Buckeye Trail: Jaite to Boston

This one-way stretch of the Buckeye Trail connects the old railroad town of Jaite to the village of Boston along a route that earns every bit of its moderate rating. Starting from Red Lock Trailhead, you'll immediately notice the terrain has teeth — rocky footing and rolling hills that keep your ankles honest, even though the total elevation change is barely enough to wind you. The trail threads through second-growth hardwood forest above the Cuyahoga River valley, crossing ravines and skirting old canal infrastructure that reminds you this land worked hard before it became a park. The payoff builds gradually: filtered views of the valley, moss-covered sandstone ledges, and the quiet satisfaction of covering real distance through Ohio's only national park. This is a hiker's hike — not a spectacle trail, but a rewarding point-to-point that feels like genuine backcountry in a state not known for it.