Cleveland Autumn Bucket List: Hiking, Leaf Peeping, & More

Fall is the best time of the year in the Cleveland metro. The hideous summer heat and humidity have finally gone away. Fall foliage covers all the local parks and beautiful colorful trees liven up historic neighborhoods like Tremont and Shaker Square. Both chains and independent businesses begin rolling out seasonal pumpkin inspired treats. Local orchards and pumpkin patches open for the season. There is a lot to look forward to this time of the year, especially if you love autumn and Halloween festivities, leaf peeping, and nature activities.

Since moving to Cleveland this year, I have been looking forward to cool temps, hiking, and leaf peeping after a very long, hot, and sunny summer season which extended well into September. It seems to stay hotter longer each year now; I remember back when we occasionally saw snow in October growing up in Chicago. As my favorite time of year, I always seek out festive fun no matter where I live and travel. In my guide, I will cover some of the great fall activities you can look forward to this season. As the season seems to get shorter by the year, there is a lot of stuff to pack into just a few weeks!

Hike at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

My favorite thing to do on a brisk autumn day is to take a walk at beautiful Cuyahoga, one of the country’s most underrated national parks. While the park does receive high traffic, it gets little press despite being so beautiful and easily accessible. I love hiking here anytime of the year, but the trails really shine during the colorful fall season. In my opinion, this is the best place to leaf peep and enjoy the outdoors in Ohio. It’s well worth the half hour drive outside of the city. Locals should take advantage of having access to one of the country’s most beautiful national parks at their fingertips; many are quite hard to access.

Most notably, the Brandywine Falls trail leads you to an impressive 60 foot waterfall – one of the tallest in the state. A 1.5 mile hike starts at the Brandywine Falls trailhead or you can opt for a longer 5.7 mile hike which begins at the Boston Mills Visitor Center. Not up for a hike? Take the short boardwalk trail (partially accessible) which leads you straight to this Ohio gem. Other trails I recommend include: Blue Hen Falls, Pine Grove, and the Towpath bike trail.

Learn more about the beautiful trails at Cuyahoga

See a beautiful covered bridge

Everett Bridge is a gorgeous covered bridge from the 1860’s located in Peninsula. It was destroyed by a flood in the 1970’s and rebuilt in 1986. It’s located within close proximity to the national park and several farms, so a great side trip.

If you are really into covered bridges and history and don’t mind a longer drive, I definitely recommend a daytrip to Ashtabula, “the covered bridge capital of Ohio.” This small Lake Erie county is home to both the longest and shortest covered bridges in the US.

Bike Aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

During the summer and fall months, I love getting out for a day of fresh exercise along the Towpath trail. It’s a lengthy 90+ mile trail, but there is a wonderful 20 mile section which travels through the national park. What really sets this trail apart is that you can bike one way and then pay a small fee to carry your bike on the scenic railroad. Walkers and joggers also get to enjoy the discount.

I like to start at the Boston Mill Visitor Center for easy parking and then catch the train at the Indigo Lake station for a ~6 mile ride. It’s such a gorgeous route and fall is the perfect time temp wise to enjoy a long bike ride.

Note that there are several train stations along the route. You simply flag down the train to signal you want a ride. Definitely check the schedule beforehand as times are a bit limited and you don’t want to get stuck waiting for hours. More details on the Explorer program.

Take your pic next to a beautiful waterfall

There are a number of great little waterfalls not far from the city. As someone who lived in WNC, “The Land of Waterfalls” for many years, these small waterfalls can’t compare. Nevertheless, they are decent enough to warrant a visit.

The most impressive is Brandywine Falls at Cuyahoga, a 60 foot stunner in a gorgeous forested setting. This is one of the most mesmerizing waterfalls in the Midwest, so definitely add it to your bucket list. I’ve hiked this trail several times in both summer and fall and it’s gorgeous either way. Blue Hen Falls is another beauty, although the hike is a bit rougher in nature with lots of steps to climb. I’ve yet to hike this one in autumn, but it’s on my list this year.

Other waterfalls I recommend adding to your bucket list:

• Columbia Beach Falls: A really cool waterfall located directly on Lake Erie. Visit following a storm when water flow is strongest.
• Mill Creek Falls: This 48 foot waterfall located in The Yards is worth a quick look. This is considered a high crime area, so be careful and never leave belongings unattended in the car.
• Olmsted Falls: This small, but pretty waterfall can be viewed at David Fortier River Park

Enjoy a bike ride through Big Creek Reservation

This large park is my favorite place to bike and hike in the metro. The prettiest section of the park is located in the suburb of Parma. Living relatively close to this area, I have enjoyed hiking in the summer, leaf peeping in the fall, and snowshoeing and sledding in the winter! My favorite time to visit is during the peak of fall; this park is loaded with fall foliage and rarely sees any crowds even on weekends.

You can also use this park for nature walks. I have never seen so many deer in my life than via a morning walk at this peaceful oasis. Seriously, this gorgeous natural gem sees so few crowds – it’s really a great place to get away from it all for a while. One of the highlights here is the Lake to Lake trail, a 2 mile course connecting to Lake Abrams and Isaac.

Learn more about the Metroparks system

Indulge in a pumpkin treat

Even though I prefer black coffee 90% of the time, I find it hard to get through the fall season without at least one Pumpkin Spice Latte – the trademark drink Starbucks made popular so many years ago. I’ve had a bit of a hard time finding many seasonal treats at local businesses, but the few I’ve found have been worth the splurge. Metropolitan, one of my favorite local coffeeshops, offers delicious pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Roasted is a local coffeehouse which serves a number of fall drinks including a fantastic Pumpkin Swirl Latte.

As for the big chains, my favorite treats include: the pumpkin cheesecake at Olive Garden, the Pumpkin Pancakes & donuts at First Watch, and the Autumn soup at Panera Bread.