Have Fun Outdoors at these Cleveland Parks on a Sunny Day

Acacia Reservation is a lovely 155-acre passive park and green space in the Cleveland suburb of Lyndhurst, connected to the nearby Euclid Creek Reservation by the western branch of Euclid Creek. The park is home to a 1.7-mile paved loop trail which is open to walkers and cyclists, along with a wide variety of green spaces for relaxation and play. Visitors can enjoy a regular schedule of public natural programming offered for visitors of all ages, including a Birds of Acacia guided birding nature walk program and an Acacia for the Young at Heart series for older park visitors. The Acacia Clubhouse is available to the public for private special event rental, hosting up to 300 guests. Food and beverage service for rentals is available from Dino's Catering.

Cedar Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124, Phone: 216-635-3200

Bedford Reservation protects a lovely National Natural Landmark gorge carved by Tinker's Creek, the largest tributary waterway of the Cuyahoga River. The reservation stretches more than 2,200 acres and showcases lovely waterfalls and waterway vistas, as well as forest habitats protecting mature trees and seasonal wildflowers. The Shawnee Hills Golf Course, contained within the reservation, is home to an 18-hole public course, a driving range, and a FootGolf course. Visitors can drive the Gorge Parkway and observe spectacular autumn foliage vistas from its scenic overlooks. Opportunities abound for mountain biking, horseback riding, nature photography, and wildlife watching, with a wide variety of trailheads and picnic areas available to the public for day use.

18753 Egbert Rd, Bedford, OH 44146, Phone: 216-635-3200

Big Creek Reservation is delightful reservation located within the Cleveland suburbs of Middleburg Heights, Parma, Parma Heights, Brooklyn, and Strongsville, traversed by the Big Creek Parkway, which serves as an alternative to many of Cleveland's standard commuter routes. The park's features include the 2.4-mile Lake to Lake Trail, which is ADA-accessible and spans 175 acres of headwater wetlands between Lakes Isaac and Abram, the largest wetland area in Cuyahoga County. Lake Abram Marsh preserves the largest glacial wetland remains in Cuyahoga County, approximately 80 acres. Visitors can also fish for sunfish, channel catfish, and largemouth bass at the reservation's Beyer's Pond or sled down the Engle Road and Memphis Sledding Hills during the winter months when snowy conditions permit. Day-use picnic areas are available, along with several picnic shelters that offer horseshoe pits, barbecue grills, and playing fields.

4101 Fulton Pkwy, Cleveland, OH 44144, Phone: 216-635-3200

Romantic Cleveland Parks

Bradley Woods Reservation preserves Cleveland Metroparks' only swamp forest area, located within the suburb of Westlake along 795 acres. The woodland park sits atop a massive Berea sandstone quarry area, which formerly produced sandstone for building stones throughout the 20th century. Today, visitors can enjoy wildlife observation and relaxation at Bunns Lake, a manmade reservoir dedicated in 1986 to provide a habitat for native waterfowl. Richly forested areas are laden with red maple, yellow birch, sour gum, pin oak, and tulip trees, while two miles of hiking trails provide scenic panoramas of the lake area. An open grassy area provides a spot for pickup sporting games and picnics, while a monarch butterfly waystation offers a nesting site for threatened species. Visitors can reserve the Codrington Shelterhouse picnic area, which offers electric hookups, barbecue grills, and public restrooms.

4538 Bradley Rd, Westlake, OH 44145, Phone: 216-635-3200

Brecksville Reservation is Ohio's largest public park facility, stretching 3,026 acres throughout the flat floodplain region of the beautiful Chippewa Creek. The park, which is the largest of Cleveland's 18 Metroparks, is cut by seven gorges showcasing a wide variety of native vegetation habitats, including areas protecting rare and endangered plants. The Buckeye Trail traverses the reservation, along with the Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail, which offers 18 independent-use outdoor fitness stations. Natural features include the Chippewa Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook and the Deer Lick Cave, while developed attractions include the 27-hole Seneca Golf Course. The park is also home to the Squire Rich Home and Museum, which is overseen by the Brecksville Historical Society.

