Cleveland Metroparks Trails

How are trails built?

Cleveland Metroparks trails are built both by hand and with compact equipment. Metroparks trail crews work together, using physical labor, sustainable trailshaping principles, key equipment, and hands-on problem-solving skills to build and maintain a world-class trail system for visitors. Crews improve natural surface trails in all 18 Metroparks reservations, connecting people to nature and learning valuable skills along the way, based on principles of trailshaping. 

See key trails accomplishments from 2021.

What is trailshaping?

Trailshaping is a framework for expert-level decision making - one that makes trail pros more effective, and that novices can quickly learn and use. It leads users to look for what matters most with any trail, for the factors that critically shape each trail within its own unique context. Using it, we can understand, explain, predict, and assess any existing or proposed trail.  

Find your passion 

Cleveland Metroparks is building a Conservation Corps to serve the state of Ohio. Learn more and let us know you're interested in the Corps by reaching out to Elyria, Trails Corps Coordinator, at trails@clevelandmetroparks.com. 

Love your Cleveland Metroparks trails? Take our trails survey today to share your experiences and help shape our trails.

Volunteer

Volunteers play a key role in building, maintaining, and monitoring the Metroparks trail system. Here are three ways to get involved as a volunteer: 

• Group Work Days: Join forces with other volunteers to support the Trails team on high-priority trail projects and maintenance in every reservation. 
• Trail Trackers: As a Trail Tracker, you'll be paired with one specific Metroparks trail. Monitor your trail once a month, and report back to the Trails team on what you find.
• Mountain Bike Trail Monitors: Volunteers check trail conditions on one mountain bike trail on a pre-scheduled day 2-4 times per month, then update the public via Twitter.