Cleveland: Untamed

Cleveland doesn't get filed under "wilderness" very often, but spend a day outside the city limits and that reputation starts to look outdated. There's a national park on the doorstep, a genuine surfing community on Lake Erie, and enough parkland threaded through the city that locals call it the Emerald Necklace. Here's the Cleveland trip for anyone after fresh air over shopping bags.

Hike Waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Ohio's only national park sits just south of the city, and it's genuinely surprising in scale: over 100 waterfalls, glacial gorges and roughly 52 square miles of forest and wetland, all free to enter. Brandywine Falls, a 65-foot drop reached by a short walk from the car park, is the classic postcard shot, while Blue Hen Falls and the Ledges Trail, with its moss-covered rock formations and slot-canyon passageways, reward a bit more legwork. For something more relaxed, the flat Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs alongside the old canal and is easy walking or cycling, with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on hand to pick up tired legs along the route.

Discover Lake Erie's Surprising Surf Scene

It sounds like a joke until you see it: Cleveland has a real, dedicated surfing community, riding Lake Erie's waves 500 miles from the nearest ocean. Surfers gather at Edgewater Park when conditions line up, wetsuits on year-round, since some of the best swells roll in during the colder months rather than summer. It's not something visitors typically expect from a Great Lakes city, which is exactly what makes it worth knowing about, even if watching from the beach is as close as most people get.

Follow Your Curiosity at the Natural History Museum

Back in the city, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History covers everything from dinosaurs to astronomy to the region's own natural history, a good option for a wet-weather day or a family visit that wants a bit of science alongside the sightseeing.

Meet the Wildlife at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

For animals a little further afield than the local wildlife, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is home to species from across the globe, spread through a series of themed areas, and remains one of the city's most-visited attractions for a reason.

Explore the Emerald Necklace

Cleveland Metroparks, the network of parks that rings the city and gives it the nickname "Emerald Necklace," offers up dozens of outdoor spots for hiking, biking and simply getting outside, on top of the standout patios and green spaces scattered through the city itself. It's less a single destination than a reminder that Cleveland's outdoor side runs right through its neighbourhoods, not just out at the national park.

Need a soundtrack to your adventure? We have you covered with this curated Spotify playlist: Cleveland Untamed

For more on Cleveland's wilder side, visit thisiscleveland.com