Old Lorain Connector Links Kamm’s Corners to the Emerald Necklace Trail and Beyond
One of Northeast Ohio’s greatest natural assets is the Rocky River Reservation on the western edge of the Kamm’s Corners neighborhood. However, residents and visitors of West Park trying to access the park on foot or bike have historically not had a direct pedestrian connection from Kamm’s Corners into the reservation. After many years of planning that all changed with the opening of the Old Lorain Connector Trail on August 11, 2026.
The Old Lorain Connector Trail is a 0.3 mile recreational trial that begins at the intersection of Riveredge Road and Bradgate Avenue. The trail snakes its way down the hillside where it eventually connects to the thirty-three mile stretch of the Emerald Necklace Trail near Little Met Golf Course. The trail is completely separated from the roadway though as it approaches Little Met it does follow alongside Old Lorain Road.
The project was achieved thanks to a partnership between multiple civic and nonprofit organizations including Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland, Community West Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, and West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development. Together, the team secured the needed funding and led the project through the engagement, planning, and design phase that began in earnest in 2021, though the trail had been envisioned long before that.
In the early 1900s, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. visited northeast Ohio to tour the region’s natural landscape and growing network of parks. The feedback he provided called for an interconnected park system that gave urban residents easy access to the ecological assets surrounding the City of Cleveland and beyond. His vision eventually helped to lead to the development of the Cleveland Metroparks. The Old Lorain Connector Trail further advances the goal of connecting Cleveland to its greenspaces.
The steep hillside the Old Lorain Connector Trail traverses required thoughtful engineering and design to ensure the trail was safe and did not negatively impact the surrounding ecosystem. The team at Michael Baker International was selected to design the project and navigate around obstacles like the migration pattern of the Indiana bat population and wetlands within the hillside. They designed a trail that features a series of switchbacks and overlooks to provide a scenic path for pedestrians to take in the surroundings. A bike repair stand was installed at the trailhead for cyclists needing a tune-up before they ride. Nerone & Sons Inc. was selected to build the path which took around eighteen months to fully construct.
West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development staff and Board of Directors would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to all the partners who helped to make the Old Lorain Connector Trail a reality. The list of folks who helped get this project across the finish line is long but includes Cleveland City Councilman Charles Slife, Cuyahoga County Councilman Dale Miller, Brian Zimmerman and the whole team at the Cleveland Metroparks, Dr. Neil Smith and Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, and the Community West Foundation. The project was also made possible thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
A heartful thanks is also extended to the many residents of Ward 15 who lent their ideas and voices during the planning process of this trail. WPKND encourages all residents to explore the Old Lorain Connector and take in the beauty of the Rocky River Reservation. It is time to find your path!
