Summit Metro Parks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Summit Metro Parks
Type	Public park district
Location	Summit County, Ohio, United States
Nearest city	Akron, Ohio
Area	14,000 acres (5,700 ha)
Created	1921
Visitors	5,000,000 annually
Open	All year

Summit Metro Parks is a cool system of parks in Summit County, Ohio. It's like a giant outdoor playground! The park system takes care of over 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land. This includes 16 fun parks, six special nature areas, and more than 150 miles (240 km) of trails for you to explore. A big part of this is 22.4 miles (36.0 km) of the famous Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

The parks are paid for by a special tax called a levy, which people in Summit County vote to approve. Park rangers are like police officers for the parks. They help keep everyone safe by making sure park rules and laws are followed.

History of Summit Metro Parks

The sign for Akron Metropolitan Park District, which is now Summit Metro Parks

During big events like World War I, people often look for peaceful places to relax. That's why, in 1916, the National Park Service was created to protect amazing natural areas. Soon after, in 1917, Ohio decided to let local areas create their own park systems.

The first park system in Ohio was Cleveland Metroparks. Then, on December 31, 1921, the Akron Metropolitan Park District was started. This is what we now call Summit Metro Parks!

Early Days and Important People

It took a little while to get the park system going. In 1923, the first three leaders were chosen: James Shaw, Maude I. Milar, and Charles B. Raymond. Things really started moving in 1925 when Frank A. Seiberling joined the team. He was the person who started the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company!

Frank Seiberling and the other leaders asked some very famous landscape architects, the Olmsted Brothers, for help. These brothers were known for designing big parks, just like their dad, Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York's Central Park. They helped plan out the best places in Summit County for new parks.

In June 1925, the first piece of land for the parks was given as a gift. It was a small, triangular area called Courtney Park. This gift helped kick off the growth of the park system.

Growth and the Great Depression

In 1926, Harold S. Wagner became the first director of the park district. He had even worked with the famous Olmsted Brothers! Between the late 1920s and 1930, people generously donated over 1,000 acres of land. This meant the park system grew to 1,600 acres across five different areas. To help pay for more land and projects, people voted in 1928 to add a small tax.

But then, less than a year later, the stock market crashed, starting the Great Depression. Many factories closed, and jobs were hard to find. To help people, President Franklin D. Roosevelt started the New Deal. A big part of this was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC put millions of people to work building parks and other projects. This helped Summit Metro Parks build new parks and finish many important jobs.

Today, Summit Metro Parks manages about 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land. It has 16 developed parks, six special conservation areas, and over 150 miles (240 km) of trails. About 5 million people visit these parks every year!

Explore the Parks

A view of the valley from North Main Street

Summit Metro Parks has many different parks, each with its own special features and activities. Here are some of them:

Cascade Valley/North

This park in Akron was named after Sherman and Mary Schumacher, who donated land in 1968. It's a rugged area with steep ravines carved by streams that flow into the Cuyahoga River. You can find many types of trees here, like oak and sassafras. Look for wildflowers like spring beauty and Jack-in-the-pulpit. You might also spot great horned owls and different kinds of woodpeckers!

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Schumacher Trail 1.2 miles; Valley Link Trail 2.8 miles), Picnicking

Cascade Valley/South

Also in Akron, this park has a cool history. In 1833, a smart engineer named Eliakim Crosby built the Cascade Race. This was a waterway that powered mills and businesses, helping Akron grow fast. You can still see traces of an old waterway he built here. In spring, beautiful white trillium flowers grow, along with wild ginger and violets. This park is home to rare plants and even a prairie where wild lupines bloom in May.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Chuckery Trail 2.4 miles; Highbridge Trail 3.2 miles; Overlook 0.5 miles; Oxbow Trail 1.2 miles), Baseball/Softball, Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Picnicking, Sledding, Soccer

Cascade Locks

This park in Akron is along the Towpath Trail and tells the story of Akron's early factories. The Ohio & Erie Canal had a very steep section here. Boats had to go up 15 "steps" or locks in just one mile! Locks 10 through 16 are in this area. The Mustill House and store, built a long time ago, are some of Akron's oldest buildings. They served people traveling on the canal. This area is now a National Historic District. You can see many native wildflowers and birds like robins and red-tailed hawks here.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking, Picnicking

