Hemlock Trail

Hemlock Trail is a 1.4-mile footpath from the Chippewa Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook parking area east to Lower Chippewa Picnic Area. It is point-to-point; hiking the corridor and returning on it makes a 2.8-mile out-and-back. Allow about 1 to 1.5 hours. The first descent is the main downhill effort, and the return climbs the same route. The east end has another mapped parking area if you can arrange a one-way pickup.

From the west parking area, follow the Hemlock signs through evergreens. About 500 feet in, a small pavilion and the Gorge Loop junction are useful landmarks. The trail drops toward the creek bottom; the first quarter mile is the steeper part. The shaded lower tread can be wet and muddy, with vernal pools beside the path in spring. Stay on the path around the pools.

Two small footbridges cross the lower route, followed by a larger wooden suspension bridge near the far end. The creek and wooded banks are the walk's main payoff. Chippewa Creek runs through a deep gorge left by glaciers, so this is a close-to-the-water valley walk rather than an open ridge route.

The ridge forest is oak and hickory; cottonwoods, willows and sycamores grow along the creek's flatter floodplain. Vernal pools bring spring peepers and salamander migration in early spring, though both are seasonal. Dogs and cats are allowed on leash, no longer than eight feet. Lower Chippewa has picnic facilities; restrooms at Harriet Keeler Picnic Area and Brecksville Nature Center are nearby, not directly on Hemlock.