Toledo Metroparks

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A view of the Interurban Bridge and Roche de Bout from Farnsworth Metropark

A view of Mallard Lake at Oak Openings Preserve

The Toledo Metroparks are a series of 9 parks in the Toledo, Ohio area. In addition to these parks, there are three bicycle trails-the University Trail and the North and South forks of the Wabash Cannonball trail. There is also the Blue Creek Conservation Area which is not yet open to the public. This area still has an old barn and a former county jail, although neither of these structures are open to the public. Finally, the Metroparks is working jointly with the National Park Service on developing parklands for the Battle of Fallen Timbers battlefield. Recently, the Toledo Botanical Gardens were added to the Metroparks system.

The Metroparks consist of over 8,000 acres of land, which span a wide variety of land. They also include over 3700 acres of the Oak Openings area of Ohio, an area of 84000 arces located along what used to be the western edge of Lake Erie.

According to information from the environmentalists for the park system, the parks currently contain nearly 1/3 of the rare plant species in Ohio. In addition to the park's obvious mission and programming relating to the care and education of nature, the parks also routinely offer programs relating to state history and area culture.

The current parks include:

Bend View, located along a scenic bend in the Maumee River.
Farnsworth, located along several miles of the Maumee River, containing Roche de Bout, an old Native American meeting ground.
Providence, located near Grand Rapids, containing authentic canal boat rides on the Miami and Erie Canal.
Oak Openings Preserve, located southwest of the Toledo Express Airport, contains sand dunes and several rare plant species.
Wildwood Preserve, located near Sylvania Ohio, is a popular destination for city users.
Pearson, located near Oregon, Ohio, contains a pond with paddle boat rentals and sledding in the winter months.
Secor, located west of Sylvania, Ohio, with wide open praries and lush wooded area.
Side Cut, located in Maumee, Ohio, featuring Bluegrass Island, a popular fishing destination.
Swan Creek, located in South Toledo, Ohio, contains several miles of often used trails.

Trivia

The original Toledo Metropark is Side Cut. It was obtained from the state of Ohio in the 1920's on what was formerly land belonging to the Miami and Erie Canal side cut (hence the name).

Bend View is the only park in the district that is not directly accessible by automobile, as there is not a car park at Bend View. To visit this park, one must drive to Farnsworth and travel by trail approximately 2.25 miles.