Parking
Red Lock Trailhead, 1175 West Highland Road in Sagamore Hills. The lot has 15 spaces and an accessible vault restroom; oversized vehicles do not fit. Walk north on the Towpath about 0.7 mile to the first Old Carriage junction.
Overview
About Old Carriage Trail
Why go
- A wooded ridge loop with ravines, bridges and a rare earthwork feature
- A good mix of canal history and forest walking
Heads up
- The Towpath approach and return add substantial flat mileage
- A steep, rocky climb and uncertain bridge status call for care
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cuyahoga Valley map
Full mapElevation641–827 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Cuyahoga Valley alerts
- ClosureTowpath Trail closed: Boston to Lock 29The Towpath Trail is closed from Boston Trailhead to Lock 29 in Peninsula during the August 24–November 20, 2026 work period.Official details
- ClosureStanford-area closures for pavement removalA contractor is removing old pavement, closing former Stanford Road between Stanford Trailhead and the Brandywine Gorge Loop, the north half of Stanford Trailhead parking lot, and a section of the…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cuyahoga Valley Tour Guide
Your drive to Old Carriage 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.
See the Cuyahoga Valley audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Red Lock Trailhead and Jaite Mill0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Red Lock Trailhead, where I'd choose the short Towpath walk to Jaite Mill for a little industrial history. Follow the level path south for about half a mile, then return the same way.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Cuyahoga Valley Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Brandywine Ski Resort and Polar Blast
- The Bird That Follows Its Nose
- A Heron’s Sudden Strike
- Stanford House and Stanford Trail
- 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 Old Carriage Trail
The full Red Lock loopThis is a 5.
This is a 5.25-mile loop from Red Lock, pairing a canal-side Towpath approach with the hilly, rocky Old Carriage Trail and a Towpath return. Plan about 2.5 hours. The mapped walk is 5.16 miles: follow the Towpath north for 0.7 mile to the first Old Carriage junction, climb into the woods, then return south along the canal. Other descriptions put the outing at 5.5–6 miles, likely reflecting different access or loop choices; this version includes both Towpath connectors.
Climb, ridge and returnThe first part on the Towpath is easy walking.
The first part on the Towpath is easy walking. The Old Carriage section climbs steeply from the canal, changes from pavement to dirt, and winds through hardwood and pine woods along ravines. Expect rocky, uneven footing and a few bridges before the route descends to the Towpath. A signed spur is reported to make a small loop without a broad view, so don't count on a panorama as the payoff.
A small earthwork with an open questionNear the initial climb, a low earthen embankment and shallow ditch sit beside the route.
Near the initial climb, a low earthen embankment and shallow ditch sit beside the route. Their age and purpose aren't established, so they're best read as a striking feature in the woods rather than assigned a definite story. Stay on the tread around them.
Rocky Run FarmThe trail crosses land once part of Wentworth George Marshall's Rocky Run Farm estate, a large…
The trail crosses land once part of Wentworth George Marshall's Rocky Run Farm estate, a large property with an arboretum. The old grade recalls its carriage-road past. Marshall was a Cleveland druggist and experimental botanist; the forested ravines now make this a quieter, more physical walk than a history stop.
Start, dogs and accessRed Lock is named for a lock on the Ohio & Erie Canal.
Red Lock is named for a lock on the Ohio & Erie Canal. The small trailhead has 15 spaces and an accessible vault restroom; oversized vehicles don't fit. There is no identified water source at the lot or along this route. Dogs are allowed on leash up to six feet. The park classifies the hike as not wheelchair accessible.
Check the bridge signsOpen map data marks three bridges on the loop as no-access, while current park trail…
Open map data marks three bridges on the loop as no-access, while current park trail information shows Old Carriage without a listed closure. A local notice about one footbridge described a temporary closure in 2022. That conflict may be stale mapping, but check posted signs at the crossings before continuing.
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
494 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
102 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.