Deep Lock Quarry

Located in Peninsula, this park has Lock 28, which was the deepest lock on the Ohio & Erie Canal at 17 feet! There's also an old quarry where blocks of Berea sandstone were cut for the canal locks. This sandstone was also used for mill stones to process oats. The Civilian Conservation Corps used stone from here in the 1930s to build park facilities. Today, you'll find many Ohio buckeye trees here. The old canal bed is a home for frogs, turtles, and salamanders.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Buckeye Trail; Cuyahoga Trail 13.1 miles; Quarry Trail 1.2 miles), Fishing, Picnicking

Firestone Metro Park

In Akron, this park used to be a place where dairy cows grazed. In 1949, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company donated land for the park. A dam built nearby created a reservoir, which caused the water level to rise downstream, forming the wetlands and marshy meadows you see today. This park is full of wildlife like fish, frogs, turtles, foxes, and raccoons. Over 175 types of birds have been seen here, including bald eagles! Be careful of poison sumac in wet areas; always stay on the trails.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Redwing Trail 1.1 miles; Walking Course 0.9 miles; Willow Trail 1.6 miles), Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Picnicking, Sledding

Furnace Run Metro Park

This large park in Richfield started in 1929 with a donation from the Charles Francis Brush Jr. family. Many parts of the park were built by work crews in the 1930s. Every March and April, thousands of daffodils bloom along the H.S. Wagner Daffodil Trail. Harold S. Wagner was the first director of Metro Parks and planted the first bulbs here. You can find beautiful beech-maple woods, spring wildflowers, and deep ravines. Look for owls, hawks, and even beavers near the wet woods.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Daffodil Trail 0.6 miles; Old Mill Trail 1.0 miles; Rock Creek Trail 1.2 miles), Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Ice Skating, Picnicking, Sledding

Goodyear Heights Metro Park

This park in Akron opened in 1930 with land donated by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. During the Great Depression, more land was added. Thousands of pine and tulip trees were planted here. During World War II, people even planted "Victory Gardens" to grow food. Today, the park has many different trees like black cherries, oaks, and maples. Alder Pond is a great place to see muskrats, Canada geese, and mallards. In late spring, you might even see large snapping turtles basking in the sun!

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Alder Trail 1.4 miles, Parcours Trail 1.8 miles, Piney Woods Trail 2.0 miles), Baseball/Softball, Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Picnicking, Sledding

Gorge Metro Park

In Cuyahoga Falls, this park has a cool story about a 12-year-old girl named Mary Campbell. She was captured by Native Americans in 1759 and reportedly lived in a cave here. The Gorge itself was formed thousands of years ago when glaciers blocked the Cuyahoga River, making it carve a new path. The river now flows over shale and between sandstone cliffs. This park was donated in 1930. Before that, it was an amusement park with a roller coaster! You can still see the FirstEnergy Dam here.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Glens Trail 1.8 miles, Gorge Trail 1.8 miles, Highbridge Trail 3.2 miles), Fishing, Ice Skating, Picnicking

Hampton Hills Metro Park

This park in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls grew over time from land donations and leases. Over 10,000 years ago, glaciers carved the ravines and valleys here. The Adam Run Valley has unusual plants called rush along its stream. You'll find oak, elm, and sycamore trees, which are home to many birds and other animals. Girl Scouts planted a grove of white pines here in the 1960s. In the open fields, you can see wildflowers like milkwort and goldenrods. Volunteers monitor bluebird boxes, and you might spot red-tailed hawks hunting over the meadows.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Adam Run 3.2 miles, Spring Hollow Trail 1.6 miles), Picnicking, Soccer

Liberty Metro Park

In Twinsburg, this park was a camping spot for ancient humans who drank from its clean springs. Later, trees were cleared for farms, but maple trees were saved for their sweet sap. Today, Liberty Park is a partnership between the City of Twinsburg and Metro Parks. The park has large trees on rock ledges and in wetlands. Metro Parks keeps some areas as "Low Impact" to protect rare and endangered species like Indiana bats, marsh wrens, ospreys, and bald eagles. You might also see beavers, long-tailed weasels, and many types of frogs and turtles. In 2006, it was named an Important Bird Area!

