Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park

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Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park, Ohio, USA
Children playing on rocks in the park
Children playing on rocks in the park
Location Portage County, Ohio, USA
Nearest city Garrettsville, Ohio
Area 167 acres
Established 1949
Governing body Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park is located in Nelson Township, Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is accessible from U.S. Route 422 and State Route 305 via State Route 282.

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges is popular for picnicking and hiking. The spectacular rock formations at the 167-acre[1] Nelson-Kennedy Ledges have become trademarks of the park. The remarkable sandstone cliff formations resulted from the forces of erosion—wind, water freezing and thawing—that wore away at the softer rock layers. As these soft layers eroded, large blocks of rock called slump blocks fell away leaving more resistant layers to form ledges above. To give you a better idea of these mammoth formations, the following is a quote from a newspaper article, "huge fists of stone surge out of the ground and slant at jagged angles 50 to 60 feet overhead, while fissures split the ground underfoot and reach down as much as 60 feet."[2]

There are a total of approximately three miles of main hiking trails, as well as many unmarked and more dangerous paths. To mark off the trails, a color-coding system is used on the rocks and trees. White is moderately easy, yellow and blue are said to be of a medium difficulty and red is extremely difficult, with some climbing of rocks involved.

Water cascading down from the rock formations
Water cascading down from the rock formations

The beech-maple forest harbors a few tree species that are more common in cooler climates: yellow birch, Canadian Hemlock and Canada yew are common here. Some of these trees cling to the rock faces, their roots pushing into every available crevice. In the shelter of the roots and shaded by the leafy canopy above, ferns such as the Christmas and maidenhair fern grow in abundance. Others such as the marginal shield fern, grape fern, wood fern and common polypody are more unusual for this part of the state.

The leafy canopy is home to a variety of songbirds, while small mammals such as skunk, raccoon and fox squirrels inhabit other areas of the park.

The Nelson-Kennedy region has always been a popular vacation spot and eventually came under state protection. In 1940, the state purchased land at Nelson Ledges, and in 1948, it bought 101 acres of the area known as Kennedy Ledges. The state of Ohio created Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park in 1949 to preserve the area for future generations of Ohioans to enjoy.

The park is open from dawn until dusk. Because of the cliffs and hazards along the trails, night hiking is not recommended due to the decreased visibility.

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