its All Peoples Trail, and wonderful, winding boardwalk trail that is within feet of the (accessible) parking area.
Wonders within Reach is a national resource that has some good information on Cleveland - however, that page may not have been updated since 2022. Call or scout ahead if you’re not familiar with a destination listed there.
What trails can you recommend as sorta, kinda, or fully ADA accessible? Please comment on this post or drop the info on my 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland Facebook Page.
Thanks ~ and Happy Trails (to all)!
By the way, every edition of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland2 has an extensive category listing describing - as best as one person can! - the terrain, distance, obstacles, ease or difficulty of every hike in the book. It’s a great place to start finding hikes that fit you and your companions, wherever you roam.
Hi, Chris!
Available direct from the publisher and everywhere books are sold - but yeh, that link goes to a big-box place.