My Mountain Overlook

My Mountain Overlook is a small, wooded viewpoint above Chippewa Creek Valley in Cleveland Metroparks’ Brecksville Reservation. It is a bench stop at the end of the My Mountain Trail, not a wide-open panorama. The natural-surface trail is 0.3 mile one way and climbs steadily, so come for a quiet pause rather than a long-range view.

My Mountain Trail branches from White Oak Trail, links Oak Grove and Plateau Picnic Areas, and connects with the Buckeye Trail. Seven crossing structures and a 300-foot boardwalk add variety to the short walk. The overlook is reached on foot, not from a roadside pullout. The reservation lists parking, restrooms and drinking fountains overall, but does not pinpoint them along this approach; check facilities at your starting point and carry water.

From the bench, look north across the wooded valley. The trees screen parts of the view, especially when leaves are on; a leaf-off visit gives you more room to see the slopes. For a photo, keep a little of the bench or rail in the foreground so the narrow, tree-framed opening reads as an overlook rather than another patch of woods.

The overlook opened in October 2023 as part of a project that restored and expanded the former White Oak Trail, one of Brecksville Reservation’s original routes, and tied it into sections of the Buckeye Trail. The walk crosses the reservation’s ridges and ravines, so the short distance still feels like a small hike.