Get outdoors with this guide to 60 of the best hiking trails within an hour or so from Cleveland, Ohio, leading you to scenic beauty. The best way to experience Cleveland is by hiking it! Get outdoors with local author and hiking expert Diane Stresing. This full-color guide helps you locate and access the top hikes within 60 miles of CLE. The selected trails transport you to scenic overlooks, wildlife hot spots, and historical settings that renew your spirit and recharge your body. Immerse yourself in history on the Fort Hill Loop Trail, featuring ancient Indigenous ceremonial grounds and the remains of a prehistoric “monster.” Combine your hike with a lighthouse tour at Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park. Enjoy the scenic hiking paths at Orchard Hills Park, a former golf course converted to a recreational park. Go birding at Bath Nature Preserve. With Diane as your guide, you’ll learn about the area and experience nature through 60 of The Land’s best hikes! Whether you’re a local looking for new places to explore or a visitor to the area, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Cleveland provides plenty of options for a couple hours or a full day of adventure, all within an hour or so from the city. Inside you’ll find: A perfect blend of popular routes and hidden gems—all near home - Expert tips about where to hike and what to expect when you get there - Key at-a-glance information on distance, difficulty, scenery, traffic, hiking time, and more, so you can quickly and easily learn about each trail - Detailed directions, GPS-based trail maps, and elevation profiles - The author’s recommended hikes by category Diane Stresing grew up in Columbus, moved to the Cleveland area in 1989, and currently lives in Kent. A genuine Buckeye, Stresing received a BA in journalism from The Ohio State University. When she’s not hiking or biking in northeast Ohio, Diane writes marketing content and features for a variety of clients. Downtown Cleveland Highlights Distance & Configuration: 3.5-mile loop - Difficulty: Easy - Scenery: Landmark buildings (both old and new), our Great Lake, public art - Exposure: Mostly exposed - Traffic: Heavy - Trail Surface: Asphalt - Hiking Time: 1.5+ hours - Driving Distance: 9 miles from I-77/I-480 exchange - Access: 24/7; most shops and all roads and parkways open daily - Maps: USGS Cleveland North and Cleveland South; street maps posted at Regional Transit Authority stops and map at Towpath Trailhead - Facilities: Public restrooms and water at Tower City - Wheelchair Access: Overlook to West Side Market, yes; Columbus Road Bridge, partially - Contact: Terminal Tower/Tower City guest services: 216-306-0633; Erie Street Cemetery: 216-348-7217; see “Nearby Activities” on page 40 for additional contact information. - Location: W. Sixth St., Cleveland This hike is uniquely Cleveland—and it starts at a historical landmark turned shopping mall. Whether you have out-of-town guests who want to see the north coast, or you haven’t been downtown for a while, this mini-tour will put you in a Cleveland state of mind, with stops at stately Public Square, the anything-but-square Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Steamship William G. Mather, USS COD, and the home fields of the Browns and the Guardians. Description From Tower City’s lower lot, go inside Tower City Center, up the escalator, and wander north through the shopping center’s bright interior. When the Van Sweringen brothers planned the 52-story tower in the 1920s, they worked to sway both public opinion and political decisions to have it constructed to their desired specifications. Built to be the main tower in the Cleveland Union (railroad) Terminal, it was the tallest building outside of New York City from its opening in 1930 until 1967. Today, the tower cum mall-and-office space has far outlived the railroad line for which it was planned (though the Rapid Transit station is still active), yet the building remains a signature flourish on Cleveland’s skyline. For the past decade or so, like so many malls, it has struggled to keep tenants and to attract shoppers. What Tower City has that most malls don’t is the City of Cleveland—a city that will likely find a new way to use the fabulous building. (Stay tuned.) Exit Tower City Center onto Euclid Avenue, emerging on Public Square. The Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, built in 1894, sits to your right, on the eastern side of Ontario Street. The monument to the almost 10,000 Cleveland-area soldiers who served in the Civil War is as impressive inside as it is from the outside. Go in to learn from the displays and knowledgeable docents. Continue north across Public Square to the Old Stone Church. Established on the corner of Ontario Street and Rockwell Avenue in 1834, the church has been rebuilt a couple of times since. The building you see today dates to 1855. If your timing is good (don’t interrupt a wedding!), you may be able to go in to appreciate the church’s ornate in