Having done another hike at Hinckley Reservation I realized I had not posted a review for one of the gems of the Cleveland Metroparks system. Hinckley offers as diverse a range of activities and some of the best view as any other park in the area. Most people know Hinckley from the annual Buzzard festival, the nice lake and the awesome ledges, but that is just scratching the surface. With the newly renovated dam and the lake refilled Hinckley Reservation is once again at its peak. I have often hiked at Hinckley, my most recent hike started at the Top of the Ledges picnic area, went down through the Ledges, along the North side of the Hinckley Lake Loop, on the Bridal Trails and then the Buckeye Trail back through the Ledges. If you are looking for some interesting hiking the Bridal Trails provide some nice variety from open fields, stream crossings, hills and narrow winding trails. Whipp's Ledges are some of the most impressive you will see; they provide multiple routes and views, plus there is actual rock climbing allowed. Less well known are Worden's Ledges on the other side of the park which while smaller still are lots of fun and they have some interesting carvings that are well worth visiting. The Lake provides the opportunity for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. There is a nice boathouse where you can rent a boat at reasonable rate, and while not terribly challenging, the lake is picturesque and getting out on the water is always a great time. Although I have never taken advantage at the bottom of the dam there is a nice beach and swimming area. Hinckley Reservation is a wonderful asset and a great way to get outside and enjoy yourself. This is a large park with plenty to do and see. Never been disappointed with a visit here. read more

The dam is a lot better after the reconstruction. Nice 3 mile walk around the lake. Concession stand open during the summer. read more

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I love that this park is never boring. I start my visit at the park store. The employees are exceptionally nice, I think they love when people stop by and say hello. They had so many t-shirts and sweatshirts with the Cleveland Metro Park logos and scenery. I bought one months ago in pink with a squirrel on it. I also like their selection of plush toys, kids gifts, socks, etc. Please go in and have a cup of coffee and support the park. The trail is definitely an adventure as you walk around the park, and now IT's FULL OF WATER AGAIN!! As you walk look at the color of the trees, the trees that are barely hanging on, and the trees that became part of the waterscape! Beauty! As you get to the beach are and new dam you can appreciate all of the work put into getting this back and better than it was. So get your FITBIT, Apple Watch or any pedometer type technology and start steppin'. Say hello to my friends at the store. Let them know Cee Cee sent you! Lol read more

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Fun for everyone Huge park that has a lot to offer. You can hike Whipps ledges, spend the day swimming, bike around the lake or even canoe on the lake. Depends on what area of the park you go to. Lots of picnic areas too! read more

Hinckley Reservation - Parks Near Me - Hinckley, Ohio

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We decided to stop here yesterday to hike, after a 4.5 hour drive to Ohio. We went through a forest trail where I almost stepped on a garden snake. We saw three people on horses. The trail led to the Soybean Loop trail. We eventually found our way back to the cars and then hiked a little bit more. We didn't see the dam but we can check that out if we return here again. read more

Do you like to hike, walk your dog, kayak, SUP? Then this is the place for you. Friendly people (and dogs!) are always on the trails and paths. There is a rental/gift shop called the Boathouse that serves up treats and rents canoes and kayaks. Pop onto the Cleveland Metroparks website and check out all the recreation, ranger led to-dos. If you enjoy wading in the water looking for minnnows and other little creatures with your little creatures head on down to the Spillway and get creekin'! A life guard is on duty during the summer months during daylight hours. There is a small beach, a little snack shop, restrooms and picnic benches with grills is you are so inspired. Come early for the best picnic bench under the mature trees area of the park. And, when the kids are done swimming and playing in the sand, you can enjoy a mini golf and a soft serve ice cream nearby. read more

A cool place to explore. (This is a review of Whipps and Wordens Ledges). The shade provided by the abundance of trees, large rocky crags, and sandstone ledges make these two places a cool place to explore. And if you have an adventurous spirit you'll enjoy exploring the many secret places, climbing on the rocks, and looking down over the ledges to the trail and people below. I saw many families enjoying their stroll through the ledges so it appears be a enjoyable place for families. The trail has an abundance of rocks and tree roots so watch your step to protect yourself from turning your ankle. There is also much poison ivy around. Worsens Ledges is on the southern side of the reservation and can be reached from the north or at the trail head on Ledges road. The ledges at Wordens Ledges are not as massive as the ones at Whipps Ledges but the many carving in the ledges make it a pretty gnarly hike, especially for families with kids. I would recommend using Cleveland Metroparks app if you are not familiar with the trail in the Hinckley Reservation (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cleveland-metroparks/id1013145513?mt=8). This was my first visit and if I had not used the app I would have had much difficulty finding the ledges and getting out. I came across one family on their first expedition through the reservation and they were asking for directions from experienced hikers on these trails who said they too have gotten lost several times. read more

