Doggin' Northeast Ohio's Ledges

Northeast Ohio is a place that doesn't off bubble to the top of lists of vacation hot spots but if you have an active trail dog, you'll want to consider it. The main attraction are "ledges," limestone that has weathered, eroded and cracked into massive jumbles of SUV-sized blocks. You are actually hiking on the floor of an ancient seabed that once covered Ohio. Millions of years later retreating glaciers covered most of the limestone with scraped soil but some areas were left exposed to the mercy of wind and water that have created fanciful rock formations. While you'll marvel at the scenic wonder of these ledges your dog will love poking in, racing around and romping on top of the rocks. One advantage of visiting ledges in the summer is that these hikes tend to be many degrees cooler than the posted high temperature for the day. Here are some of the best Northeast Ohio parks to experience ledges:

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park (Garrettsville, SR 282)

You'll get right into it at this small park. A series of ledges run north-south for about one mile, bracketed by waterfalls at either end. Separate trails run to the top (white-blazed and easy), across the front (blue-blazed and the best way to view the mossy rocks) and down and through the massive, scrambled rocks (red-blazed and difficult). You may chuckle when you see names on the Red Trail such as Fat Man's Peril, the Squeeze and the Devil's Icebox but it won't be a laughing matter on the hike when watch your dog's wagging tail race ahead as you stare at a seemingly impossible passage through the rocks.

Hinckley Reservation (Hinckley, Bellus Road)

Hinckley is famous for the return of buzzards, turkey vultures actually, from the south every March 15. Two separate sets of ledges and cliffs are in the park for your dog's exploration, each reached by a trail about one mile long. A short climb to one of the highest points in Northeast Ohio will bring you to the base of Whipp's Ledges where your dog can easily scale the 50-foot high rock cliffs. Keep control of your dog as you cross the top of the ledges that feature sheer, unportected drop-offs. In the the southern end of the reservation are the mossy Wordens Ledges that feature rock carvings of religious symbols.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Peninsula, SR 303)

The highlight of the trail system at Happy Days Visitor Center is a band of 30-foot high ledges that run for the better part of a mile. The Ledges Trail circles the rock formations that don't require the crazy passages emblematic of some of its area cousins, making this trail suitable for any level of canine hiker. Spur trails will take your dog to the nooks and crannies and the top of the ledges. Still, there are dropoffs here to be aware of.

Gorge Metro Park (Cuyahoga Falls, Front Street)

The Cuyahoga River Gorge has been luring adventurous hikers since 1882 when it was the site of the High Bridge Glens amusement park. One hundred and twenty five years earlier, 10-year old Mary Campbell was taken from her Pennsylvania frontier home by Delaware Indians and brought to a cave in the gorge, becoming the first white child in America to reach Ohio. The Gorge Trail today is a 1.8-mile loop whose highlight comes when you dog has to pick her way through a maze of jumbled rock ledges. Trail signs label this stretch as "difficult" and a bypass is offered but there is nothing here your dog can't handle. In fact, some stone steps have been cut into the most troublesome passages.

The West Woods (Russell Township, SR 87)

These dark woods and sheltered rock outcroppings have long propogated rumors. Runaway slaves were hidden here on th eUnderground Railroad. Civil War soldiers took refuge under the ledges. Bootleggers operated illegal stills in the hollows. The destination of a 1.5-mile trail in this Geauga County showcase park is Ansel's Cave, named for an early settler from Massachusetts who may have squatted here. This journey is conducted completely under tall, straight hardwoods on wide, paw-friendly compacted stone paths.

South Chagrin Reservation (Chagrin Falls, Hawthorne Parkway)

The Chagrin River that dominates this Cleveland Metropark was designated a State scenic River in 1979. On the east side of the river the Squirrel Loop Trail slips cautiously above the water under rock ledge sentinels. This is a hike for calm, well-behaved dogs only as steep drop-offs are unfenced. Across the river you can view the rock carvings of Henry Church, a blacksmith and self-taught artist who became celebrated as a primitive folk artist after his death.

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