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Perkins / Riding Run/Furnace Run

A scenic—yet challenging—tour through a lesser-visited corner of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Trail Running Moderate

Distance
10 km
Ascent
274 m
Descent
274 m
Duration
1-2 hrs
Low Point
226 m
High Point
312 m
Gradient
Perkins / Riding Run/Furnace Run Map

This trail running tour may just become your favorite loop in all of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Beginning at a trailhead along Everett Road, this run mixes steep and technical trail with a healthy mix of old roads that are wide and gradual. According to this source, some sections even follow "an old township road through a forest of white oaks, sycamores, ferns, and an occasional conifer." They continue by stating that you could "encounter deer flies, pileated woodpeckers, and rabbits. Coyotes patrol the park as well, but you’re more likely to hear them than see them."

Description

As mapped, this loop can be divided into two separate parts. Also worth noting, it can be somewhat difficult to navigate at times due to several intersecting trails. Refer closely to FATMAP on your phone or a device with the uploaded GPS file. In contrast to other trail runs in the area, we've included a detailed description of the loop below.

Details

From the trailhead, head west and make your way under the historic Everett Road Covered Bridge. Keep left on the Perkins Trail to enjoy a quiet, hilly loop through a lesser-traveled corner of the park. Should you need to cut the run short, there is a connector on your right, just as the Perkins Trail turns south.

After circling back on the Perkins Trail, you'll cross Everett Road and make your way into the Riding Run Conservation Area on its namesake trail. A complete loop, you have the option to go right or left at the first intersection. As mapped, keep left—they both lead to the same spot, and there is no notable difference.

After a bit, you'll drop back onto Everett Road and cross back under the bridge, completing the first portion of the run. With the parking lot in sight, you could either end your run here or keep left, following Furnace Run for a loop that leads back to the trailhead. The addition is challenging but well worth the trip.

Source: https://www.conservancyforcvnp.org/trails/riding-run-trail/

Difficulty

Moderate

Medium Exposure

2 out of 4

The trail contains some obstacles such as outcroppings and rock which could cause injury.

Remoteness

2 out of 4

Away from help but easily accessed.

Best time to visit

all year round

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area