Running trails in Akron, OH
Akron has 22 trails in the directory — 5 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 boardwalk, 7 loops that return to the trailhead, 5 with a stated distance, 3 shaded, and 4 open 24 hours. 21 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 8,137 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Portage Lakes State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 4,319 reviews
A magnet for boaters, this park features 8 lakes as well as camping spots & picnic shelters.
Cascade Valley Metro Park - Overlook Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 451 reviews
Paved and scenic loop trail featuring a river overlook.
Cascade Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 392 reviews
Canal trail featuring waterfalls, a historic lock system and views of the Cuyahoga Valley.
Copley Community Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 348 reviews
Relaxed open space featuring playgrounds, baseball fields, and ponds teeming with turtles and waterfowl.
Bath Nature Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 333 reviews
Woodsy 404-acre park with nature & horse trails, bike paths, hikes, fishing & cross-country skiing.
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail - Wilbeth Road Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 330 reviews
Flat trail along the canal that takes hikers, bikers and runners to Summit Lake.
Sand Run Metro Park-Big Bend Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 284 reviews
Easy-to-moderate trails (some paved) and towpaths, plus bridges, for hikers, runners and bikers.
Hampton Hills Metro Park Mountain Bike Area
4.9 ★★★★★ 260 reviews
Mountain-biking area with beginner to expert options, plus a pump track.
Botzum Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 244 reviews
Hiking area in Cuyahoga Valley National Park with a towpath, a train station, and ample parking.
Summit Lake Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 244 reviews
Park with a community center hosting various leagues, meetings, classes & events.
Towpath Trailhead at Manchester Rd
4.5 ★★★★★ 190 reviews
Flat trail that traces the former Ohio & Erie Canal and is popular for hiking, fishing and biking.
Summit Metro Parks
4.6 ★★★★★ 134 reviews
City park featuring kid-friendly hiking trails and picnicking opportunities.
Sand Run Metro Park Revere Rd
4.7 ★★★★★ 119 reviews
Kid-friendly park featuring a trail for hiking, jogging, and cycling.
Cascade Valley Metro Park-Valley View Area
4.9 ★★★★★ 83 reviews
Riverside park featuring trails, a playground and kayaking access.
Overlook Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 82 reviews
A flat hiking trail alongside the Cuyahoga River that leads to overlooks.
Knapp Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 82 reviews
Small lakeside park with picnic tables and trails for hiking and dog-walking, plus a shelter.
CASCADE VALLEY METRO PARK Celebration Trail Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 58 reviews
Summit Lake Trail (Akron, Ohio)
4.4 ★★★★☆ 53 reviews
Park with a public restroom and a trail around a lake suitable for families.
Summit Metroparks Freedom Trail Arlington Street Trailhead
4.4 ★★★★☆ 52 reviews
Kid-friendly park with a paved trail that's popular for walking and biking.
Haley’s Run Trail
3.3 ★★★☆☆ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Akron
- Match the surface to your legs. Akron gives you a choice: 10 mixed, 5 paved, 1 crushed gravel, 1 natural surface, and 1 boardwalk. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More mixed trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 7 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Akron is Summit Metro Parks at 150 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 4 trails in Akron are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 21 of the 22 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 14 have trailhead parking, 16 have restrooms, and 5 have a water fountain in Akron. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 14 dog-friendly, and 8 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Akron trails by type
- Mixed trails
- Paved trails
- Crushed gravel trails
- Natural surface trails
- Boardwalk trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Akron
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.