Lakeview Park
Managed by City of Lorain
53 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lorain
7% of Lorain’s land is conserved: 1,006 acres
91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Lakeview Park (2.7 mi), Black River Landing (1.1 mi), Black River Reservation (0.5 mi). 955 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns · #279 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,006 acres · of 23.6 sq mi of land
Trails
6.2 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
955 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
5.9 mi lanes · 6.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Lorain?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lorain have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lorain is ahead of 68% of U.S. towns, #279 of 993 in Ohio. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lorain’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (955 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home91% 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 68%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 72%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to B+. 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 Lakeview Park, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Black River Landing
Managed by Lorain Port & Finance Authority
25 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Black River Reservation
Managed by Lorain County Metro Parks
76 acres0.5 mi of trail
Waterfall TrailCottonwood Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Oakwood Park
Managed by City of Lorain
75 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 29 parks & preserves
Lakeview Park53 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · City of Lorain
DirectionsBlack River Landing25 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Lorain Port & Finance Authority
DirectionsBlack River Reservation76 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Lorain County Metro Parks
DirectionsOakwood Park75 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Lorain
Central Park22 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Lorain
Johnnie Wilson Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Lorain
Veterans Memorial Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Lorain
DirectionsLakeside Landing Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWillow Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Lorain
Streator Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Lorain
Riverside Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lorain Port and Finance Authority
DirectionsCromwell Park183 acres
Kennedy Park96 acres
Campana Park50 acres · City of Lorain
Longfellow Park36 acres
DirectionsFalbo Park16 acres · City of Lorain
Black River Reservation - Day's Dam9 acres
DirectionsHomewood Park7 acres
Pawlak Park4 acres · City of Lorain
Lincoln Park4 acres · City of Lorain
G Street Park4 acres · City of Lorain
Maple Heights Park3 acres · City of Lorain
Sunny Acres Park3 acres · City of Lorain
Cityview Park3 acres · City of Lorain
Martin's Run Park3 acres · City of Lorain
Century Park2 acres
DirectionsGarfield Park2 acres · City of Lorain
Highview Park2 acres · City of Lorain
Moore's Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,006 conserved acres
7% of Lorain’s land. Who manages Lorain’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city744 ac
Private owners189 ac
County73 ac
Local Recreation Area · 459 acLocal Park · 358 acPrivate Park · 185 acState Conservation Area · 3 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cromwell Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 267 | Open |
| Elmwood Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 146 | Open |
| Fox Creek Golf and Racquet Club Private Park | Private owners | 134 | Open |
| Black River Reservation Local Park | County | 73 | Restricted |
| Oakwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 72 | Open |
| Emerald Valley Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 52 | Open |
| Campana Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Lakeview Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Longfellow Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
67 places to go in Lorain
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lorain
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Lorain
Deerfield Estates Pool
DirectionsHarborWalk Pool
DirectionsMorningside Pool
DirectionsOakwood PoolIn Oakwood Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lorain
Admiral King Playground
DirectionsAdmiral King Playground
DirectionsAdmiral King Playground
DirectionsDiscovery Playground
DirectionsFrank Jacinto Playground
DirectionsFrank Jacinto Playground
DirectionsFrank Jacinto Playground
DirectionsGarfield Playground
Directions22 more playgrounds
Garfield Playground
DirectionsGarfield Playground
DirectionsHawthorne Playground
DirectionsHawthorne Playground
DirectionsHawthorne Playground
DirectionsHelen Steiner Rice Playground
DirectionsHelen Steiner Rice Playground
DirectionsHelen Steiner Rice Playground
DirectionsHorizon Playground
DirectionsHorizon Playground
DirectionsHorizon Playground
DirectionsHorizon Playground
DirectionsLarkmoor Playground
DirectionsLarkmoor Playground
DirectionsLarkmoor Playground
DirectionsLorain Playground
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsNest Playground
DirectionsNest Playground
DirectionsSteven Dohanos Playground
DirectionsSteven Dohanos Playground
DirectionsWashington Playground
Directions56 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Lorain
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Lorain
Boys & Girls Club Community GardenBoys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.7 mi
Waterfall Trail0.4 mi
Cottonwood Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
29Basketball
23Baseball
8Pickleball
7Tennis
4Football
4Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
William Seher HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itPalace Theatre BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itWilliam H. Root HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itLorain LighthouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itSt. Ladislaus Roman Catholic ChurchBuilding · listed 1982
About itAntlers HotelBuilding · listed 1982
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1982
About itBroadway BuildingBuilding · listed 1985
About itEagles BuildingBuilding · listed 1986
About itDuane BlockBuilding · listed 1987
About itLorain Fire Station No. 1Building · listed 1987
About itJohnson Steel Street Railway Company General Offices BuildingBuilding · listed 1992
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lorain: 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 | 10.6 | 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 | 57 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Lorain →
Next door
Lorain and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brownhelm Township9.6 miVermilion7.4 miLorain6.2 miSheffield4.4 miAmherst Township1.2 miAmherst0.4 miSheffield Lake0.3 miSheffield Township0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorain | 7% | 0.3 | 15 | 91% | B+ |
| Sheffield Township | 11% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 37% | C |
| Sheffield | 11% | 0.4 | 23 | 17% | B |
| Amherst | 4% | 0.1 | 8 | 45% | C |
| Amherst Township | 2% | 0.1 | 11 | 44% | C |
| Brownhelm Township | 11% | 0.5 | 175 | 68% | A− |
| Sheffield Lake | 1% | 0.1 | 3 | 99%+ | C+ |
| Vermilion | 6% | 0.7 | 39 | 82% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lorain
Where can I hike in Lorain?
The longest trail networks: Lakeview Park, 2.7 miles; Black River Landing, 1.1 miles; Black River Reservation, 0.5 miles; Oakwood Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lorain 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 Lorain’s trails?
Lakeview Park and Black River Landing don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lorain?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.9 of painted or protected lanes and 6.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lorain?
5,604 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lorain or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 955 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Lorain have?
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #279 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 Lorain 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 →