Tinker's Creek Gorge Trail

Tinker's Creek Gorge Trail is a 5.5-mile out-and-back from Egbert Picnic Area to Bridal Veil Falls and the Tinker's Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook, then back the same way. Allow about three hours for the rolling woodland route, creek crossings, stairs and time at both viewpoints. It suits a half-day walk; if you mainly want the falls, use the separate short falls access instead. This route is in Bedford Reservation, managed by Cleveland Metroparks, and follows the blue-blazed Buckeye Trail with short connectors.

Cross the picnic field at Egbert and follow the blue blazes into hardwoods and hemlocks. The first mile rolls gently and has two small stream crossings; after rain, expect a few careful rock hops. Around mile one the path nears the gorge rim, with brief looks through the trees at cascades below. At about 1.3 miles, you can see a modest drop roughly 80 feet beneath the trail. Stay on the route: there is no safe way down from this rim to the water.

Near mile 1.7, wooden stairs lead to a short spur for a smaller cascade. Return to the stairs, cross a small wooden footbridge and continue past the upper edge of Bridal Veil Falls; the viewing platform is about 150 feet farther. The water runs over layered shale, and its flow varies with rainfall, so it can look modest after a dry spell. From the platform, include some of the layered creek bed in the foreground to show how the stream spreads across the rock.

The route keeps rolling through the woods, then briefly follows Gorge Parkway before reaching the Tinker's Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook at about 2.8 miles. Its platform looks down into the forested gorge. The creek is 28.2 miles long and drops 220 feet over a two-mile stretch here; the gorge is a National Natural Landmark. Look for the overlook sign that tells the story behind the creek's name and Joseph Tinker, a member of Moses Cleaveland's late-1700s survey team.

Use the lot at Egbert Picnic Area, off Gorge Parkway near the Egbert Road entrance in Walton Hills, then cross the field to the trail. The picnic area has a shelter and swings. This is separate from the closer Bridal Veil Falls access, where a short boardwalk-and-stair walk reaches the falls viewpoint without the Egbert woodland route or the rim overlook. Dogs and cats are allowed in the reservation on leashes no longer than eight feet.