Running trails in Northfield, OH
Northfield has 3 trails in the directory — 1 paved, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 1 of them posts opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 6,177 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.
Brandywine Falls
4.8 ★★★★★ 5,855 reviews
Scenic waterfall cascading 65 ft. into a lush gorge, with viewpoints from upper & lower boardwalks.
Red Lock Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 139 reviews
A trailhead for the towpath along the Cuyahoga River.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Northfield
- Match the surface to your legs. Northfield gives you a choice: 2 mixed and 1 paved. 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? 2 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 Northfield is Brandywine Falls Trailhead at 1.4 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Northfield is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 1 of the 3 listing carries posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking and 3 have restrooms in Northfield. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded and 2 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 Northfield trails by type
Running trails near Northfield
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.