The West Woods
Nature preserve
832 acres7.4 mi of trail
Pioneer Bridle TrailAffelder LinkTulip TrailMusic Street Link+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
ASM Headquarters and Geodesic Dome · Photo: Ohio Urban Development · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Russell Township
Russell Township has 888 acres of parks, 164 for every 1,000 residents
17% of Russell Township’s land is conserved, about 2,114 acres. The biggest trail networks: The West Woods (7.4 mi), Russell Uplands Preserve (2.1 mi), Modroo Preserve (0.8 mi). 11 miles of mapped trail cross Russell Township, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #130 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
2,114 acres · of 19.2 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
888 ac
164 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
49%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Russell Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Russell Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Russell Township is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #130 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 Russell Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (11 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land164 acres of park per 1,000 residents (888 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home49% 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 83%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 87%
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 The West Woods, with 7.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Russell Uplands Preserve
Managed by Russell Township Park District
128 acres2.1 mi of trail
Lake TraceHickory TraceDiagonal Trace
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Modroo Preserve
Nature preserve
60 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 7 parks & preserves
The West Woods832 acres · 7.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRussell Uplands Preserve128 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Russell Township Park District
DirectionsModroo Preserve60 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Geauga Commons32 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBecvar Preserve66 acres · Geauga Parks
Weigand Lake Park7 acres
Whitesburg Nature Preserve1 acres
Who protects it
2,114 conserved acres
17% of Russell Township’s land. Who manages Russell Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,400 ac
County733 ac
Town or city64 ac
Private owners51 ac
Regional agency16 ac
Local Park · 733 acAgricultural Easement · 664 acUnknown Easement · 636 acState Conservation Area · 94 acLocal Conservation Area · 64 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,150 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The West Woods Local Park | County | 733 | Open |
| Russell Land Conservancy State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 94 | Closed |
| White Tail Ranch Wild Animal Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 64 | Restricted |
| Redwing Camp Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 51 | Open |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
| Hillbrook Lots Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Russell Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Russell Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Russell Township
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Russell Township
Sunset OverlookIn The West Woods
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Russell Township
Camp site AIn The West Woods · Geauga Park District
DirectionsCamp site BIn The West Woods
DirectionsTrails & water
13 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 6.4 miUnpaved · 9.6 mi
Pioneer Bridle Trail2.6 mi
Affelder Link1.1 mi
Tulip Trail1.1 mi
Lake Trace0.9 mi
Hickory Trace0.7 mi
Music Street Link0.7 mi
Diagonal Trace0.4 mi
Ansel's Cave Trail0.3 mi
Waterfall Trail0.3 mi
Ansel's Cave trail Link0.2 mi
3 more trails
Trout Lily Trail
0.2 miDiscovery Trail
0.2 miFriendship Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
20Tennis
8Baseball
4Soccer
2Basketball
1Multi-sport
1Equestrian
1Beach volleyball
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 Russell Township: 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 | 36 | 45 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 62 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.3 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Russell Township →
Next door
Russell Township and its neighbors
Russell Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Russell Township11 miNewbury Township11 miChester Township6.3 miSouth Russell3.3 miChesterland2.4 miChagrin Falls Township2.1 miChagrin Falls2.1 miHunting Valley0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Township | 17% | 0.6 | 164 | 49% | A− |
| Hunting Valley | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| South Russell | 9% | 0.9 | 29 | 76% | A− |
| Chester Township | 5% | 0.3 | 46 | 46% | B |
| Chesterland | 1% | 0.2 | 14 | 34% | C |
| Newbury Township | 14% | 0.4 | 237 | 39% | A− |
| Chagrin Falls Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chagrin Falls | 12% | 1.0 | 14 | 89% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Russell Township
Where can I hike in Russell Township?
The longest trail networks: The West Woods, 7.4 miles; Russell Uplands Preserve, 2.1 miles; Modroo Preserve, 0.8 miles; West Geauga Commons, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Russell Township is conserved land?
17% 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 Russell Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at West Geauga Commons (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Russell Township?
31,241 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Russell Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 888 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Russell Township have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #130 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 Russell Township 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 →