Rocky River Reservation
Managed by Cleveland Metroparks
650 acres7.9 mi of trail
Bridle Trail RR2Parkway Bridle TrailCottonwood Loop TrailStables Bridle Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Cleveland
7% of Cleveland’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Rocky River Reservation (7.9 mi), Rockefeller Park (5.3 mi), Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve (2.2 mi). 54 miles of mapped trail cross Cleveland, 0.7 per square mile of land. 7% of Cleveland’s land is conserved, about 3,721 acres.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #188 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
3,721 acres · of 77.7 sq mi of land
Trails
54 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,224 ac
8.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
168 mi
66 mi lanes · 67 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
17 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Cleveland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cleveland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cleveland is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #188 of 993 in Ohio. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cleveland’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (54 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land8.8 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,224 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 77%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 81%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Cleveland ranks #221 on Outdoors.
Water is 6% of Cleveland’s area (5 of 82 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Rocky River Reservation, with 7.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
98 acres2.2 mi of trail
Perimeter Loop TrailNorthern Harrier TrailMonarch Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lakefront Reservation
Managed by Cleveland Metroparks
414 acres2.1 mi of trail
Edgewater Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wade Park
Park
76 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Cleveland Museum of Art Parking
Thurgood Marshall Park
Park
16 acres0.9 mi of trail
Thurgood Marshall Rec Center walking trial
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 143 parks & preserves
Rocky River Reservation650 acres · 7.9 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsRockefeller Park197 acres · 5.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve98 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLakefront Reservation414 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsWade Park76 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLoew Park23 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsThurgood Marshall Park16 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Mall15 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Reservation29 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
Brookside Reservation121 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLuke Easter Park95 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsKerruish Park59 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWildwood Park95 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsHumphrey Park22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCudell Commons9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsJefferson Park8 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Drakefield Park7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Impett Park28 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Cleveland, Ohio
DirectionsLincoln Park8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsR.J. Taylor Park6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Forest Hills Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Cleveland
DirectionsWorthington Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Cleveland
Halloran Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Cleveland
DirectionsFerguson Playground7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Hill Parkway18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsThrush Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsIdalia Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Sam Miller Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsStinchcomb-Groth Memorial5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMorgana Bluffs Nature Preserve5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRalph Schumtish Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Euclid Creek Reservation123 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsClark Field Park32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Cleveland
DirectionsWendy Park26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsBrighton Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGunning Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Morgana Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEmery Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Public Square7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRegent Playground5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Roberto Clemente Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDove Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Crossburn Playground4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Fannie M. Lewis Community Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Novak Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFairview Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOtter Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Willard Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStudent Center Plaza (CSU)1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGordon Park54 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Cleveland
