Ohio Opens First Braille Trail at Wingfoot Lake

The quarter-mile loop at Wingfoot Lake State Park gives visitors with visual impairments a self-guided hiking route with tactile and audible features.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Hiking

Wooden boardwalk with a taut rope railing curving through autumn woodland toward a still lake under soft morning light. — Ohio State Parks opened its first Braille Trail at Wingfoot Lake State Park, a quarter-mile loop with tactile and audible features for visitors with visual impairments. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Ohio State Parks opened its first Braille Trail at Wingfoot Lake State Park, southeast of Akron, the week of November 3, 2026. The park also completed a new shaded play pad with sensory play equipment.

Why it matters

The trail expands accessible outdoor recreation in Ohio's state park system, giving visitors who are blind or visually impaired a way to explore a park trail independently. Funding from a local developmental disabilities board shows how community grants can support such projects.

The quarter-mile loop has a 36-inch-wide gravel path and six educational panels with 3D-printed tactile elements, funded in part by a $25,000 grant from the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The source does not report visitor counts or future trail plans for other Ohio parks.

The players

Ohio State Parks

The state agency that manages Ohio's network of state parks, campgrounds and natural areas, and that opened the Braille Trail.

Wingfoot Lake State Park

A state park near Mogadore in Portage County, southeast of Akron, known for its lake and recreational trails.

Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities

A local county board that supports services for people with developmental disabilities and provided a $25,000 grant toward the trail.

The details

The trail uses signage in printed text and braille, with a self-guiding rope that lets individuals follow the path independently. A salamander character named Spotty serves as the Braille Trail Ambassador Guide, and an audible option is activated through QR codes that provide spoken descriptions.

Week of November 3, 2026: Ohio State Parks opens the Braille Trail at Wingfoot Lake State Park.
Recently: The park completes a new shaded play pad with sensory play equipment, ADA-accessible picnic benches and a children's swing set.

Trail Access

The trail's ADA-accessible picnic benches and sensory play equipment at the new play pad extend the accessibility standards that apply to public recreation sites. Its tactile panels and QR-activated audio descriptions go beyond basic compliance to serve visitors with visual impairments on a self-guided route.

Visitors planning a trip to Wingfoot Lake State Park can use the self-guiding rope and QR-code audio descriptions on the quarter-mile loop without assistance. The gravel path is 36 inches wide, which is useful to know when planning for mobility devices or a companion.

The takeaway

Accessible trails like this one show that outdoor recreation can be designed around independence, with tactile signage and audio options that let visitors explore on their own. Planning around these features can make a park visit more comfortable for everyone in a group.