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New favorite spot that isn't crowded! This reservation was new to me and I'm not entirely sure why I've never visited before! We visited during a more gloomy and cold (slightly rainy) day, so I am not sure how popular this Metropark is on a normal day. I loved the Whipps ledges and the loop trail that we did. It had big elevation changes so it wasn't just a boring trail - it can be slippery so be prepared in case your shoes or hands get a little muddy. The Whipps ledges itself was a neat place comparable to The Ledges at CVNP. If the rocks weren't wet, it would have been a nice place to sit and reflect for a little bit. Of course, I'd bring family and friends to CVNP if they haven't visited, but I would probably bring them to this reservation if they wanted something a little less crowded. The Hinckley Reservation itself has more trails closer to Hinckley Lake, where you can go on the longer all purpose trail (~3.3 miles) or the lake loop (also ~3 miles. I'd be interested in coming back to check out these trails by the lake. We made a day trip and also visited Ohio Pie Co. about 20 minutes from the Whipps ledges (perfect timing for calling in your order!). I think it would be a wonderful way to spend the day in nature and check off another amazing Cleveland Metropark. I hope more attention has been brought to the Cleveland Metroparks as 2020 has been difficult to continue normal scheduled events - Metroparks like Hinckley Reservation have been the perfect quarantine outlet to (safely) get out of the apartment. While we were on the trail, we wore our masks for the majority of the hike, since it kept our faces warm. There were maybe 2 or 3 other groups of 2 - 5 people that we passed while walking the loop. Most people were wearing masks when we passed, or put their masks on when they saw someone else was coming by. I'm not sure if we maybe missed a sign for a direction we were supposed to go on the loop (CVNP has arrow for which direction they want the flow of foot traffic to go so that you limit passing other groups). Other things: The Whipps Ledges loop entrance is right by the parking lot. There are picnic tables at the reservation and plenty of grassy area to bring the family and pets. read more

Hinckley reservation is one of my favorite place to just go and enjoy a nice day off work or just to go check out the views the lake has an awesome view and and is perfect for doing alittle fishing i like to take my sports bike and do a little ride through especially in the fall when the leaves are all reds greens and oranges beautiful thing to see and experience while riding a sportsbike i guess you would have to do it to understand it... Above all awesome place read more

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Always beautiful and well maintained! Probably one of the best parks in all of Medina County.

Monday through Thursday, Five SOLID Stars. Then, late on Friday afternoon, the sylvan paradise that is The Reservation goes awry. First, the blue hairs roll in, followed by the nature-crazed famblies, then the loutish drunkards, followed closely by the laggards, the non-doowop-group drifters, plastic bucket-sitting worm dunkers, the league of scoundrels, the mangy, a carload of tweakers, the unkempt, the illiterate, the hygienically-challenged, the chronically broke, an odd Shriner or twenty, and finally, Republicans. Monday morning, just before dawn, peace returns to The Reservation. The park pixies have spent the long night scrubbing the lake, re-waxing the hiking trails, spritzing the trees, setting up mahogany tables offering complimentary mimosas, and all is once again right with the world. (As a special tip to my brethren and cistern here at Yelpworld, if you catch one of the trails at the upper end of the lake, and follow it up, and up, and up a tad more, away from the huddled masses, you will find serenity, joy and something approaching nature. Let me know if you can't find it. I have maps.) read more

Hinckley Reservation - Hinckley Lake, from the Boat House - Parks Near Me - Hinckley, Ohio

This place was PHENOMENAL to say the least!!! This time, I brought my husband along, and we had a BLAST! This is most definitely a place where you can go and bring the kids to have some fun, FREE, family time! Even though I will be leaving the Cleveland area soon, this will definitely be a spot that I will have to come back to with each future Cleveland visit!!! read more

I've found that Ohio is full of fun outdoor treasures, and Hinckley is no exception! It is fun for everyone. You can go swimming, hiking, search for geocach (geocaches?), rent paddle boards/kayaks/pontoons and even more! It's such a versatile park, and I really love it. The area is well maintained, clean and so beautiful! The only complaint I've ever had is that sometimes the bathrooms can be gross;however, I feel like that is unfortunately par for the course when a park has so many visitors come through. read more

