 Within the city is are segments of the Portage Hike and Bike Trail , which is jointly managed with Kent State University , the Portage Park District , and the city of Ravenna . The main portion of the trail follows the Cuyahoga River in Kent with most of the trail paved with asphalt . In August 2012 , as part of several redevelopment projects in the downtown area , Kent State University began construction of the Esplanade Extension , which was completed in August 2013 and connects the university 's portion of trail extending to Dix Stadium , known as the University Esplanade , to downtown Kent . The trail connects with the hike and bike trails in neighboring Summit County and links Kent with nearby communities in Portage County . The city is also home to the Tom S. Cooperrider @-@ Kent Bog State Nature Preserve , located in the southern edge of Kent . It is one of the most intact bogs in Ohio , with the southernmost and largest stand of tamarack trees in the continental United States . 
