Brecksville Reservation: The Largest in the Cleveland Metroparks

Cleveland is home to one of the nicest park systems in the country. On your first drive through the city, you may see nothing but industrial parks and factories. However, if you stay a bit, I recommend visiting a few of the wonderful parks which are easily accessible from anywhere in the metro. Despite the initial look of the city, there is a surprisingly high number of quality parks and tourist attractions to check out.

I will admit on my first roadtrip here, I thought it was a pretty ugly city without much to offer. After moving here, I have discovered so many gorgeous natural areas. The Metroparks is an award-winning National Gold Medal recipient. There are 18 incredible reservations to enjoy all year-round, whether you prefer hiking, leaf peeping, or cross country skiing.

The largest is Brecksville Reservation, a beautiful place to hike and enjoy nature all year. Since living in the metro, I have explored many of these gorgeous parks in different seasons and this is one of my favorites that I return to most often. It’s super quiet and rustic and the scenery is beautiful. It’s such a peaceful place to get in a nice hike, birdwatch, and simply reconnect in nature for a bit. I feel far removed from any suburban congestion here, so it’s a nice place to rejuvenate for an hour or 2. I highly recommend placing this gorgeous park on your summer bucket list.

The Nature Center

One of the things I like best about this preserve is the nature center where you can explore various exhibits and also birdwatch. It’s the last of the trailside museums (it opened in June of 1939) which were originally developed as a place for the public to meet up and explore nature. They have some relaxing rocking chairs set up and you can just gaze out at the trees and watch the hummingbirds (they have several feeders set up). I recommend looking into their events lineup which includes various guided walks and programs. Most recently, I saw an intro to ferns walk and a craft hour where kids can learn more about butterflies and make their own to take home.

The Hemlock Trail

You will find several miles of trails within the park, most of which are easy-moderate in intensity. One of my favorites is the Hemlock, a 1.4 mile adventure through a pretty forest. The trek is a bit steep at points, but it’s very beautiful place to get lost in nature. It’s mostly shady, so you can enjoy a walk here during the summer season. It’s also quiet beautiful during the fall season thanks to the presence of many oak trees which turn into brilliant gold and yellow hues each fall. I recommend skipping this one in the winter as it can be difficult to walk uphill if there is a lot of snow or ice. We enjoyed hiking this trail most in early November just after peak – this is a great time to enjoy last minute leaf peeping on this popular trail in a quieter setting.

The White Oak Trail

This is my favorite relaxing hike within the reservation. I love strolling around looking the gorgeous oak hickory forest. This trail is the same distance at the Hemlock, but a bit less hillier. There is a small staircase to start, but it is pretty easy from then on. If you have the stamina and time, you can add on a quick 0.3 mile detour to the My Mountain Overlook for more great views. This will up your workout a bit, but it’s worth it for the beautiful lookout. It’s so quiet along this route – we didn’t see more than a few people on our hike. This trail begins near the Plateau picnic area. I would love to come back and hike this one during the fall season. Here are a few pics taken during the late summer season (note – I also took my cover photo along this trail).

Gorge Loop

This is one of the shorter loops within the park, but it’s super scenic. This is one of the newer trails, so one to check out if you haven’t visited in a few years. The prime highlight along this one is the gorgeous viewpoint of Chippewa Creek. It was never open due to the public in the past, being a steep trail, but there are now some guard rails to help you down to the creek. I love the views of the creek and there are some nice photo opps here with all the big sandstone boulders.

Wildflower Loop

This short trail comes in just under a mile and conveniently starts right outside the nature center. There are some nice views of the creek. It’s mostly easy with a short section where you walk up a staircase. As you can see in the photos below, the setting is so lush and beautiful during the summer months.

I like exploring this one during the beautiful summer months when you can see lots of wildflowers. From the scenic overlook, you can look out upon the tallgrass prairie. You can see monarch butterflies during the late summer season as they search for nectar on the many flowers. A few pics of the prairie and late summer wildflowers.

There is a nice memorial dedicated to Harriet Keeler. Harriet was a teacher in the Cleveland Public school district with a special passion for botany and nature.

This trail is also quite beautiful in the fall, even though it’s just a short trek through the woods. I recommend combining a few hikes on each visit to get the most out of your time here. You really can’t go wrong in the fall – this place is really alive with gorgeous golden hues if you time your visit just right. The colors seem to last until the first week of November which is nice for those like me who would go on leaf peeping forever if they could!

Chippewa Creek Gorge overlook

There is a small waterfall overlook which you can either drive to or hike to from the Gorge trail (my recommendation). The volume will depend on the time of year/recent rainfall. The waterfall was much more powerful on our fall visit vs the summer.

Also there are several nice picnicking areas. I recommend bringing your own lunch and enjoying some more time in nature if your visit falls during the warmer late spring, summer, and early fall seasons.

Additional Details

• Location: 9000 Chippewa Rd, Brecksville, OH
• Parking: Free
• Hours: 6am-11pm
• Bikes permitted on designated trails
• Pets: Allowed with a leash no longer than 8 feet
• Fishing: Allowed with an Ohio license
• Hunting: Not allowed

Learn more about this reservation and others in the Metroparks system.

Looking for more to do around the city? Check out my Ohio Travel Guide where I spotlight the best of the city, suburbs, Lake Erie, and the national park.