Many of the places we hike are in forests, or rural parts of Ohio. Gorge Metro Park is right in the city of Akron and it's spectacular. The park is 155 acres and is located on either side of the Cuyahoga River. There is a dam on the river near the park's center. The dam was built at the former site of a cascade waterfall in 1911 to provide electric power. The power plant is gone, but there is a path to a series of observation decks to view the water cascading over the dam. Upstream of the dam is Read more ➜ Gorge Metro Park
Many of the places we hike are in forests, or rural parts of Ohio. Gorge Metro Park is right in the city of Akron and it's spectacular. The park is 155 acres and is located on either side of the Cuyahoga River. There is a dam on the river near the park's center. The dam was built at the former site of a cascade waterfall in 1911 to provide electric power. The power plant is gone, but there is a path to a series of observation decks to view the water cascading over the dam. Upstream of the dam is Read more ➜ 
Cascade Valley South is part of the Summit County's Metro Park system. The park has multiple entrances with different attractions at each. In all there are seven miles of trail and many locations where you can view the Cuyahoga River. We began our tour near one of the River's oxbows (an oxbow is just a tight bend in a river).
The above photo was taken from an observation deck that's located at the end of the Overlook Trail. The Cuyahoga River lies 125 feet below the observation deck. 
The F. A. Seiberling Nature Realm is a 104 acre Summit County Metro Park. The park has a large 10,000 sq. ft. nature center with exhibits detailing the natural history of the area.
The nature center includes an observation deck overlooking a pond and terrariums containing a number of Ohio reptiles and amphibians. The day we visited an individual associated with the park was introducing visitors to an Eastern Foxsnake (Elaphe gloydi).
There are two and