Sandy Ridge Reservation
Managed by Lorain County Metro Parks
327 acres3.9 mi of trail
Connector TrailMarsh Loop TrailMeadow Loop TrailWet Woods Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainB−Outdoors
Outdoors in North Ridgeville
North Ridgeville has 547 acres of parks, 15 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Sandy Ridge Reservation (3.9 mi), Shady Drive Complex (0.9 mi), South Central Park (0.6 mi). 48% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 3% of North Ridgeville’s land is conserved, about 489 acres.
Ahead of 48% of U.S. towns · #538 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
489 acres · of 23.4 sq mi of land
Trails
6.8 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
547 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
48%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.8 mi
5.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does North Ridgeville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Ridgeville is ahead of 48% of U.S. towns, #538 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of North Ridgeville’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (547 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home48% 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 48%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 46%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Sandy Ridge Reservation, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
South Central Park
Managed by City of North Ridgeville
29 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 8 parks & preserves
Sandy Ridge Reservation327 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Lorain County Metro Parks
DirectionsShady Drive Complex38 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Central Park29 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of North Ridgeville
DirectionsFrontier Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVictory Sports Park61 acres
DirectionsBradley Woods Reservation28 acres · Cleveland Metroparks
Root Road Athletic Complex14 acres
Palmer Field9 acres
Who protects it
489 conserved acres
3% of North Ridgeville’s land. Who manages North Ridgeville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County335 ac
Town or city111 ac
Other state land35 ac
Private owners7 ac
Local Park · 443 acState Park · 35 acLocal Recreation Area · 11 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Ridge Reservation Local Park | County | 323 | Restricted |
| Shady Drive Complex Local Park | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| State Lands State Park | Other state land | 35 | Open |
| Bradley Woods Reservation Local Park | County | 32 | Restricted |
| South Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Frontier Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Root Road Soccer Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Private owners | 7 | Open |
Things to do
19 places to go in North Ridgeville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in North Ridgeville
Ridgefield Pool
DirectionsRidgefield Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in North Ridgeville
Lake Ridge Playground
DirectionsLake Ridge Playground
DirectionsLiberty Playground
DirectionsNorth Ridgeville Playground
DirectionsNorth Ridgeville Playground
DirectionsPrairie Lodge Playground
DirectionsRidgefield Playground
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Community gardens in North Ridgeville
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.5 mi
Connector Trail1.5 mi
Marsh Loop Trail1.1 mi
Meadow Loop Trail0.8 mi
Wet Woods Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
28Baseball
20Tennis
18Soccer
14Pickleball
6Basketball
5Football
5Equestrian
3Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in North Ridgeville: April 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 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 71 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in North Ridgeville →
Next door
North Ridgeville and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Avon30 miEaton Township22 miNorth Olmsted12 miElyria9.1 miNorth Ridgeville6.8 miOlmsted Township5.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Ridgeville | 3% | 0.3 | 15 | 48% | B− |
| Eaton Township | 5% | 0.9 | 10 | 30% | B− |
| Elyria | 8% | 0.4 | 9 | 83% | B+ |
| Olmsted Township | 6% | 0.6 | 7 | 34% | B− |
| Avon | 5% | 1.4 | 16 | 58% | B+ |
| North Olmsted | 13% | 1.0 | 4 | 54% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Ridgeville
Where can I hike in North Ridgeville?
The longest trail networks: Sandy Ridge Reservation, 3.9 miles; Shady Drive Complex, 0.9 miles; South Central Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Ridgeville is conserved land?
3% 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 North Ridgeville’s trails?
Sandy Ridge Reservation and Shady Drive Complex don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in North Ridgeville?
5.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near North Ridgeville?
7,606 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Ridgeville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 547 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does North Ridgeville have?
Ahead of 48% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #538 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 North Ridgeville 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 →