Autumn has arrived!! Lose yourself amid the glorious flush of vibrant colors and cooler temperatures as you bike, hike and paddle through the season.
Happy Autumn Trail:
Every fall I highlight a great hiking/ biking trail. Sterling State Park paved Nature Trail is this season’s pick. Park in the Trailhead lot and once you arrive at the Lotus Pavilion, bear to the left (to stay on the loop and arrive back at the pavilion, bear to the right whenever there is a fork in the trail). The beauty of this three-mile loop the layers of plant life and water evoke the feeling of being completely immersed in nature. The winding path enfolds you within a vibrantly fall-hued corridor amid the blended chorus of bird, cricket and cicada calls. Two lagoons and a marsh offer views of gentle autumn sunlight glistening across blue pools of water alive with waterfowl and dragonflies. The trail then opens up to grand views of sweeping grasslands swaying gracefully in the breeze. To lengthen the adventure and to see the trial from a new perspective, when you arrive back at the pavilion, turn around and take the trail in the reverse direction.
William C Sterling State Park | 2800 State Park Road | Monroe | MI
is a 25-minute drive from downtown Toledo on I-75 north.
Park activities include Lake Erie swimming with
beachfront, fishing, boating, paddle sports and camping.
An additional one mile paved bike/hiking trail runs parallel to the beach. Visitmichigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=497&type=SPRK for maps,
info and admission fees.
Fall Paddling
Autumn on the water offers a spectacular display of trees on the shoreline, flush in rich tones of oranges, yellows and reds reflected in the clear blue-green water and highlighted against a backdrop of the sunlit sky. Join the Northwest Ohio River Runners on their weekly Tuesday evening paddles through October and on the Third Annual Swan Creek Fall Color Cruise on Sunday, October 23. Glide along into a gorgeous autumn sunset and then under the soft glow of October’s Harvest/Hunter Moon on the Full Moon Paddle Saturday, October 15.
Weekly kayak/canoe outings 6:30pm at Howard Pinkley Landing | (HP Landing)
Located at 2250 Shoreland Ave | Toledo, Ohio.
Fall Color Cruise at Swan Creek Public Launch | 210 S. Erie St Toledo
(Farmers Market parking lot) at 11am.
Full Moon Paddle launches from Cullen Park | 4465 N Summit St | Toledo, OH cullenpark.org
Launch time TBA, check website/facebook as date gets closer.
All outings (May-October) and monthly meetings (October- May) are open to the public.
For info visit nworr.org. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Bring your own kayak/canoe and drinking water. Life jackets required.
All outings are weather permitting –check website/facebook page beforehand.
GREAT RESOURCES FOR ENJOYING FALL ACTIVITIES AND COLOR!
Savor and revel in fall’s beauty by visiting parks.ohiodnr.gov to explore the over 55 Ohio State Parks offering hiking and biking trials, waterways to paddle, roads to drive and camping. Check out fallcolor.ohiodnr.gov to time your adventures for when and where the fall colors are at their most vibrant and for the best pit stops and breathtaking overlooks along the way.