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This review is for the park as a whole, although the listing on Yelp suggests it's for the Whipps Ledges area. It looks like everyone else has pretty much reviewed the park as a whole as well so I will join them here. Hinckley has a lot to offer for a metro park which is fantastic. I often gripe that a park would be complete if only it had swimming, well Hinckley is one that delivers on that, there's a bike and hike trail that goes through the park, Whipps ledges, and a trail around the lake. There are picnic areas and boat rentals. The trails aren't what draw me here. They are ok. Whipps is nice but it's so short you don't really feel like you really got out and did something. The trail around the lake is pleasant however if you're trying to go deep into the woods you won't find it here. The spillway, which is the swimming area, is what draws me here personally. That and Hinckley is only fifteen minutes from where I live, while most other swim areas are 40+ minutes away. It's a small beach, the water isn't clear but it's refreshing. I like water that's a little muddy, mud is good for you. It's divided into shallow and deep areas for kids. Lifeguards make kids take swim tests to be able to use the deeper area. They also enforce "15 minute safety breaks" every hour. After mid August the lifeguards won't be there though, that's when it would be best to swim if you're an adult with no children. There's a concession stand and (dirty) restrooms. It's not the lake, it certainly isn't the ocean but it's a nice way to cool off on a hot summer day in Ohio. And it's free! read more

Great park for finding your inner outdoorsman (or woman!), Hinkley Reservation has something for nearly everyone. From fishing to boating, swimming under the waterfall or hiking through the trails, it never disappoints. And if you're lucky, you might even spot a fox! But no worries, they'll run and hide before you've even had the chance to pull out your phone to show snapchat your latest discovery. Nonetheless, still worth the hike. read more

Hinckley Reservation - Serene. - Parks Near Me - Hinckley, Ohio

Plenty of things to do for all ages. Hiking, swimming, ice cream stand, & etc. Friends invited us to a birthday party at this location. They have lifeguards on duty our kids had a wonderful time. read more

Nice little lake. There is something for everyone in this park. It is farther out into the sticks, but this allows for less of a crowd during the peak times. Nature trails flow around the lake completely. Also a great bike path that surrounds the park entirely for the bikers and runners wanting a longer trip. At the base of the dam, a sand beach allows for sun bathing and swimming. You can also swim right up to the water falling down from the lake. At the rear of the lake, a rental shop has almost any rental that uses paddles. There are also some places to camp. The fishing is average. A con of this lake is its size. The trail by the lake is only about 2 miles long. You could feel crowded on a busy day. The lake is also overfished. As long as the number of people around stays normal, I highly recommend this for a nice day of kayaking, a picnic, and a swim. read more

Hinckley reservation is awesome! There's a wealth of activities to meet everyone's needs. For under 20 dollars you can rent kayaks, paddle boats, or canoes and explore the lake. If your not up for spending money there's plenty to do. Whether you just want to prancerise on the bike paths or explore the bridal trails, you will enjoy yourself no matter what you choose. Whips ledges is definitely worth a visit. The path up to the ledges is short. Wandering up and down the ledges and admiring old hikers signatures carved into the rocks will surely have you occupied for a couple hours. There's a couple of loops you can run/hike/prance if your down for a challenging and hilly course. A bike path loop that goes around the lake is just under 3.5 miles. There's also a loop on the buckeye trail that is around 6 miles. Also, In the winter there is a sledding hill that seems a mile long when your a kid, but it's a blast. This is definitely one of my favorite reservations in the Metroparks. Hinckley reservation is fantastic so stop reading this review and go! Now. read more

Hinckley Reservation - Parks Near Me - Hinckley, Ohio

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I absolutely love coming out to the lake for a solid 3 mile or so hike. The views are awesome and the paths are easy to follow. There are view points you can stop at and plenty of nature to admire. I like sitting at the boat dock looking for snakes :) The bathrooms by the boat dock are actually pretty clean for park bathrooms. They even have hand sanitizer available. There is also a huge park map by the bathroom so you can check out other possible trails, learn about the animals you are seeing, and plan your next hike! After you hike the lake take some time for people watching at the base of the damn. I always avoid the lake walk if it has been raining the day before - seems like it takes the path awhile not to be overly muddy. I really need to make it out here more often :) read more

One of my favorite spots in Ohio. Great for walking and hanging out. Whipps ledges is a great hidden gem

Hinckley reservation is a beautiful treasure that not everyone knows about. The walking trails and lake are gorgeous, and there is plenty to do for everyone. It's a long, hard walk around the lake, but the 45 minute trot is well worth it. They have great sledding on a huge hill in the winter, and always have a fire going at the bottom for those that are cold. Buzzard day happens here when the good 'ol buzzards come back and that's also a great experience. It's educational and fun for the whole family. I'm a Hinckley native, so I've been coming here for a long time. Even now when I live 20 minutes away, I still keep coming back. read more

I absolutely love the hinckley park system. I dont live far so im always there during the summer. Id recommend not letting your kids go under the water in the swimming area though. read more