TOP FIVE ways to explore & enjoy your Lake Metroparks this fall



Jeff Taipale

Fall Colors Tour: Take a hike along one of the 50+ miles of trails to discover the beauty of fall foliage in Lake County. If hiking isn't for you, scenic trail cart tours are now accessible for non-hikers.

Enjoy the Harvest: Enjoy harvest fun at Farmpark every weekend through October 19!

Gather Round: Get the family together around a blazing campfire for stories, songs, roasting marshmallows and old-fashioned outdoor fun!

Eye to the Sky: Did you know that fall is an excellent time for birdwatching? Catch a glimpse of a variety of birds during fall migration.

Conquer the Maze: Test your skills as you "walk the stalk" through a multitude of twists and turns through the three-acre corn maze at Farmpark.

Lake Metroparks 10-year Strategic Plan - The Marsh Creek Basin

Lake Metroparks’ approach to planning and formulating strategic actions was to divide Lake County into six diverse districts. The establishment of districts will better enable the park district to focus future investment decisions on the unique opportunities and specific needs that exist within each district. The distinctive geography that defines Lake County has influenced development patterns and created unique districts. District 3: Marsh Creek Basin The Marsh Creek Basin encompasses the low flatlands with drainage feeding streams that reach Lake Erie west of Mentor Marsh and east of the lower Chagrin River corridor. Like the Urbanized Lake Plain to the west, the area was easily developable and as the Cleveland metropolitan area expanded to the east, it saw extensive growth between 1950 and 1980. The district includes Mentor, Mentor-on-the-Lake and parts of Concord Township.  Lake Metroparks manages one park in this district:  Veterans Park Future Objectives During the coming decade, Lake Metroparks will work with local communities, agencies and organizations to contribute to the preservation of the Marsh Creek riparian area. Click here to download the Marsh Creek Basin information sheet. In a continuing effort to meet the needs and desires of all Lake County residents, Lake Metroparks periodically reviews its approach to fulfilling the agency’s mission and goals. The park district has recently created a ten-year strategic plan that will inform decision-making with regard to policies, operations, maintenance and capital improvements over the next decade. Lake Metroparks’ strategic plan examines how to best fulfill the agency's mission given the current and projected economic, demographic and environmental trends facing Lake County and the surrounding region. For more information about Lake Metroparks' Ten-year Strategic Plan Executive Summary, click here.

Passport to the Parks puts fall color in spotlight

Overlook at Lake Metroparks Girdled Road Reservation
Photo by Duncan Scott/The News-Herald

Passport to the Parks is offering a view of the fall colors in its final month.

The fifth and final installment of the summer walking program sponsored by The Cleveland Clinic spotlights Girdled Road Reservation in Concord Township.

The 902-acre park is bordered by Girdled, Radcliffe and Concord-Hambden roads.

Visitors can access the pedestrian walkway from the North Entrance on Girdled Road.

Passport to the Parks encourages area residents to get out and get some exercise in the area’s parks.

While you’re out walking the trail, you’ll come across a trail marker with a code word for entry into a contest with prizes such as a three-month subscription to The News-Herald and a one-year membership to Lake Metroparks Farmpark.

There are three ways to enter the contest:

* Text the code word to 22700.

* Email the code word to http://bit.ly/girdledroad

* Call Lake Metroparks at 440-358-7275 and provide the code word to customer service.

Each month since June, a new park has been announced as part of the program.

The code words for the first four parks — Veteran’s Park in Mentor; Lakeshore Reservation in North Perry Village; Gully Brook Park in Willoughby; and Chagrin River Park in Willoughby — remain in effect.

You can enter once per park, and if you walk all five parks, you’ll have five entries into the contest.

The signs and code words will remain in place until Nov. 15.

Those who complete all five parks will be entered into a drawing to win reusable lunch containers, courtesy of Lake Metroparks.

Up to 100 participants will receive the lunch containers.

Story by Laura Kessel/The News-Herald