Think you might like to try bicycling
off-road? Enjoy the scenery of the parks as you explore a variety of terrain including paved, gravel and dirt trails. Explore some of the most beautiful areas of Lake Metroparks. Bring your bike or hybrid.
Lake Metroparks Bike Trails
Chapin Forest Reservation (Kirtland) - Ledges shelter
Enter the park at the Route 306 entrance; follow the drive all the way to the end. For more information, call the Lake Metroparks Registration Department at 440-358-7275, or 1-800-669-9226. From the Ledges shelter, it is a quick climb up to the scenic overlook, where downtown Cleveland is visible 17 miles to the West. Trails range from wide open to narrow, and cover a variety of terrains- flat and smooth, crushed gravel to hilly and rough. There are over five miles of trail available.
Girdled Road Reservation (Concord Township)
South Entrance on Radcliffe Road off of Rt 608. For more information, call the Lake Metroparks Registration Department at 440-358-7275, or 1-800-669-9226. There is a lot of ground to cover in this park, which has over 600 acres of property. The south entrance has trails around the pond and the top of the ridge. You may also continue north and drop into the valley, which presents more trails and more opportunities.
Greenway Corridor- (Painesville/Concord Township)
Park at the lot on the corner of Rt 84 and Liberty, across from George's Dinner Bell. For more information, call the Lake Metroparks Registration Department at 440-358-7275, or 1-800-669-9226. The new crown jewel of Lake Metroparks, the Greenway Corridor is an all-purpose asphalt trail which extends from Jackson Street in Painesville to Ravenna Road in Concord Township. Total trail length is 4.4 miles, and has both flat and rolling trail.
Hogback Ridge Park North (Atchinson Property) Route 307 between Bates Road and County Line Rd. For more information, call Leigh Garam at 440-585-2800. This wild park is designed especially for mountain bike riders. Designated trails are narrow singletrack, and cover terrain suitable for the beginner and the more experienced rider. Trails cover over two miles of terrain. Terrain ranges from easy to expert on the mountain bike loop in the valley.
Hogback Ridge Park (Madison Twp.)
Emerson Road in Madison, off of Doty Road. For more information, call the Lake Metroparks Registration Department at 440-358-7275, or 1-800-669-9226. There are two paths to try at Hogback Ridge, both of which lead you to scenic views of the river valley down below. The loop trail follows crushed gravel and boardwalks for your walking or hiking pleasure. Trails cover two miles of terrain.
Penitentiary Glen Reservation (Kirtland)
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road. For more information, call 440-256-1404. Penitentiary Glen is known for the deep gorge that divides the park in two. Enjoy 8 miles of rolling to steep terrain surrounded by hemlock-lined trails, fields, and wetlands. Biking is permitted on all trails except the Gorge Rim Loop and Halle Home Loop.
Guided bike programs are offered
throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Click here to download the 2013 schedule (PDF).
Click here to register for 2013 biking programs.
Visit or call the Lake Metroparks
Registration Department at 440-358-7275 or 1-800-669-9226 Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm.
Le Tour De Parks
Complete as many Lake Metroparks
cycling programs as you can to earn a
free t-shirt! Choose from shorter rides
(20 miles) or longer rides (25+ miles).
Complete 100 miles of venturing for
the season to earn your shirt.
Contact Leigh Garam
by email or at 440-585-2800 for more information.
ANSI/SNELL approved bicycle helmets required on all rides.
If you need a helmet, please reserve one
when you register.
Bike Ride Check List:
Helmet
Bike tune-up
Weather check
Clothing
Route map
Departure time
ETA
(Estimated time of arrival)
Did you know . . .
90% of children who lived within a mile of their school walked or biked to school in the 1960s. Only 31% do so today.
Bicycling is 117% more efficient than walking.
Using a bicycle to commute four days a week for four miles (one-way) saves 54 gallons of gas annually.
The energy and resources needed to build one medium-sized car could produce 100 bicycles.
Bikes vs. Cars - bikes are 2/3 more efficient than cars even after factoring in the energy to produce the extra food the cyclist requires.
30% of morning traffic is caused by parents dropping their kids off at school.
Biking accounts for 0.2% of all road miles traveled, and 1% of all trips in the U.S. Trips made by:
Car 89%
Public Transit 2%
Walking 6%
Bicycle <1%
Other 3%
Bicycling decreases with age. Nearly 40% of those ages 16 to 24 ride a bicycle during the summer, while 26% of those ages 45 to 54 ride. Only about 9% of those ages 65 and older report they ride a bike
Local Cycling / Biking Routes
Explore the beauty of Northeast Ohio’s parks, wineries, covered bridges, lighthouses, beaches and much more!
Click here for local cycling and biking route descriptions. (PDF)
MapMyRide.com is a community web site for cyclists who want to stay healthy,
lose weight or train more effectively. MapMyRide.com provides easy-to-use,
comprehensive web-based cycling tools and cycling maps to measure distance and count calories
from cycling. With cycling forums, cycling goals, training logs and tips from experts and coaches,
MapMyRide.com is the site where the cyclists are.
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