Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
218 acres3.8 mi of trail
Lakefront TrailMarsh Rim TrailLakefront Loop TrailMarina Overlook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Tim Evanson from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Mentor
8% of Mentor’s land is conserved: 1,468 acres
The biggest trail networks: Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve (3.8 mi), Spring Brook Gardens Park (1.9 mi), Wildwood Cultural Park (1.5 mi). 1,075 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents. 15 miles of mapped trail cross Mentor, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns · #261 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
1,468 acres · of 27.8 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,075 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
58%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
21 mi
13 mi lanes · 6.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Mentor have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Mentor is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns, #261 of 993 in Ohio. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Mentor’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4BPark land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,075 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home58% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 70%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 74%
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 Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, with 3.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Spring Brook Gardens Park
Managed by City of Mentor
47 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wildwood Cultural Park
Managed by City of Mentor
35 acres1.5 mi of trail
Frog TrailBluebell TrailPawpaw ConnectorWoodpecker Loop
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Veterans Park
Managed by Lake Metroparks
89 acres1.1 mi of trail
Swamp Forest Loop TrailCardinal Loop TrailCardinal Loop Access TrailOutdoor Classroom Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Edward R. Walsh Park
Managed by City of Mentor
23 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Headlands Beach State Park
Managed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources
35 acres0.4 mi of trail
Sand Dune Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Presidents Park
Managed by City of Mentor
8 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Eleanor B. Garfield Park
Managed by City of Mentor
55 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve218 acres · 3.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSpring Brook Gardens Park47 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Mentor
DirectionsWildwood Cultural Park35 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · City of Mentor
Veterans Park89 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Lake Metroparks
DirectionsEdward R. Walsh Park23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Mentor
Headlands Beach State Park35 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Ohio Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPresidents Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Mentor
Eleanor B. Garfield Park55 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Mentor
DirectionsKrueger Park16 acres
DirectionsPinegate Community Park7 acres
James A Garfield National Historic Site7 acres · National Park Service
DirectionsCarpenter Park6 acres
DirectionsTiefenbach Park1 acres · City of Mentor
Who protects it
1,468 conserved acres
8% of Mentor’s land. Who manages Mentor’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city886 ac
State natural resources279 ac
Private owners231 ac
Other state land35 ac
County29 ac
National Park Service8 ac
Local Park · 915 acState Conservation Area · 314 acPrivate Park · 194 acState Park · 35 acHistoric or Cultural Area · 8 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentor Lagoons Marina and Park Local Park | Town or city | 568 | Open |
| Mentor Marsh Dedicated Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 262 | Closed |
| Civic Center Park Local Park | Town or city | 108 | Open |
| Blackbrook Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 104 | Open |
| Veterans' Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Garfield Park Local Park | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Lost Nation Municipal Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 64 | Open |
| Headlands Beach State Park State Park | Other state land | 35 | Open |
| Wildwood Cultural Center State Conservation Area | Private owners | 35 | Closed |
| Donald E Krueger Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
35 places to go in Mentor
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Mentor
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Mentor
Advent Playground
DirectionsBellflower Playground
DirectionsKiddie Jungle Play
DirectionsRidge Playground
DirectionsYoung Steps Playground
DirectionsPlus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Mentor
Mentor Dog ParkHours: sunrise-sunset
DirectionsBoat launches in Mentor
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Mentor
4 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Mentor
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Mentor
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
16 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.6 miUnpaved · 7.9 mi
Buckeye Trail1.9 mi
Lakefront Trail1.1 mi
Marsh Rim Trail0.7 mi
Lakefront Loop Trail0.5 mi
Frog Trail0.4 mi
Marina Overlook Trail0.4 mi
Woods Trail0.3 mi
Swamp Forest Loop Trail0.3 mi
Cardinal Loop Trail0.3 mi
Bluebell Trail0.3 mi
6 more trails
Wake Robin trail
0.2 miPawpaw Connector
0.2 miCardinal Loop Access Trail
0.2 miSand Dune Trail
0.2 miWoodpecker Loop
0.2 miOutdoor Classroom Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
21 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
37Baseball
29Soccer
17Tennis
15Pickleball
10Basketball
6Football
1Softball
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →13 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 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
James A. Garfield National Historic SiteNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1966
About itCorning-White HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itSawyer-Wayside HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itJames Mason HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itGray-Coulton HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itLake Shore and Michigan Southern RR Depot and Freight HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itGarfield LibraryBuilding · listed 1979
About itJohn G. Oliver HouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itJohn and Carrie Yager HouseBuilding · listed 1994
About itBenjamin and Mary Young HouseBuilding · listed 1996
About itMentor Village SchoolBuilding · listed 2005
About itMentor Village HallBuilding · listed 2014
About it1 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Mentor: 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 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Mentor →
Next door
Mentor and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Concord Township28 miKirtland21 miMentor15 miPainesville Township13 miWilloughby8.9 miPainesville6.5 miMentor-on-the-Lake0.6 miKirtland Hills0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mentor | 8% | 0.5 | 23 | 58% | B+ |
| Kirtland Hills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Willoughby | 13% | 0.9 | 17 | 81% | A− |
| Mentor-on-the-Lake | 4% | 0.4 | 8 | 99% | B+ |
| Painesville Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Concord Township | 15% | 1.2 | 61 | 55% | A |
| Painesville | 6% | 1.0 | 12 | 89% | A− |
| Kirtland | 20% | 1.2 | 192 | 28% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Mentor
Where can I hike in Mentor?
The longest trail networks: Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, 3.8 miles; Spring Brook Gardens Park, 1.9 miles; Wildwood Cultural Park, 1.5 miles; Veterans Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Mentor is conserved land?
8% 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 Mentor’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Wildwood Cultural Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mentor?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of painted or protected lanes, 6.3 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mentor?
14,466 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mentor or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,075 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Mentor have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #261 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 Mentor 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 →