Hampton Hills Metro Park

Hampton Hills Metro Park

Main Entrance: 2925 Akron-Peninsula Road Mountain Bike Area: 2092 Theiss Road Akron, Ohio 44313 Play Field: 1940 W. Steels Corners Road Top O’ the World: 1285 Bath Road Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221

Official Website
Hampton Hills Metro Park brochure and map

Also, see all the hotspots at:
Cuyahoga Valley National Park-Lower Cuyahoga River Important Bird Area
Akron North Birding Drive

Birds of Interest

Yellow-throated Vireo

About this Location

In 1964 the City of Akron needed flat land on which to build a water tower. It leased 116 acres of woods and ravines to Metro Parks in exchange for land within Goodyear Heights Metro Park. Three years later, Rhea H. and E. Reginald Adam donated 162 acres of adjacent farmland to Metro Parks, and the 278-acre Hampton Hills Metro Park was born. In 2010, the park district signed a lease for the adjacent Hardy Road landfill, bringing the park to its current size of 655 acres.

More than 10,000 years ago, glaciers retreated from Northeast Ohio, carving ravines and valleys. The glacially-formed Adam Run Valley is home to an unusual plant called rush, which lines the banks of the stream. Along the trails, oak, elm, sycamore, and black walnut trees provide a habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. A grove of white pine, planted by Girl Scouts in the late 1960s, offers visitors a cool, scented respite.

Today, at the Top O’ the World Area, open fields contain milkwort, ironweed, Queen Anne’s lace, goldenrods, and asters. Bluebird boxes, which are monitored by volunteers, rise above the meadow grasses. Each summer, bluebirds sit perched atop the nest boxes, watching for their insect prey. Other notable bird species include woodcocks, wild turkeys, and large birds of prey like red-tailed hawks. The hawks can be seen soaring above the meadows as they hunt for small voles and mice.

Notable Trails

Hampton Hills Metro Park Trails
Adam Run Trail – 3.2 miles
Combined with Spring Hollow Trail, this is one of the park district’s most demanding hikes. The loop follows the glacial terrain left from the last ice age as well as open fields and meadows near Top O’ the World. Adam Run Trail allows hikers to enjoy the entire park. There are several seasonal stream crossings, making it difficult not to get your feet wet.

Spring Hollow Trail – 1.6 miles
One of the park district’s most demanding hikes, this smaller loop trail crosses several seasonal streams at times, making the crossing difficult not to get your feet wet. The trail covers the western portion of the park including the “Lookout Post” used by Native Americans as a fort and lookout over the Cuyahoga River. Erosion has caused the trail to change over time, revealing some interesting new areas to investigate. The switchback can be challenging in wet and snowy conditions.

The AllTrails website has descriptions with maps of hikes on both of the trails in Hampton Hills Metro Park.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website

Last updated October 2, 2023