Sand Run Metropark - Big Bend Area

Natural Features

Sand Run Metropark encompasses 998 acres of diverse natural landscapes, including forests, streams, and wetlands. Sand Run, the park's namesake stream, flows through the area and is crossed by a ford on Sand Run Parkway, which has become a local landmark.

The park's diverse ecosystem supports a range of flora and fauna. Cool, shady ravines are home to hemlocks, ferns, skunk cabbage, and large colonies of horsetails.

Recreational Opportunities

The park contains over 15 miles of trails suitable for hiking, jogging, and in some areas, cross-country skiing. The Parkway Jogging Trail is particularly popular, attracting thousands of users daily across all seasons.

Historical Significance

Opened in 1929, Sand Run Metropark is one of the oldest parks in the Summit Metro Parks system. The land surrounding the park was once a campsite for Indigenous peoples.

The Portage Path, which runs through the park, was an important Indigenous trail between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers. Later, it served as the western boundary of the United States.

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed Sand Run Parkway and many of the surrounding shelters and structures, adding to the park's historical interest.