Home › Ohio › Novelty › The West Woods
The West Woods
4.8 ★★★★★ 570 Google reviews · Running trail in Novelty, Ohio · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from The West Woods' own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Tranquil locale (with an air-conditioned nature center) for hiking and horse riding, plus bird-watching.
What runners say about The West Woods
“There is a beautiful air conditioned nature center building with some exhibits and very nice restrooms adjacent to a large parking lot.”
“The hidden meadow, the babbling brook, the ancient stones—each held a quiet sermon on simplicity, beauty, and the wild divinity within us all.”
“I would recomend for a quick easy walking trails.”
I recently visited The West Woods for the first time to do some hiking. There is a beautiful air conditioned nature center building with some exhibits and very nice restrooms adjacent to a large parking lot.
Like Thoreau at Walden, I found myself drawn into a deeper conversation with life. The hidden meadow, the babbling brook, the ancient stones—each held a quiet sermon on simplicity, beauty, and the wild divinity within us all. It is a place that whispers, not shouts. And in that quiet, you will find truth.
Amazing park for hiking. The Ansel's Cave trail is gorgeous & not too difficult. There are some steps but none too strenuous. The cave area is worth the trek.
Very nice nature center and they give you seed to walk to this one place and hold your hand out and the birds will eat out of it. The only thing it was getting late and my husband was not patient enough to wait for the birds to come eat from my hands.
Trail conditions & character
“There is a beautiful air conditioned nature center building with some exhibits and very nice restrooms adjacent to a large parking lot.”
“The hidden meadow, the babbling brook, the ancient stones—each held a quiet sermon on simplicity, beauty, and the wild divinity within us all.”
“There is a beautiful air conditioned nature center building with some exhibits and very nice restrooms adjacent to a large parking lot.”
“I hiked the Ansel's Cave trail which was a pretty steady uphill incline through the woods for about the first 20 minutes or more of hiking.”
“There is a beautiful air conditioned nature center building with some exhibits and very nice restrooms adjacent to a large parking lot.”
“I definitely recommend bringing some water with you if you are hiking to the rocky outcroppings since a lot of it is uphill.”
“We did take a little walk on a paved trail which was very nice and there are beautiful.”
“Restrooms are very clean and there is a water fountain at the center as well!”
Plan your run at The West Woods
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms, water — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitegeaugaparkdistrict.org
- Phone+1 440-286-9516
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 am–11 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 am–11 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 am–11 pm |
| Thursday | 6 am–11 pm |
| Friday | 6 am–11 pm |
| Saturday | 6 am–11 pm |
| Sunday | 6 am–11 pm |
Running trails near Novelty
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Frohring Meadows
4.8 ★★★★★ 357 reviews
Prairie & woodland trails cut through this 289-acre park that's also home to a butterfly garden.
Riverside Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 317 reviews
Park and town destination popular for its picnic tables, swings and slides, plus waterfalls.
Forest Ridge Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 92 reviews
Tranquil park featuring a network of wooded trails for hiking and picnics.
Chagrin Metroparks
4.8 ★★★★★ 64 reviews
Park providing hiking trails, picnic areas, and horseback riding trails.
Holbrook Hollows
4.7 ★★★★★ 148 reviews
Park with a playground, paved trail, and a picnic area in a barn-like building.
