Ohio State Parks has opened the state's first Braille Trail at Wingfoot Lake State Park in Portage County, giving visitors with mobility, visual, or sensory needs a new quarter-mile loop to explore just southeast of Akron. The gravel path is 36 inches wide, lined with signage in both print and Braille, and guided by a rope that lets people follow the route independently.
According to cleveland.com, the trail includes six educational panels covering local wildlife and natural features, including white-tailed deer and bald eagles. The panels incorporate 3D-printed tactile elements, and the project is described as among the first in Ohio to use sustainable materials for accessible signage. Visitors who are blind or have low vision can also scan QR codes along the route to hear spoken descriptions of each stop.
Leading the way, in spirit at least, is Spotty, a salamander character created as the trail's official Ambassador Guide. The whimsical touch sits alongside a more practical neighbor: the trail is located near the hangar that houses the Goodyear Blimp, a fixture of the Wingfoot Lake area southeast of Akron.
Funding Came From Several Disability and Parks Organizations
The Braille Trail was funded in part by a $25,000 grant from the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the outlet's report notes. Additional contributions came from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Unlimited Play, rounding out a coalition of groups focused on expanding outdoor access.
The trail's debut follows months of anticipation. As of late September, the path was still under construction, with ideastream.org reporting that it wasn't yet open but was expected to debut that fall. That same report placed the Wingfoot project within a broader accessibility push across Ohio's park system, one that began during Governor Mike DeWine's tenure and now touches most of the system's parks in some form.
Park Sees Half a Million Visitors a Year
Wingfoot Lake State Park joined ODNR's 76-park portfolio in 2009 and now draws roughly half a million visitors annually, per the same ideastream.org report. That steady traffic makes it a high-profile site for the state's accessibility expansion, which has included features at wildlife areas, forests, and nature preserves beyond just trails.
Ohio isn't alone in building these spaces. Hogback Ridge Park in Delaware County operates its own Braille Trail, described by Preservation Parks of Delaware County as a multisensory nature experience with a guidance rope, crushed-gravel surface, and interpretive signs. That trail's length is reported differently across sources — Preservation Parks lists it as a 0.4-mile loop, while delgazette.com described it as a one-third-mile loop. The Delaware County project was supported by a $120,000 grant from the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities, according to the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, and it won the association's 2025 Governor's Award, as noted on Hogback Ridge Park's own page.
More Accessible Features Opened at Wingfoot Lake
Beyond the Braille Trail, Wingfoot Lake State Park also completed a new shaded play pad featuring sensory play equipment, ADA-accessible picnic benches, and a children's swing set. That project, like the trail, received partial funding from the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Mike Studeny said he hopes every visitor feels the park is a place of possibilities and belonging, with an opportunity to discover the outdoors in their own way. Mary Mertz said Ohio State Parks will continue expanding opportunities for everyone to experience Ohio's natural wonders.
