Parking
Small lot at Forbes Woods Trailhead, 24820 Forbes Road, Bedford Heights.
Overview
About Forbes Woods Ridge Trail
Why go
- Paved, easy loop with a wooded-ravine view.
Heads up
- Very short if you want a substantial hike.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cuyahoga Valley map
Full mapElevation1,001–1,011 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
3 active Cuyahoga Valley alerts
- ClosureTowpath Trail improvement closureThe Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Boston Trailhead to Lock 29 in Peninsula is closed for improvements during the August 24–November 20, 2026 closure period.Official details
- CautionCuyahoga River paddling closure and hazardsPaddlers must portage the current river-wide closure near river mile 17 and avoid serious river hazards. - The closure is due to bridge demolition and construction.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cuyahoga Valley Tour Guide
Your drive to Forbes Woods Ridge Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Shawnee Hills Golf Course0:00 / 0:28
“Shawnee Hills Golf Course is ahead, with a full eighteen-hole course and a separate, beginner-friendly par three. Choose the par three for a shorter game, or allow about four and a half hours for eighteen.”
Plays on the road 1.7 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Cuyahoga Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Great Falls and Viaduct Park
- Egbert Picnic Area and Gorge Trail
- Bridal Veil Falls
- Why Ohio Has a Western Reserve
- 97 audio storiesacross Cuyahoga Valley’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, River Otter, Coyote, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 63 trails, 88 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Forbes Woods Ridge Trail
A quick ravine loopForbes Woods Ridge Trail is an easy quarter-mile paved loop in Bedford Reservation.
Forbes Woods Ridge Trail is an easy quarter-mile paved loop in Bedford Reservation. It circles a reclaimed natural area with views into a wooded ravine and an overlook bench. Allow about 15–20 minutes with a pause; this is a quick leg-stretcher rather than a substantial hike.
Follow the paved circuitStart at Forbes Woods Trailhead and stay on the paved all-purpose loop back to the lot.
Start at Forbes Woods Trailhead and stay on the paved all-purpose loop back to the lot. The short circuit is rated easy. Leashed dogs and cats are allowed, with a leash no longer than eight feet; owners must pick up after them.
Keep the longer route separateForbes Crossing branches from the paved access and continues toward Hawthorn Parkway on a…
Forbes Crossing branches from the paved access and continues toward Hawthorn Parkway on a separate one-mile natural-surface route. Its wetland boardwalks and stream footbridges belong to that longer walk, not this loop. Choose it if you want more distance and a less paved outing.
A former dairy farmThe 52.8-acre Forbes farmstead was a dairy farm around 1852.
The 52.8-acre Forbes farmstead was a dairy farm around 1852. Today the short loop’s main appeal is the wooded ravine and the bench at its overlook.
Parking and suppliesUse the small trailhead lot at 24820 Forbes Road in Bedford Heights.
Use the small trailhead lot at 24820 Forbes Road in Bedford Heights. No toilets, drinking water, or food are listed at the trailhead or on the loop.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cuyahoga Valley
319 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
103 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
248 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
492 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
99 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cuyahoga Valley. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
