Lace up your hiking boots – it's leaf-peeping season.
Cleveland is The Forest City for good reason: its parks hold acre upon acre of trees, ready to show off their autumn colour. With the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park both close to the city, remarkable views aren't far away. Here are some great starting points to take the family and see The Land at its finest.
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Standing 60 feet high, Brandywine Falls is a picture-perfect waterfall ringed by a 1.5-mile trail through the deep gorge cut by Brandywine Creek. In Cuyahoga Valley National Park, you'll have wildlife, water, family-friendly climbs and the crisp, cool smell of the forest for company. The boardwalk and platform at the top give wonderful views of the cascade and valley below, easily accessible even with small children and strollers, while the full trail, still fine in jeans and trainers, takes about an hour.
Across the Ritchie Ledges area of Virginia Kendall, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a network of trails lets you look up at the giant rock formations from the forest floor, or out over a sea of trees from the top. Find the overlook on the main Ledges Trail. It makes you feel on top of the world. Easy stroll or something more adventurous, the choice is yours: wind among the towering sandstone and hemlocks, or enjoy it all from the comfort of the path.
The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a Northeast Ohio icon. Dozens of trailheads thread through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Cleveland Metroparks and beyond, with the scenic railroad, canal towns and miles of forest-covered walking along the way. The developed trail now runs more than 93 miles south from Cleveland, heading for a planned 101. Bike or hike it through ever-changing views; it's a great option for the whole family, mostly flat and almost entirely ADA accessible.
The contrast of trees – oak and hickory on the ridges, cottonwoods and willows on the floodplain – gives Brecksville Reservation, in the Cleveland Metroparks, a look all its own. Glaciers carved seven deep gorges here long ago, and the varied light and soil support a wealth of rare plants. A stretch of the famous Buckeye Trail suits keener hikers, while gentler paths and short family loops leave everyone else spoilt for choice.
Rocky River Reservation is among the most popular in the Cleveland Metroparks, thanks to its sheer variety. The river meanders through wooded scenery beneath giant shale cliffs by the Emerald Necklace Marina. The Fort Hill Loop Trailserves up breathtaking river views, with a fine mix of trees and ancient earthworks raised by Early Woodland people more than two thousand years ago. Fair warning: the loop climbs 155 stairs, so stretch first.
Hinckley Reservation is known nationwide for the buzzards that return each spring, but there's plenty to enjoy year-round. On a sunny autumn day, little beats the colour reflecting off 90-acre Hinckley Lake. See it from a kayak or paddleboard out on the water, or walk the many public-access trails in the surrounding Cleveland Metroparks. Mix activity with leisure and you can bike, fish, boat or hike around with ease.
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There's no finer time than autumn to see The Land in full colour, and two or three of these fold easily into one day. To discover more and start planning your next trip to The Land, visit
thisiscleveland.com.
Posted by: Destination Cleveland
Posted on: 07/09/2026