Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Penitentiary Glen

Lake County's Penitentiary Glen park can easily be described as "deluxe". In addition to being endowed with natural beauty, the park has developed a number of first-rate facilities. If you enjoy hiking, as we do, you'll also appreciate its trails; they're both well-marked and well-built. The odd name, Penitentiary Glen, has nothing to do with a prison. The centerpiece of the site is a 130-foot deep gorge. Settlers in the 1800s gave it this name due to the steep walls of the gorge. It was easy Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park

Nelson Kennedy Ledges is a most unusual state park located in Portage County in northeastern Ohio. The park is a relatively small 167 acres with 3 miles of trails. The main section of the park consists of a massive rock outcropping. The outcropping is cracked with narrow passages between tall cliffs, small streams flowing through them and huge slump blocks broken off of the cliff face. The trails go around, over, and through the openings and resemble an enormous stone maze. The entrance Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Tinkers Creek State Nature Preserve

Tinkers Creek State Nature Preserve is a 786 acre preserve straddling the border of Portage and Summit counties. It features 2.2 miles of trails that provide scenic views of several ponds and wetlands. From the parking area, a short trail (0.2 mile) leads by a pond and then continues on to an observation deck overlooking a wetland. This short trail is about a quarter mile long. From the observation deck we saw a tree with a large nest in the distance. The nest is an active eagle's Read more ➜
Posted in Nature, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

F. A. Seiberling Nature Realm

The F. A. Seiberling Nature Realm is a 104 acre Summit County Metro Park. The park has a large 10,000 sq. ft. nature center with exhibits detailing the natural history of the area. The nature center includes an observation deck overlooking a pond and terrariums containing a number of Ohio reptiles and amphibians. The day we visited an individual associated with the park was introducing visitors to an Eastern Foxsnake (Elaphe gloydi). There are two and Read more ➜
Posted in History, Nature, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Malabar Farm

Malabar Farm State Park was once the home of Louis Bromfield (1896 – 1956). He was a novelist and screenplay writer. His very first novel (The Green Bay Tree) was a critical and commercial success. His third novel (Early Autumn) won Bromfield a Pulitzer Prize. He was good friends with movie star, Humphrey Bogart (deemed to be the greatest, male film star of all time by the American Film Institute). When Bogart and Lauren Bacall were making their wedding plans, Bromfield offered them the use of Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Mohican State Park

Mohican State Park is one of my favorite places for hiking. The park contains a scenic gorge with the Clear Fork branch of the Mohican River flowing through it. The park is 1,120 acres with the 4,795 acre Mohican Memorial State Forest adjacent to it. Recreational opportunities abound with several campsites, hiking trails, horseback trails, fly fishing, and boating all available. If that's not enough, nearby there are canoe liveries, the 18.6 mile Butler to Mansfield bike trail, and the Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, History, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Brandywine Falls

Brandywine Falls is in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The falls is named after the village of Brandywine that no longer exists. The village of Brandywine boomed in the early 1800s because of the waterpower which the falls provided. Here's a vintage photo of the mill associated with the falls. As transportation technology advanced, first with the Erie Canal, then later with railways, the village of Brandywine was bypassed and their economy gradually deteriorated. Read more ➜
Posted in Hiking, Northeastern Ohio, Park review

Johnson Woods State Nature Preserve

Most of Ohio was deforested for agricultural purposes during the 18th and 19th centuries. However there are a handful of virgin forests that were left alone, and one of these is found within the confines of Johnson Woods State Nature Preserve (previously known as Graber Woods). Although I usually don't get off the freeway when I'm traveling between central and northeast Ohio, I decided it was worth making a side trip to see this primeval forest. There are trees in Johnson Woods that are over 400 Read more ➜