A Winter's Walk: Hiking North Chagrin Metropark
While winter weather may have me dreaming of the beach, sometimes it's nice to go for a hike closer to home. I actually hike in North Chagrin Metropark, near Cleveland, Ohio, all of the time, but I've somehow neglected to write a post about it until now.
North Chagrin Reservation is a small park within the Cleveland Metroparks System. It has about 11 miles of trail for hiking, and, in addition, has a 10-mile bridle trail for horseback riding. I would rate all of the trails within this park as "easy," but you can push some to "moderate" by adding distance. A trail map is located here.
You'll soon notice the forest changing as you enter the stand of white pine. A boardwalk exists here to enable you to walk amongst the trees without trampling their delicate root systems. Take a deep breath; feel stress leaving your body. As you continue, you'll come to a split in the boardwalk:
Both routes will take you the same way, so no need to worry. You will overlook a small gorge, which, covered in snow is silent and peaceful. Black squirrels skitter across the path, anxious of their conspicuous coats against the winter groundcover.
All too soon, you will arrive back where you started, and head back to reality.
Actually, there are several other routes you can take from here, although I won't discuss them in detail in this post:
- return back to Squire's Lane trail, walk a little bit further and then take the 1.6 mile Scenic Loop Trail
- return back to Strawberry Picnic parking area and take the 1.75 mile Hemlock trail to Buttermilk Falls (this is not a loop)
- Take Squire's Lane trail the full 0.75 miles to arrive at Squire's Castle
Trail Details:
Length: 1.5 miles
Best time of year: All
Difficulty: Easy
Fees: None
That's it! Keep on hiking, folks, and don't forget to subscribe and follow me here and here! Looking for more? Check out my favorite trails.
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| Winter at North Chagrin Reservation |
North Chagrin Reservation is a small park within the Cleveland Metroparks System. It has about 11 miles of trail for hiking, and, in addition, has a 10-mile bridle trail for horseback riding. I would rate all of the trails within this park as "easy," but you can push some to "moderate" by adding distance. A trail map is located here.
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| Squire's Lane trail |
My favorite section of the park is White Pine Loop trail. This is a 1 mile trail that passes through a beautiful stand of white pine. The easiest way to access this trail to park at Strawberry Picnic Area and pick up Squire's Lane Trail. Squire's lane trail begins across the road from the parking lot. Squire's Lane trail will soon intersect with White Pine Loop, which is a lollipop loop trail.
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| White Pine Loop |
Both routes will take you the same way, so no need to worry. You will overlook a small gorge, which, covered in snow is silent and peaceful. Black squirrels skitter across the path, anxious of their conspicuous coats against the winter groundcover.
All too soon, you will arrive back where you started, and head back to reality.
Actually, there are several other routes you can take from here, although I won't discuss them in detail in this post:
- return back to Squire's Lane trail, walk a little bit further and then take the 1.6 mile Scenic Loop Trail
- return back to Strawberry Picnic parking area and take the 1.75 mile Hemlock trail to Buttermilk Falls (this is not a loop)
- Take Squire's Lane trail the full 0.75 miles to arrive at Squire's Castle
Trail Details:
Length: 1.5 miles
Best time of year: All
Difficulty: Easy
Fees: None
That's it! Keep on hiking, folks, and don't forget to subscribe and follow me here and here! Looking for more? Check out my favorite trails.
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