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Buttonbush Trail 1.6 miles, Sugarbush Trail 0.6 miles), Baseball/Softball, Picnicking, Play Equipment

Munroe Falls Metro Park

Before Metro Parks bought this land in Munroe Falls in 1978, it was a swimming park called Renner Park. The Renner family created the current 13-acre lake in 1937. Today, the sandy soil here allows special plants to grow that are not common in Summit County, like blueberries and ground pine. You'll also find black gum and sassafras trees. Beavers, frogs, turtles, and salamanders live in Beaver and Heron ponds.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Indian Spring Trail 2.2 miles), Basketball, Boat Rental, Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Picnicking, Play Equipment, Sledding, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball

F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm

This special park in Akron is named after F.A. Seiberling, who started Goodyear Tire & Rubber. He was also a big supporter of the park system and donated a lot of land. The Nature Realm was created in 1964 as a place to study and enjoy nature. It's a peaceful spot where you can connect with the natural world.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Cherry Lane Trail 0.6 miles, Fernwood Trail 0.5 miles, Seneca Trail 1.4 miles), Picnicking

O'Neil Woods Metro Park

In Bath, this park was once the farm of William O'Neil, who started General Tire and Rubber Company. His family donated the 242-acre farm in 1972. Their old barn is still there and is a great home for bats! You might see eastern bluebirds nesting in boxes, and other birds like barred owls and pileated woodpeckers. The park has oak, black willow, and sycamore trees. Yellow Creek, one of the cleanest streams flowing into the Cuyahoga River, has turtles, frogs, and many types of fish.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Buckeye Trail, Deer Run Trail 1.8 miles), Picnicking

Sand Run Metro Park

This large park in Akron opened in 1929, but people have been visiting this area for hundreds of years. It was once a campsite for Mingo Native Americans. Portage Path was an important trail between rivers and later marked the western edge of the United States. During the War of 1812, General Elijah Wadsworth used a high ridge here as a lookout. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built many structures and trails here. You can drive through a ford where Sand Run crosses the parkway. In the cool ravines, you'll find hemlocks, ferns, and wildflowers like trilliums. The tall forest is home to squirrels, owls, and woodpeckers. Many rare species live here, including sharp-shinned hawks. Every spring, the parkway is closed at night so spotted salamanders can cross the road to mate. It's a popular sight for nature lovers!

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Buckeye Trail, Dogwood Trail 1.8 miles, Jogging Trail 6.0 miles, Mingo Trail 3.3 miles, Parcours Trail 1.4 miles, Valley Link Trail 2.8 miles), Ice Skating, Picnicking, Sledding, Soccer

Silver Creek Metro Park

This park in Norton is in a quiet, rural area. You can still see signs of its past as the Harter Dairy Farm, like open fields and an old barn from the Civil War! Underground, there are tunnels from a 19th-century mining operation. Since Metro Parks got the land in 1966, thousands of trees have been planted. A 50-acre lake was built in the early 1990s, fed by a spring from an old mine. Even though the water from the mine shafts has iron in it, fish, frogs, and other animals thrive. The open fields are home to woodcocks, meadowlarks, and eastern bluebirds. You'll see many butterflies, and hawks hunting rabbits and mice. Deer travel through the woods, fields, and wetlands. One of the largest northern red oaks in Summit County, with a circumference of 20 feet, stands in this park!

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Bridle Trail 7.9 miles, Chippewa Trail 2.0 miles, Pheasant Run Trail 1.2 miles), Boat Rental, Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Picnicking, Play Equipment, Swimming

Springfield Bog Metro Park

This exciting new park in Springfield Township is the first in southeast Summit County! The trail is marked, and there's a parking lot, but more changes are coming as it grows. In the future, a restored prairie will attract butterflies and birds like bobolinks and meadowlarks, which like to nest in grasslands.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking (Prairie Trail)

Tallmadge Meadows

This Metro Park in Tallmadge, Ohio, is a newer addition. It has two trails: Meadow Loop and Meadow Trail. Meadow Loop is an easy 0.35 miles of flat land. Meadow Trail is 2.0 miles long and goes through the woods, passing the County Home cemetery.

• ACTIVITIES: Hiking

Other Trails to Explore

Bike & Hike Trail

This is a completely paved, 33.5-mile (53.9 km) trail that's great for many activities. It was one of the first "rails to trails" projects in the county, meaning it follows the path of an old electric railroad! The Akron, Bedford & Cleveland (ABC) Railroad used to run here, taking people from Akron to Cleveland for 50 cents. Today, you can see great blue herons and ducks along the Cuyahoga River section. A small pond along the trail hosts a chorus of spring peepers every year. You can also see the Sharon Conglomerate rock walls and get a view of Brandywine Falls, which is 75 feet tall!

