The West Woods

The "cave" is pretty cool to see. Trail was wet throughout most of it with only a few muddy spots (came after some rain showers moves through so it was to be expected). The trail was well marked and easy to navigate, however, there was a part around the cave loop where there were lots of roots exposed. I took an unmarked trail thinking it would lead to the lake, but it didn't and I don't recommend it as it was covered in plants with thorns.

great use of 2 hours

Nice trail, Ansel's Cave was impressive. Saw a few people but otherwise felt adequate seclusion. I will be back again no doubt.

Not a bad hike and we only saw 3 other people (with their pups) on the trail on a weekday. is probably pretty glorious in the earlier fall with the leaf color. did the cave trail and then went over to sunset lookout.

This was a great leisurely stroll to see some beautiful fall foliage. Not too difficult, but enjoyable all the same

Very simple, but scenic walking trail. You share the trail with horses so it’s quite flat, especially in the western loop. However, the eastern loop is much narrower and rockier, and provides a more interesting hiking experience. You are rewarded with a beautiful view of the cave (which looks more like a small gorge) from some nice wooden walkways. Great for a leisurely stroll as well as a good physical workout.

Lots to see and really pretty, would recommend going to walk/hike on this trail. It’s one I really enjoyed.

Well maintained. Dry even after it rains. Some incline. Shady.

Trails were clearly marked and easy to follow. Nature center was cool too. It was a little muddy but not terrible considering we’ve had a lot of rain lately.

We did Ansel's Cave Trail which was the best part of our hike, then we hiked the 2 trails behind the nature center, which had alot of wild life to look for. We started on the bridal trail but turned back when we realized it's mostly sun and along the road. Worth the trip out but more than likely wouldn't come again.

Trails are we marked and maintained. Nature center is really cool for children. The cave is beautiful but you are not allowed to explore off the boardwalk.

nice trails. not a huge challenge but I'd say it's a moderate trail. well kept area and some great pavillions. lots of benches on the cave trail.

Honestly this place was okay. It seems like it would be super busy on warmer days and in the fall. Only a few parts seem like you get away from the road and away from screaming children. I guess when I hike I like to be isolated away from roads and people. Has a nice little museum type discovery place with flushable toilets so that was nice. The trail is super wide and free of roots. The trail to Ansels cave was clear up to the point of the long loop and then became very muddy and tons of roots. The cave wasn't even a cave. It was just a little waterfall between some boulders. Still though it was nice but not a cave you put up signs for. They don't let you on them at all or around them. Hike was just ummmm okay :/ Also it was 5 miles on my walking pedometer not 4.6 miles.

Two options. My pup and I will start with the Ansel Cave trail because it’s shorter and some decent hills and terrain. Then we will end with the long Pioneer Bridle trail. Loooveee the trail, but hate how about 30% of it is either right next to the road or in someone’s very expensive backyard. Decent hills and pretty surroundings.

Affelder link is a must to see an awesome waterfall.

Nice, well maintained trail. Especially enjoyed the trail at Ansel’s Cave, very scenic and pretty.

Hiked this 3 days ago, I also found it to be 5. 2 miles. Very nice hike.

This is a great hike. It is actually two trails together, Ansel's Cave and Pioneer Bridle. Beautiful to hike, some hills and tree roots. I would recommend poles if you hike fast. I found it to be 5.2m with link.

Beautiful area, the hike to Ansel cave was a good distance. Got to feed the chickadees out by the sunset scenic lookout

The cave area of the hike was definitely worth the trip, the rest of the hike was unremarkable. It was a good family hike though and I'll definitely bring more people on this hike in the future. Moderate traffic on a Sunday afternoon, plenty of people out with their dogs.

Beautiful park and the trails are well maintained!

Cinder and gravel make this a good trail when others are wet. Hike through the woods with several creeks and rock formations.

Great park with great scenery. I hiked Half of pioneer bridge, all of discovery trail, and the falls trail. This park would be more stimulating I imagine if it had rained recently as there are gorges, creeks, and falls that were mostly dry during my visit. The Sunset Overlook is scenic, but does not have a feasible view to watch the sunset as there's no visible horizon. Pioneer bridge is not marked very well which led me to take a connector trail instead. I blame myself for that, but I noticed lack of markings as well. DO NOT USE THE DIRECTIONS IN APPLE MAPS GIVEN BY ALL TRAILS. Look the name of the park up separately, it took me to a random culdesac and told me to walk, I then searched it on my phone and drove an additional 2.5 miles. Overall I recommended this park!

Perfect!

A great (and frequent) stop for hiking, trail running, and dog walking. Bridle trail loop is about 2.75 miles with lots of variety and a great stream crossing and some fairly serious hill work.

I like how kept away it is from the high way and how deep the trails go. Driving through Amish country to get there was kind of fun too. lol I ran the Cave trail, which was a quick 2 mile. The catch is you have to jump over and around a lot of tree roots just to cover a few feet of trail. You could be a running back for the Browns after dodging the roots for at least a mile. Very earthy, pretty, challenging, and fun bridges and uphill/downhill. I tried Pioneer Bridle, but it isn't very well marked and is more suitable for advanced runners.

Nice trail and easy access

There are more like 10 miles of trail total at the West Woods (Head Quarters of the Geauga Park District) - all in great shape. It is an excellent place to get in shape for that hiking trip, or just enjoy a day in nature.... The 'cave' is really a cleft - and you can't get right into it anymore except on special hikes... but there is graffiti from the 1800's on the rock face that is now fascinating to see... Look in the vernal pools for snakes, turtles, dragonflies and ducks of all sorts!!

This was a really nice area, however, there were way too many rules signs along the trails. I was hoping to get to the caves mentioned on their website, but you weren't allowed off a boardwalk, with threats of prosecution. There are lots of other places that allow way more freedom...