A dog’s perspective on hiking

Speaking as a dog with considerable hiking experience I can tell you that living in Summit County, Ohio affords a diverse selection of trails ranging from very easy to much more challenging. My people and I have hiked a lot of them and they all have appeal for different reasons.

The newly recreated Ohio Erie Canal towpath trail winds all through Summit County. It has parking areas within a few miles from one to the other. We frequently walk the sections from Summit Lake south to Canal Fulton. Each one has interesting things to see, including old locks, remnants of old mills, and even a canal boat being pulled by two horses. The paths are in excellent condition and great to hike no matter what the weather, so even in rainy weather I do not end up with wet, muddy paws.

Next, we have a wonderful selection of metropolitan parks, with at least one trail in each park. They range from very easy hikes of a little over a mile to my favorites, the more challenging Mingo Trail in Sand Run and Gorge Park. Both of these trails have steep hills, bridges, huge boulders, roots, and lots of chipmunks.

We also have a section of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreational Area which is equally beautiful and diverse with rolling hills, streams, lakes and meadows. There you will see deer, beavers, racoons, muskrats, herons and other birds. I love sniffing out their trails and Mary and Tom like identifying the tracks of many other animals.

So grab your leash, get your people, and join me on the trails. Maxie