A collection of great places around Wayne County, Ohio where one can enjoy the great outdoors.
The Hiker's Guide to Wayne County A beautifully curated collection of the public parks and natural areas of Wayne County, Ohio. In it you can find maps, photos, tips, and info to help you plan your trip and choose the best park for you.
Hiker's Guide
$15.00
Where to go to enjoy the great outdoors in Wayne County, Ohio.
Included are maps, what to expect, best uses, and beautiful images of each park.
Be considerate to others. Be considerate to the parks.
Below find 12 of our favorite parks.
Barnes Preserve |
3396 Sylvan Rd. Wooster, OH |
76 acres owned & operated by the Wayne County Park District.
1 mile of paved ADA accessible trail through mature forest, overlooking a woodland pond, and wanders through a meadow. A number of additional mowed paths cut through the woods and meadow.
Clear Creek Park |
668 Venture Blvd. Wooster, OH |
Open dawn to dusk
Facilities: restrooms, pavilion, play ground, overlook
Best use: walking, birding, nature observation.
East Union Township |
Cemetery Rd. next to the baseball fields in Apple Creek, OH |
Short .5 mile loop and the new addition, a longer 1.2 mile crushed gravel path
Best use: walking, nature observation
Beautiful Country Views
Freedlander Park |
400 Hillside Dr. Wooster, OH |
City of Wooster public park with a wide range of amenities.
Walking path begins behind the pond following the disk golf course.
Open dawn to dusk.
Facilities: Restrooms, picnic areas, sport fields, fishing pond, playground, and more.
Johnson Woods State Nature Preserve |
13240 Fox Lake Rd, Marshallville, OH |
Owned and maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
1.4 miles of wheelchair accessible boardwalk.
206 acres of old growth forest and wetland.
Kidron Community Park |
4434 Kidron Rd., Kidron, OH | Rustic trails.
Oak Hill Park |
Oldman Rd. Wooster, OH |
100 acres of former farmland planted with 150 additional
trees and 7000 native Ohio prairie plants.
1.75 miles of paved trail.
Secrest Arboretum |
2122 Williams Rd. Wooster, OH |
A sprawling campus comprised of theme gardens and amenities with paved walkways, seating areas and a diverse collection of woody and herbaceous plantings.
Walton Woods |
~1277 Mechanicsburg Rd. Wooster, OH |
9.3 acre city of Wooster public park with just over 1 mile of primitive walking trails. In spring you can find a variety of early spring wildflowers. In late fall the invasive winged euonymus turns a brilliant red. Late spring to early summer migrating warblers can be observed.
The Wilderness Center |
9877 Alabama Ave. Wilmot, OH |
Although it sits just outside of Wayne County, The Wilderness Center is an incredible asset to the area. Hosting everything from events, classes, to self guided walking along the paths there is something for every nature lover here. The headquarters sit on 619 acres with 10 miles of hiking trails winding through old growth forest, meadow, prairie, wetlands, and more.
William J Robertson Nature Preserve |
85 Morning Star Dr. Rittman, OH
| Miles of trails on 210 acres located on the east side of Rittman.
Paved and rustic trails take you through wetlands,
swamps, by ponds, and up Mt. Rittman.
Wooster Memorial Park |
5197 Silver Rd. Wooster, OH |
422 acre primitive park owned by the City of Wooster but maintained by the Friends of Wooster Memorial Park group. Over 11 miles of trails through wooded, steep ravine, and along Rathburn Run. Great wildflowers and fall foliage are just some of the highlights of the park.
ODNR also has a great app for finding more trails! Check it out and sign up HERE