DirectionsOhio & Erie Canal Reservation47 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsGarfield Park Reservation20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsDenison Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Cleveland Heights
DirectionsLeague Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJo Ann Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWade Oval7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSettler's Landing Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTerminal Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Artha Woods Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Dunphy Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEaston Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Davinwood Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Baltic Children's Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Grdina Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Tony Brush Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeulah Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Huntington Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMark Tromba Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Orr Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreenwood Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sterling Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCoit Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Toby's Plaza1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMLK Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Johnny Kilbane Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVirginia Havens Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Cleveland
DirectionsPlaywright Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFlora Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRooftop Garden and Walking Path1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMiriam Ortiz-Rush Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Marketplace Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEastman Reading Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Cleveland Public Library
DirectionsMarket Square Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenview Park33 acres
DirectionsAmbler Park24 acres
DirectionsMohican Park22 acres
DirectionsTyler Field18 acres
DirectionsMemorial Fields12 acres
DirectionsMarion Motley Park11 acres
Shaker Lakes Park10 acres
DirectionsKirtland Park9 acres
GIlmore Park8 acres
Neff Park7 acres
DirectionsMercedes Cotner Park7 acres
DirectionsHarmody Park6 acres
Tuland Park5 acres
Jim Mahone Park5 acres
DirectionsBrookfield Park5 acres
Canal Basin Park4 acres
DirectionsHerman Park4 acres
DirectionsOleatha Wilson Park3 acres
DirectionsWarsaw Park3 acres
Voinovich Park3 acres
DirectionsFarmer's Yard3 acres
Rivergate Park3 acres · Cleveland Metroparks
DirectionsGoudreau Park3 acres · City of Cleveland
Munn Park3 acres
Archmere Park2 acres
Belmont Park2 acres
Abbey Park2 acres
DirectionsTrain Park2 acres
Endora Playfield2 acres
Carl B. Stokes Courthouse Park2 acres
DirectionsPattison Park1 acres · City of East Cleveland
Fairfax Park1 acres
Groton Park1 acres
Lake Park1 acres
Storer Park1 acres
Cleveland Coast Guard Station1 acres · Cleveland Metroparks
Shaker Square1 acres
DirectionsPerk Plaza1 acres
DirectionsGrant Park1 acres
Rainbow Park1 acres
DirectionsCoronado Beach1 acres · Coronado Beach Association
Meet Me Here Plaza1 acres
DirectionsThe Village Park1 acres
Helen Simpson Park1 acres
Bob Deskins Park1 acres
Lewis Wolf Memorial1 acres
DirectionsNewton Avenue Park1 acres
DirectionsMill Creek Park1 acres · City of Cleveland
Camp Cleveland Park1 acres
DirectionsUS Bank Plaza1 acres
DirectionsIrma Park1 acres
Hart Crane Park1 acres
DirectionsOdelia V. Robinson Park1 acres
Lakefront Park1 acres · Shore Acres Association
DirectionsColonel Charles Young Park1 acres
DirectionsArch Park1 acres
DirectionsKSL Oval1 acres
DirectionsOman Park1 acres
South Hills Park111 acres
Amos Norwood Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,721 conserved acres
7% of Cleveland’s land. Water is left out: Cleveland has 77.7 square miles of land and 4.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cleveland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,616 ac
County794 ac
Regional agency154 ac
Other state land113 ac
Army Corps of Engineers99 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government34 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits27 ac
Local Park · 2,643 acLocal Recreation Area · 760 acState Park · 113 acLocal Conservation Area · 111 acConservation Area · 99 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 22 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky River Reservation Local Park | County | 648 | Restricted |
| Vacant Municipal Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 571 | Open |
| Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Local Park | Town or city | 196 | Open |
| Rockefeller Park Local Park | Town or city | 174 | Open |
| Brookside Reservation Local Park | County | 130 | Restricted |
| Luke Easter Park Local Park | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Cleveland Lakefront State Park - Gordon Park State Park | Other state land | 103 | Open |
| Kerruish Park And Playfield Local Park | Town or city | 102 | Open |
| Whiskey Island Conservation Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 99 | Closed |
| Euclid Creek Reservation Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 90 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
332 places to go in Cleveland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cleveland
Beulah Park Beach
DirectionsEdgewater BeachIn Lakefront Reservation
DirectionsEuclid BeachIn Euclid Creek Reservation
DirectionsPerkins BeachIn Lakefront Reservation
DirectionsVilla Angela BeachIn Wildwood Park
DirectionsVilla Beach
DirectionsPlus 11 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Cleveland
Halloran Swimming pool
