We ran the roads in Summit County to see which has the best fall foliage: Here's what we found

Tawney Beans, Akron Beacon Journal
·3 min read

The peak of fall colors is finally here and you know what that means.

No, we are not talking about leaf pickup. That's a whole separate, more boring story.

When the trees are ablaze with color, it means you better start planning those long drives through the countryside to admire nature's vibrant foliage before winter hits.

But there's no need to travel outside of Summit County to see the beauty of fall — quite a few nearby roads display it just fine.

Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans rode through some of these roadways to give you an idea of what fall foliage they have to offer this season. Oh, and she pointed out the restaurants or attractions worth visiting near each one — just in case a passenger gets hungry or restless.

For more information on fall foliage, check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s Fall Color Progress Map or YouTube playlist.

Roads with fall foliage + food or attractions

  • Christman Road, Green

    • Where to eat:  Guiseppe's Pizza

    • Where to stop: Take in a great view of the lake against the multicolored leaves at its C6 parking lot. For a closer view, walk down to the dock and bench located on the water’s edge.

  • Terex Road, Hudson

  • Silver Creek Lake, Norton

    • Where to eat: Old Stone Jail Bar & Grill

    • Where to stop: There are quite a few places worthy of interrupting your leaf-viewing around the lake. Some are the observation deck on the south side of the lake and, for the children in the backseat asking, “Are we there yet?” even though there are no real destinations when looking at leaves, there is a beach and playground.

  • Riverview Road, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

  • Park Lake, Munroe Falls

    • Where to eat: La Mexicana

    • Where to stop: There are beaches, playgrounds, a soccer field and basketball court along the road. Visitors can also take Indian Spring Trail to Heron Pond on the south side of Park Lake for fishing.

  • Sand Run Parkway, Akron

    • Where to eat: If you are heading west on Sand Run Parkway, turn left onto Ghent Road and you will have a whole host of restaurants. On the left is foreign fare such as Lenonardo's Pizza and Continental Cuisine and the right side of the road has American dishes from The Rail and dessert courtesy of Duck Donuts.

    • Where to stop: Sand Run Metro Park has seven trails of varying difficulty for those who would like a closer look at the park’s foliage and fauna. The forest is home to a variety of squirrels, owls and woodpeckers. Some rare species inhabit the park too, like sharp-shinned hawks, butternut trees and native orchids.

Use this interactive map to cruise roads that have trees ablaze with color and let us know your thoughts on what they have to offer. There are also restaurants and attractions shown on the map on or near the roadways.

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and on Twitter @TawneyBeans. Follow her adventures on TikTok @akronbeaconjournal.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: These are the best roads to view fall foliage in Summit County