The Holden Arboretum
Nature preserve
1,264 acres9.7 mi of trail
Woodland TrailTree Hugger TrailStrong Acres LoopMolly Offutt Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Parking for Members Only
Photo: JonRidinger · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Kirtland
Kirtland has 1,327 acres of parks, 192 for every 1,000 residents
20% of Kirtland’s land is conserved, about 2,171 acres. 21 miles of mapped trail cross Kirtland, 1.2 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: The Holden Arboretum (9.7 mi), Chapin Forest Reservation (5.9 mi), Penitentiary Glen Reservation (4.9 mi).
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #91 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
2,171 acres · of 16.7 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,327 ac
192 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
28%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.1 mi
2.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,198 ft
Piersons Knob
Lakes & rivers
9
What kind of outdoors town is Kirtland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam192 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild20% of the land is conserved; a typical Ohio town, 3%.A trail town1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 85% of U.S. towns.History along the way4 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Kirtland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Kirtland is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #91 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Kirtland’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land192 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,327 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home28% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 91%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 The Holden Arboretum, with 9.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Chapin Forest Reservation
Managed by Lake Metroparks
400 acres5.9 mi of trail
Lucky Stone Loop TrailQuarry TrailBeech Woods Loop TrailArbor Lane Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Penitentiary Glen Reservation
Managed by Lake Metroparks
421 acres4.9 mi of trail
Rabbit Run Loop TrailGorge Rim Loop TrailRabbit Run Alternate TrailRabbit Run Connector+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
2,171 conserved acres
20% of Kirtland’s land. Who manages Kirtland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners1,106 ac
County633 ac
State natural resources364 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits69 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)33 ac
Town or city11 ac
Private Conservation · 1,056 acLocal Park · 633 acState Resource Management Area · 364 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 57 acConservation Easement · 45 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holden Arboretum Private Conservation | Private owners | 1,042 | Open |
| Penitentiary Glen Reservation Local Park | County | 406 | Restricted |
| Ohio Department Of Natural Resources Sf State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 364 | Open |
| Lake County Farm Park Local Park | County | 227 | Open |
| Red Barn Camp Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 57 | Open |
| Snjp Farm Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 14 | Closed |
| Chapin Forest Reservation Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Herb Society Of America State Conservation Area | Private owners | 7 | Closed |
| Kirtland Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 1 | Open |
Things to do
20 places to go in Kirtland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Kirtland
Nature PlayIn Penitentiary Glen Reservation
DirectionsPlus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Kirtland
Canine MeadowsIn Farmpark
DirectionsWaterfalls in Kirtland
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Kirtland
Discovery TowerIn The Holden Arboretum
DirectionsEllen & Alan Daus Memorial OverlookIn The Holden Arboretum
DirectionsGorge OverlookIn Penitentiary Glen Reservation
DirectionsGorge OverlookIn Penitentiary Glen Reservation
DirectionsMeditation PointIn The Holden Arboretum
DirectionsObservation BlindIn Penitentiary Glen Reservation
DirectionsStoney Brook FallsIn Penitentiary Glen Reservation
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Kirtland
Piersons Knob1,198 ft elevation
DirectionsGildersleeve Mountain1,161 ft elevation · In Chapin Forest Reservation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Kirtland
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Kirtland
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.3 miHorses · 6.4 miUnpaved · 12.7 mi
Rabbit Run Loop Trail2.1 mi
Woodland Trail1.6 mi
Lucky Stone Loop Trail1.4 mi
Tree Hugger Trail1.2 mi
Quarry Trail1.0 mi
Gorge Rim Loop Trail1.0 mi
Beech Woods Loop Trail0.9 mi
Strong Acres Loop0.9 mi
Arbor Lane Loop Trail0.8 mi
Turkey Trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Molly Offutt Trail
0.4 miPierson Creek Loop
0.3 miLucky Stone Loop Alternate Trail
0.3 miRabbit Run Alternate Trail
0.3 miRabbit Run Connector
0.2 miGorge Rim Loop Alternate Trail
0.2 miWhispering Pines Trail
0.2 miArbor Lane Alternate Trail
0.2 miHalle Home Loop Trail
0.2 miStonecutters Loop Trail
0.2 miBole Woods Loop
0.1 miBuckeye Trail
0.1 miRabbit Run Access Trail
0.1 miLucky Stone Loop Overlook Trail
0.1 miBlueberry Pond Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
2.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
8Baseball
6Soccer
5Tennis
3Pickleball
3Basketball
2Football
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Kirtland: 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) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 62 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.2 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Kirtland →
Next door
Kirtland and its neighbors
Kirtland has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Willoughby Hills21 miKirtland21 miMentor15 miWilloughby8.9 miChardon Township8.6 miChester Township6.3 miWaite Hill0.5 miKirtland Hills0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirtland | 20% | 1.2 | 192 | 28% | A |
| Waite Hill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kirtland Hills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Willoughby Hills | 19% | 1.9 | 33 | 72% | A |
| Willoughby | 13% | 0.9 | 17 | 81% | A− |
| Chester Township | 5% | 0.3 | 46 | 46% | B |
| Mentor | 8% | 0.5 | 23 | 58% | B+ |
| Chardon Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Kirtland
Where can I hike in Kirtland?
The longest trail networks: The Holden Arboretum, 9.7 miles; Chapin Forest Reservation, 5.9 miles; Penitentiary Glen Reservation, 4.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Kirtland is conserved land?
20% 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 Kirtland’s trails?
The Holden Arboretum and Chapin Forest Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Kirtland?
2.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Kirtland?
18,644 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kirtland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,690 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Kirtland have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #91 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 Kirtland 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 →