DirectionsLincoln PoolIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsLoew PoolIn Loew Park
DirectionsMeyer Pool
DirectionsPlus 7 public pools without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Cleveland
Estabrook Playground
DirectionsHumphrey Park PlaygroundIn Humphrey Park
DirectionsKindercare Playground
DirectionsNathan Hale Playground
DirectionsOuthwaite Splash Pad
DirectionsPatrick Henry Playground
DirectionsThe Lindsey Family Play SpaceIn Lakefront Reservation
DirectionsTopeka Park
Directions1 more playground
harvey rice playground
Directions206 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Cleveland
K-9 CoastlineIn Lakefront Reservation
DirectionsRick Matzelle Dog ParkHours: 08:00-sunset · In Clark Field Park
DirectionsTaps & Tails
DirectionsPlus 8 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Cleveland
Gordon Boat RampIn Lakefront Reservation
DirectionsPlus 5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Cleveland
East 72nd Street Fishing AreaIn Lakefront Reservation
DirectionsPlus 1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Cleveland
Mill Creek Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Cleveland
Cleveland Script Sign - Euclid BeachIn Wildwood Park
DirectionsCleveland Script Sign - North Coast HarborIn Voinovich Park
DirectionsCleveland Script Sign - The Foundry
DirectionsCleveland Script Sign - TremontIn Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation
DirectionsMill Creek Falls Overlook
DirectionsOverlookIn Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve
DirectionsSokolowski's OverlookIn Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation
Directions37 scenic views are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Picnic areas in Cleveland
Meadow Ridge Picnic AreaIn Brookside Reservation
DirectionsPlus 12 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Cleveland
AfricaHouse International (AHI) Learning and Resource Center
DirectionsCWRU Community Garden Summer SproutCWRU
DirectionsFarmer Tropiano Community Garden
DirectionsHerman Avenue Community Garden
DirectionsKentucky Garden
DirectionsLegacy Garden
DirectionsSuperior Hill Park
DirectionsVel's Purple OasisVel Scott
Directions1 more community garden
Village Family Farms
DirectionsPlus 19 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
12 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.3 miHorses · 3.0 miUnpaved · 9.2 mi
Bridle Trail RR22.5 mi
Perimeter Loop Trail1.5 mi
Edgewater Trail0.5 mi
Northern Harrier Trail0.5 mi
Parkway Bridle Trail0.3 mi
Cottonwood Loop Trail0.3 mi
Monarch Trail0.2 mi
Stables Bridle Trail0.1 mi
Thurgood Marshall Rec Center walking trial0.1 mi
West 42nd Street Connector0.1 mi
2 more trails
Brookside Field Loop
0.1 miBrookside Park Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
168 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
66 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
67 mi
off-road bike paths
36 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
128Basketball
112Baseball
72Tennis
34Multi-sport
11Football
9Soccer
5Volleyball
5Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →282 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 67 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
University Hall, Cleveland State UniversityBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld Stone ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itSt. John's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itCleveland Grays ArmoryBuilding · listed 1973
About itGarfield, President James A., MemorialStructure · listed 1973
About itCharles Schweinfurth HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itGeorge Merwin HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itRockefeller BuildingBuilding · listed 1973
About itTrinity CathedralBuilding · listed 1973
About itWade Memorial ChapelBuilding · listed 1973
About it270 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Cleveland: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 63 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.8 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Cleveland →
Next door
Cleveland and its neighbors
Cleveland has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Cleveland54 miFairview Park9.7 miShaker Heights7.7 miBrook Park3.5 miBrooklyn3.2 miLakewood2.2 miEast Cleveland1.7 miCuyahoga Heights0.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 7% | 0.7 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| Brook Park | 8% | 0.5 | 7 | 89% | B+ |
| Shaker Heights | 10% | 1.2 | 10 | 99%+ | A |
| Cuyahoga Heights | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Cleveland | 11% | 0.6 | 17 | 99% | A |
| Fairview Park | 23% | 2.1 | 5 | 99% | A |
| Brooklyn | 5% | 0.8 | 14 | 91% | A− |
| Lakewood | 7% | 0.4 | 1 | 99% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cleveland
Where can I hike in Cleveland?
The longest trail networks: Rocky River Reservation, 7.9 miles; Rockefeller Park, 5.3 miles; Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve, 2.2 miles; Lakefront Reservation, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cleveland is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Ohio town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cleveland’s trails?
Rocky River Reservation and Rockefeller Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cleveland?
168 miles of bike routes are on the map: 66 of painted or protected lanes, 67 of off-road paths and 36 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Cleveland?
23,610 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cleveland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,232 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Cleveland have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #188 of 993 in Ohio. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cleveland neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →