Ledges Trail is a 2.3 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Peninsula, Ohio that features a cave and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
From the parking lot go to the trail sign with the roof. From here you will follow the paved road until you come to a crossroads with a bench and a descriptive sign, go right. You will come to a dead end in which you choose to go left or right, go right for now. You will now begin the first of two outer loops, you will cross a road, and then some restrooms. Just past the restrooms is possibly the most confusing way finding sign on the trail. You can take the spur trail to look over the ledge into the valley, but to stay on the trail take the one just to the left of that. This area is confusing because it is the intersection for trails in five different directions. If you have followed the correct trail you will now be walking below the ledges (they are quite impressive in scale). You will then come to the display sign and bench again (you will visit this crossroads a total of three times), keep walking straight until you come to the same dead-end sign, this time go left. You are now walking the second part of the outer loop. Now you really need to use your navigation skills because the signs on your part of the trail do not include information for the Ledges Trail. Here they begin to give you directions to Happy Day, but that is the Ledges Trail. But they will not use that logic the second time and you will need to follow the Octagon Trail to your left instead of Happy Days to your right. The third time you will want to ignore the Octagon Trail and use the Overlook directional that takes you up the stairs. This will bring you back to the Ledges Shelter trail, take that trail. This brings you back to the directional sign with a bench at the crossroads (your third visit). From the crossroads head to your right and back to the trail sign with the roof and the parking lot.
Light mud, nothing you can’t walk slowly through to avoid getting muddy.
Beautiful rock formation carved by glaciers. Ice cave was closed for bat protection. The trail itself was rocky but very manageable for a 64 year old dude like me.
This trail was busy! But totally worth it for the rock formations and beautiful overlook.
Extended the hike by going through through the Pine grove loop, which less crowded there.
Cool rock formations in a beautiful microclimate; nice, wide trails; not too difficult.
We started at the trailhead and ended at the stairs instead of doing the whole trail still worth it.
Beautiful scenic trail! The ledges is one of the most traveled trails in the National Park so naturally it was very busy on Saturday (March 27th). It was 63 degrees so it was pretty comfortable in the woods.