Solon Expands Trails and Parks to Connect Community

Solon is a great place to get outside and enjoy the scenery, and several current projects reflect the importance the city places on offering its residents new opportunities to engage with nature. 

The Solon to Chagrin Falls Trail is a 10-foot-wide paved trail that gets runners, walkers and cyclists off the busy streets. “The city bought the property decades ago,” Mayor Eddy Kraus says. “We decided that we wanted to build out a nice trail from right in the heart of Solon on SOM Center Road that goes for about 4 miles right into the heart of Chagrin Falls.” 

Previously, Kraus notes, the trip was full of dangerous curves, “and you were just spending your entire time being defensive” to avoid traffic. “My goal was to get people off the dangerous streets and reduce those conflicts with vehicles,” he says. “And environmentally, it’s so much better, because you’re not breathing in exhaust fumes next to cars. On the trails, you’re right in the middle of nature.”

That trail is just the beginning of a more ambitious project, Kraus says. In the last quarter of 2025, Solon bought more than seven miles of unused rail corridor from Norfolk Southern that stretches across Cuyahoga, Portage and Geauga Counties. The acquisition sets the stage to create the Headwaters Connector Greenway.

“This one is about 7 miles and goes through multiple counties,” Kraus says. “It starts in Solon in Cuyahoga County and goes all the way through our city, through industrial properties and neighborhoods, through our golf course, and then it enters Geauga County.” 

The plan is to upgrade and pave that trail, much like the Solon to Chagrin Falls Trail. “Eventually, we’ll connect the two trails so we’ll have miles and miles of trail systems,” he says. 

Headwaters Connector Greenway

While the land belongs to Solon, the city has partnered with the Cleveland Metroparks for the construction and upkeep of the Headwaters Connector Greenway. “It’s a great partnership,” Kraus says. “They have such a great expertise in how to build trails and how to maintain them.”

In addition to the physical benefits people will enjoy, the trails benefit the city itself. Kraus notes, “We have about 900 businesses in Solon. We have large industrial companies. Many of those companies have told us that their workforce is changing. It’s a younger workforce. Many of their employees love to run or hike or walk or bike at lunchtime,” Kraus says. “[The businesses] absolutely love these trail systems that could help them recruit talent. So maybe you could say the primary reason is health and wellness, but there’s also a large economic development tool to these trails.” 

The trails could also contribute to economic development if businesses like  coffee shops, ice cream stores, breweries and bike shops choose to locate along them.

The Solon to Chagrin Falls Trail and the Headwaters Connector Greenway are the culmination of years of cultivating relationships. 

“When I first took over, we did not have a strong partnership with the Cleveland Metroparks,” Kraus says. “We had to build the trust and the relationship. You have to get deals done and you have to work with the group. It takes time, and you have to have proven results.”  

Breathing New Life Into City Parks

Solon residents who want to stay a little closer to home have a lot of new options, too.

Recognizing that the city’s parks were due for an upgrade, the parks and recreation department enlisted the help of planning consultants, community engagement focus groups and community surveys. 

“We wanted to learn what people wanted from the parks,” says Rich Parker, Solon’s director of parks and recreation. “One of the main things that we heard, in addition to wanting updates, is that they were looking for community spaces — places to gather and meet their neighbors and to utilize the park.” 

People also wanted multiple generations and multiple activities represented. From this feedback, the Solon Community Park transformation initiative took shape.

The park project is divided into phases. The first phase included some upgrades to Cisar Field at Russo Ballpark and the construction of Sebastian’s Playground, named for the son of Solon residents Kip Botirius and Kelly Baylog. Sebastian died at age 4 in 2022 from a rare genetic disorder. Sebastian’s Playground is inclusive for all to enjoy, regardless of ability.

“[Sebastian’s parents] partnered with us and made a donation to name the playground after him,” Parker says. “Together, we worked with the playground designer and came up with an inclusive place that can serve a wide range of populations — those with physical disabilities, with visual disabilities — for a wide range of age levels. It’s just fantastic.” 

So fantastic, in fact, that its construction was phase one “because we knew that it was just a really important part and would have a huge impact when it was complete,” Parker says. 

Phase two of the Solon Community Park transformation is set to be completed by mid-summer 2026. That phase includes courts for the fastest-growing sport in the world — pickleball. “We’ll also add support facilities like restrooms, a concession building and some maintenance buildings,” Parker says. 

Perhaps the central focus of phase two of the new Solon Community Park is the amphitheater. “We use the term amphitheater very loosely,” Parker says. “It’s an outdoor stage space. For many years we just rented stages and when we took a look, we could see this becoming such a big part of our special events and how we celebrate, so it was included in the designs.” 

The community lawn in front of the approximately 30-by-30-foot stage has been expanded to increase gathering space. “All the [community survey] responses centered around it being the place where neighbors would go to meet each other and spend some time together engaged in a variety of activities,” Parker says. 

Whether you want to hike the trails, swing at Sebastian’s Playground or enjoy music under the stars, Solon has you covered.