• ACTIVITIES: Biking, Cross-country Skiing, Hiking, Picnicking, Rollerblading

Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

This trail follows the path of the old Ohio and Erie Canal, which was an amazing invention! It had a series of sandstone locks that helped boats climb different elevations. The steepest part was near Akron, where boats had to go up 15 "steps" in just one mile. Mules pulled the canal boats, allowing goods to be shipped all the way from Lake Erie to the Gulf of Mexico! The canal helped Akron grow a lot when it opened in 1827.

However, railroads became more popular, and after a big flood in 1913, the canal was abandoned. For many years, it was forgotten. But in the 1980s, people started thinking about turning the towpath into a trail. The first section opened in 1993, and it quickly became very popular. Now, Metro Parks helps manage parts of this historic trail.

• Akron Area (Botzum to the Innerbelt/SR-59): This 9.28-mile section has the Cuyahoga and Little Cuyahoga rivers, which are home to many water animals. You might see herons, geese, ducks, and kingfishers. Frogs and salamanders lay their eggs in pools here. Look for cottonwood, sycamore, and elm trees. You might even see signs of beavers!

• Barberton Area (Waterloo Road to Snyder Avenue): This 5.11-mile section has plants that grow well in disturbed soil, like sumac and blackberry. You'll also find trees like boxelder and black locust. Many summer and fall wildflowers bloom here. The Tuscarawas River and the canal are home to beavers, muskrats, turtles, and different kinds of frogs.

• PPG Industries (Eastern Road to Center Road): This 4.54-mile section is on land leased from PPG Industries. From 1899 to 1973, waste from a chemical plant was pumped into six settling ponds called Lime Lakes. This left behind flat, barren land. In the 1980s, PPG started restoring the area by adding nutrient-rich soil and planting plants. Now, wildlife like painted turtles, pheasants, and white-tailed deer have returned!

• Clinton Area (Center Road to the Stark County line): This 2.6-mile section has rich, wet soil that supports many wildflowers from spring to fall, attracting lots of insects and butterflies. You'll find trees that like wet areas, such as hackberry, elm, and swamp white oak.

• ACTIVITIES: Biking, Camping, Cross-country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Picnicking

Conservation Areas

Besides the developed parks and trails, Metro Parks also manages special conservation areas. These areas are focused on protecting Summit County's natural resources. While they aren't officially open to the public in the same way as parks, most can be reached through nearby trails.

• Columbia Run Conservation Area

This 366-acre area is surrounded by Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It has steep ravines and older forests. Columbia Run flows through here, and it's home to coldwater fish, including a rare minnow called the southern redbelly dace. Rare birds like cerulean warblers have also been seen here. You can access this area using the statewide Buckeye Trail.

• Kniss Conservation Area

This is the smallest named conservation area, at 73 acres. It was donated in 1974 and is next to Bath Nature Preserve. These woods were once considered one of the best examples of a beech-maple forest in the area.

• Riding Run Conservation Area

This 705-acre area includes fields and forests that are home to rare plants, like the butternut tree. Black-throated green warblers have been seen here, and Furnace Run, one of the cleanest streams flowing into the Cuyahoga River, runs through parts of this area. Some parts of Riding Run are used to grow sweet corn, continuing a long tradition of farming in the valley. You can reach this area using nearby bridle trails.

• Waldo Semon Conservation Area

This 122-acre area was donated in 1974 by Waldo Semon, who invented a way to make PVC (vinyl) useful. You can explore these woods using trails maintained by Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Stanford Trail has a short path that leads to Averill Pond, where you might see beavers, herons, and many amphibians. Rare plants like satin brome and wild rice also grow here.

• Wetmore Conservation Area

In 1974, the National Park Service took over thousands of acres that Metro Parks used to manage, including Virginia Kendall Park. But Metro Parks kept 572 wooded acres, which is now the Wetmore Conservation Area. It has big forests, steep ravines, and clean streams. You can access this land using bridle trails maintained by Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Images for kids

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  Summit Metro Parks logo

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  Akron Metropolitan Park District is now Summit Metro Parks

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  The Valley from N Main Street