9000 Chippewa Creek Dr, Brecksville, OH 44141

Brookside Reservation is one of the newest additions to the Cleveland Metroparks system, acquired by the city in 1993, though its history dates back to its purchase in 1894 for the development of a neighborhood park and recreation center. The park remains a major recreation hub today, spanning more than 132 acres and offering attractions such as baseball, soccer, and football fields. Diverse urban wildlife calls the park home, some of which is visible from the Brookside Overlook, which provides a bird's-eye view of the Big Creek and Cuyahoga River areas. Day-use picnic sites are also offered, along with barbecue grills, children's play equipment, and sand volleyball courts. The park also offers a connection to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo via the All-Purpose Trail, which is open to walkers and cyclists.

3900 John Nagy Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44144, Phone: 216-664-3308

Euclid Creek Reservation is best known as the former site of the famed Euclid Beach Amusement Park, which operated between 1895 and 1969 and was modeled after New York City's Coney Island. Though many of the park's amusement rides have long disappeared, it retains relics such as a shuffleboard area and remnants of the Flying Turns roller coaster. The park's southern area, divided by its namesake Euclid Creek, is located on the site of the ghost town of Bluestone, which popped up in the late 19th century as a result of quarrying activity. In 2013, the park was expanded to include areas formerly contained within Euclid Beach, Villa Angela, and Wildwood Parks. It now offers a 650-foot public beachfront area along the Lake Erie shoreline, which is home a scenic observation pier and shaded day-use picnic areas. Angling opportunities are offered at Wildwood Park's boat launch, while biking opportunities are available at the 17-mile Cleveland Lakefront Bike Trail, which provides access to nearby Edgewater Park.

850 Euclid Creek Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44121, Phone: 216-382-5660

Cleveland Parks for Families

Garfield Park Reservation is a charming public reservation in Cleveland's Garfield Heights neighborhood, originally opened in 1895 as Newburg Park after the city's purchase of three farmsteads near the city's southern limits. Today, it is home to a diverse array of urban wildlife, along with a number of structures that have been preserved from park development in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration. Since 1986, the park has been overseen as part of Cleveland Metroparks. Visitors can observe Cuyahoga County's tallest waterfall at the Mill Creek Falls Overlook or view historic mason work at the Old Boating Pond Bridge. Ample green space is provided at the Yard at Mill Creek Falls, which offers scenic lower vista views. Other attractions include the Garfield Park Physical Fitness Trail, day-use picnic areas, and a nature center facility offering educational programming throughout the year.

11350 Broadway Ave, Garfield Heights, OH 44125, Phone: 216-206-1000

Hinckley Reservation is a lovely Cleveland Metroparks reservation in Medina County, anchored around the 90-acre lake of the same name. The park is best known as the site of the annual Return of the Buzzards, a migratory bird observation period that takes place each year in mid-March. Visitors can observe the unique carvings of Worden's Ledges, crafted by Noble Stuart in the 1940s, or view the impressive Whipp's Ledges, which stretch 350 feet above the lake's shoreline and were formed over 250 million years ago. Fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities are offered at Hinckley Lake, while public access trails are offered in the Rising Valley Park area, which was transferred to the supervision of Cleveland Metroparks from Hinckley Township. Other attractions include a public pool and recreation area, scenic overlooks, and the Buzzard's Landing concession area.

Hinckley, OH 44233, Phone: 330-278-2160

Huntington Reservation is a delightful 103-acre park along Lake Erie, originally acquired by the Cleveland Metroparks system in 1925. The park, which is located within Bay Village, is home to the programming for the Metroparks-affiliated BAYarts center and the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Visitors can swim, stroll, and fish at the park's Huntington Beach throughout the summer months or observe the preserved Lake Shore Electric Railway Trestle, an historic interurban railway track that connected Cleveland and Detroit between 1893 and 1938. Three miles of nature trails meander through forest, creek, and meadow habitats, while day-use picnic areas provide scenic vistas high above the beachfront. Visitors can also make use of the park's ball fields or grab food from the Hut at Huntington Beach, which sells Honey Hut ice cream and a variety of American-style fare.

28728 Wolf Picnic Area Dr, Bay Village, OH 44140, Phone: 216-635-3200