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Glens Trail

Gorge MetroPark
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County

Location

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Summit County)
Park at the Gorge MetroPark paved parking lot on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls, just north of the bridge over the Cuyahoga River at the Akron Border. Cross front street at the marked crossing, following signs to the trail.

Summary

Length: 1.7
Duration: 1-1 1/2 hours. Surface: natural, uneven, can be muddy or icy at times. Type: In and back, or park a second vehicle near the other end of the trail on Front Street near Chestnut Street in Cuyahoga Falls. Note there is no parking lot for the trail at this end.
Difficulty: easy
Accessibility: No. (Stairs, uneven surfaces, narrow trail)

Description

a rock overhang that the Glens trail goes under.
A rock overhang above the Glens trail.

The Glens Trail runs from front Street to Chestnut Street in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. You will hike along beautiful sandstone ledges above you, with sheer cliffs towering above the other side of the river. numerous springs and seeps are apparent along the way. On the face of the cliffs across the river, ice marks the location of these seeps in the winter. these towering stone walls and their reflections in the smooth water of the river below are a spectacular sight.

The forests along the trail are composed mainly of oaks (Quercus spp.) with some sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) with their white upper bark visible in the bottomland below.

Towering sandstone cliffs in the Gorge.
Towering sandstone cliffs in the Gorge.

After the river flows through this gorge, it heads back north to Lake Erie. Massive sandstone ledges dominate the scenery, providing a number of nooks and crannys to speculate about. Did indians use these as shelter, as they did Mary Campbell cave along the Gorge Trail? Did bears once den here? What caused these recesses? What ever caused these features, and who ever used them in the past, be sure to stay on the trail and don't climb upon the rocks.

Special Rules

No Rock Climbing. Keep dogs on leash at all times. Park Closes at 11 pm, but the Glens Trail closes at dusk. Steep and dangerous terrain surrounds the trail, so stay on the trail and enjoy yourself.

Nearby Trails

Highbridge Trail, Cascade Valley and Gorge (Metroparks, Serving Summit County)
Oxbow Trail, Cascade Valley (Metroparks, Serving Summit County)
Schumaker Valley Trail, Cascade Valley (Metroparks, Serving Summit County)
Gorge Trail, Gorge (Metroparks, Serving Summit County)