Exploring the Top Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails in Northeast Ohio

Ohio may not be the first place that comes to mind when people think of hiking. Despite its lack of mountains and having only one National Park, Ohio offers plenty of hiking opportunities for outdoor lovers. Most of the attention is often put on the southwest area of the state due to it being the home of Hocking Hills State Park, arguably the most popular park in Ohio, but the northeast has Cuyahoga Valley National Park and a variety of other county parks and wilderness areas. While you won't find any soaring peaks or super strenuous trails, you will find waterfalls, overlooks and geological features to satisfy any outdoor lover's heart.

Ashley and I love hiking, and so do Ryker and Ronan, Ashley's two adorable boxers also love to hike and enjoy the outdoors, especially Ryker. Based on the number of other canine companions we've seen on the trail, many people also enjoy brining their furry friends with them. Finding dog friendly trails and parks can be hit or miss. AllTrails will sometimes list a trail as dog friendly, only for us to arrive and see signs announcing that dogs are prohibited. We've occasionally ended up park or trail hopping in search of truly dog-friendly trails.

Ashley walking along the Ledges

The Ledges Overlook: Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is Ohio's only National Park, there are several different locations where you can find these types of ledges for hiking and climbing. The Ledges Trail is one of the most popular trails in CVNP and the most well-known of all the ledges. The overlook is accessible via a short walk from the parking lot, making it very popular at sunset. If you fancy a hike before hitting the overlook there are several trails that connect together and wind around these unique sandstone geological features.

The Ledges date back to the Sharon Conglomerate and have been shaped in part by human activity. They are now protected for our enjoyment and fascination. The easy 1.8-mile trail loops from the parking lot, down around the ledges and up to the overlook, where you can enjoy the view out over the park. There are other trails that intersect at various points, so you can easily make this a much longer hike, there are even several access spots where you can enter between the ledges and walk around, almost like being in a canyon, you can spot evidence of human tampering as there are a few carvings into the rocks. There is an old cave, left over from when the area was mined but it is blocked off by a gate. In general, I would consider this to be an easy hike, I've taken my parents on it, and they have three artificial knees and a hip replacement between them.

Blue Hen Falls: Cuyahoga Valley National Park

This is another popular trail in CVNP, with its trailhead located

right across from the Boston Mills Visitors Center. You won't find much seclusion, especially

Ryker at Blue Hen Falls

in good weather. This three-mile round trip trail has some pretty steep elevation gains and losses (for Ohio), they're not long, but the grade is pretty steep. In the springtime the trail can be a bit muddy from the rain, but the waterfall will be running. Winter is also a great time to visit Blue Hen falls, often it freezes leaving dramatic ice formations, the trail can get quite icy and slippery so trekking poles and crampons or micro spikes are useful. I've done this hike a few times, and winter has by far been my favorite, despite slipping and sliding a bit on the ice.

Dundee Falls: Beach City Wilderness Area

Nestled in Amish country and established in the 1960s and 70s, the Wilderness Area covers 393 acres. There are two waterfalls in the Wilderness Area that make up Dundee Falls, the smaller one is close to the parking lot and is often as far as many people go, while the larger one is about a mile from the parking lot. There are typically less people at the larger waterfall, which you can walk behind and that's pretty cool especially when it's really flowing. Sadly, due to the heavy traffic, people have a tendency to leave garbage and graffiti at the smaller falls.

The parking lot is small and when the weather is good it fills up fast. If you're looking for a bit of longer hike, there are trails that will extend the hike to around three miles and take you along scenic meadows, woods and to the old quarry. While Dundee Falls is the main focus, the area, the sandstone cliffs also draw climbers to the area. Hunting is permitted, so pay attention to posted warnings and choose your adventure accordingly.

Buzzards Roost: Camp Tuscazoar

Camp Tuscazoar was founded almost a century ago and hosts a variety of hiking, riding, and

Hanging out by the dam

mountain biking trails. We typically take the Ickys Trail to the Roost Trail, which leads to Buzzards Roost, the main lookout over the Tuscarawas River and Dover Dam. There are numerous other trails that you can take to access the Roost, many of the trails are also used by mountain bikers so stay alert. Camp Tuscazoar is also known in the area for its maple syrup and hosts Maple Days pancake breakfasts in the spring, you can also purchase maple syrup and learn about maple syrup tapping.

You can also find a variety of rustic and primitive camping available, from cabins and lodges to sites for tents, it's a great way to experience sunrise or sunset from the overlook. Hiking down from the roost you can head directly back to the trailhead, or you can extend the hike by heading down to Dover Dam. It's a great spot to enjoy a picnic and is popular for fishing. There's a good bit more elevation gain and loss available at camp Tuscazoar, some pretty good rolling hills by Ohio standards.

Brandywine Falls & Stanford House

Brandywine Falls is another extremely popular hike due to its ease of accessibility. There is a board walk and viewpoints just a short walk from the main parking lot. For a more scenic and longer hike, I recommend parking at Stanford House, a historic homestead. Follow the trail past the old barn and along an open meadow before heading into the woods. About one mile into the hike, the trail intersects with the Brandywine loop trail which will take you to the falls, the boardwalk and viewing areas.

If you're up for a bit more trailblazing and wet feet, and if you are looking for the best spot to photograph the falls, once you reach the bridge, I recommend hiking upstream. You'll encounter some smaller falls before you reach the base of Brandywine Falls. At 60 feet Brandywine Falls is the tallest waterfall in CVNP and for the geology lovers out there you can see layers of Berea sandstone and layers of Cleveland and Bedford shales. Ryker has gone creek hiking with us to the base of the falls as the water isn't deep and it was easy for him to navigate.

Dale Wallborn Reservoir

Dale Wallborn Reservoir is part of the Stark Parks system in Stark County, I only recently discovered this park thanks to the Stark Park's fall get moving challenge. The reservoir is a great location to kayak, SUP, and boat. There's a marina where you can rent kayaks and canoes in the summer as well as a boat launch. The area is also great for picnics with a pavilion and several great spots around the reservoir.

When we visited, we hiked the Shoreline Trail, a 2.3 mile trail that loops around the reservoir

through some tranquil forests, a few open meadows and offers some great viewpoints of the reservoir. The map is a little unclear whether this is a loop or an out-and-back trail, as it appears the trail ends before reaching the road. To complete the loop, you would need to walk along the road. We hiked almost to the end of the trail, unfortunately Ryker hurt his paw and was needed to be carried back, so we turned around as we weren't sure if it was a full loop or an out and back. This is another park where hunting is permitted at certain times of the year, so be sure to check for any advisories. There are also horse friendly trails, we ran into a group with a somewhat skittish horse, Ronan wanted to play with it.

As dog owners and hikers, remember to follow proper etiquette and posted signs: clean up after your dog and pack it out, keep your dog leashed and respect that other hikers may be afraid of dogs. There are other dog friendly trails, these are a few of our favorites and we hope you and your furry friends enjoy them too!