Toledo area places to walk

#toledo - #park - #nature

Cullen Park is a city park, and that is an interesting walk to the end of that peninsula. Other Toledo spots that I enjoy visiting include:

• Ottawa Park
• Greenwood Park
• Detwiler Marsh

If you like to mountain bike, try Jermain Park. It's still a good place to hike, just watch out for bikers.

The city of Toledo website used to list all of the city parks, but I cannot locate the list now. You might have better luck. All I see is a phone number.

http://toledo.oh.gov/services/public-service/parks,-recreation-forestry/

Here's an old page at Toledo Talk that contains a list of Toledo city parks as of 2006.

http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/412/Toledo_City_Parks

Outside the city, here are a few places that I have enjoyed visiting.

Rossford Island View Park

577 Foundation

W.W. Knight Nature Preserve

Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve, located across from Secor Metropark.

Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, located in western Lucas County, is one of my favorite places to visit. It has limited hours though. The guided walks will take you into areas that are normally off-limits to the public.

Kitty Todd Preserve is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the first weekend of the month from May through October. During open weekends, guided hikes are offered on Saturdays at 2:00.

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge will supply you with plenty of walking opportunities.

The towpath trail along the Maumee River is fun. Or it was. Back in my running days, I occasionally ran this trail. Out-and-back was a 14-mile run. I haven't visited this trail in a long time.

Hopefully, you have worn out the metroparks because Wildwood, Swan Creek, and Oak Openings metroparks are great places to stroll. Oak Openings Metropark is large enough that you can find trails that get you away from other people.

A little west of Oak Openings Metropark is the Maumee State Forest. It's scattered in patches. You can find quiet trails except for the occasional ATV rider. On one winter visit, a guy with a dog sled team zipped by me. The wet forest areas should be dry now, but mosquitoes are still common. Earlier in the summer, some of the wet forest areas contain enough water that you need hip waders to make it through without getting wet. I would at least wear knee-high rubber boots. The densely-wooded, swampy, mosquito-infested areas keep the crowds down. You'll have the place to yourself in the spring and early summer. Pretty cool.

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another comment

Multiple nice trails exist at Oak Openings Metropark with varying lengths and footing styles, and it's a great place to visit in the winter when covered with snow.

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark Trails Info

For short walks, check out the red, green, and blue trails. I especially like the dunes trail and any of the trails that meander through or near the 2010 tornado damage area. But any trail is fine. Start at Mallard Lake and explore.

Oak Openings Hiking Trail (yellow)

Length: 16 miles. Surface: dirt. Traffic: light.

One of the only true long distance hiking trails in the area, the trail encircles the park and gives hikers access to virtually all the features of the other trails combined.

The trail is sometimes called the Scout Trail because of its popularity and long history with local scouts. Boy Scouts have used the trail to earn their hiking merit badge for more than 60 years.

Because it is maintained as a primitive trail, expect to find occasional down trees and wet areas.

For most of my birdwatching at Oak Openings Metropark, I simply walk the roads or the bike paths for the edge habitat, and it's still a pleasant experience.

Oak Openings Metropark is one of the best places in Ohio to observe butterflies.

If you are interested in botany, it's a fascinating place as is any park that's located within the Oak Openings Region, which is the sandy area that runs from West Toledo through Sylvania and out past Toledo Express Airport.