Leave the city behind and head outdoors; nothing says summer like spending the day at the park. From exploring nature trails to bird watching to playing baseball, Toledo’s parks have something for everyone.
Metroparks of the Toledo Area
metroparkstoledo.com
*All of the Metroparks in Northwest Ohio are handicap accessible.
“We try to make our trails as accessible as possible and have actually worked with the Ability Center of Toledo to audit trails and to help us make improvements,” explained Scott Carpenter, director of public relations for the Metroparks of the Toledo Area. Each park offers visitors unique trails to explore throughout the year.
Oak Openings Preserve Metropark via @tuftwoolens on Instagram
Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
4139 Girdham Rd., Swanton.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/oak-openings/
Bird watchers rejoice! The metropark is home to a variety of birds including bluebirds, indigo buntings, whippoorwills and Lark sparrows among others. The largest of the Toledo Metroparks, Oaking Openings is home to more than 50 miles of trails.
“What makes it neat is that you’ve just got room to explore and roam,” Carpenter added. “There’s a lot of unique habitats and plants.”
The park includes more than 10 different trails and, on certain ones, visitors can walk, bike, ski or ride horses.
Pearson Metropark via @kevin_powers on Instagram
Pearson Metropark
761 Lallendorf Rd., Oregon.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/pearson/
From fishing to sledding, there is something for everyone year round at this metropark. Visitors can also take advantage of the baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts and a playground.
“It’s the second busiest (Metropark) behind Wildwood,” according to Carpenter. “It’s got a really neat bike trail that winds through the woods and we’ve added a whole new part of the park that’s a restored Wetland.”
The park has five trails, spanning about three miles, perfect for hiking or biking. People can also get a front row seat to birds migrating and nesting. “You never know what birds you’re going to see,” Carpenter said.
Wiregrass Lake Metropark via @Irosen1234 on Instagram
Wiregrass Lake Metropark
201 N. Eber Rd., Holland.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/wiregrass-lake/
Spend a day on the lake at Wiregrass, where visitors can enjoy canoeing, kayaking and fishing. “We’ve added a dock that has a roll-off kayak and canoe launch. It’s for use by anybody, but it’s especially handy for people with physical challenges,” Carpenter said.
If one day is not enough for you to get your fill of the outdoors, spend the night at one of the park’s camping sites.
Side Cut Metropark via @mgloeckl on Instagram
Side Cut Metropark
1025 W River Rd., Maumee.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/side-cut/
Step into history at Side Cut by checking out the historic canals. Explore six trails by foot or by bike. Visitors are also encouraged to stop by Windows on Wildlife, a handicap accessible indoor viewing area where visitors can watch birds and other other animals mingle. A playground, picnic shelters and a sledding hill are also featured at the park.
A handicap accessible dock similar to the one at Wiregrass Lake is also at Side Cut for small boats.
“It’s our goal to get everybody outdoors, so if anybody needs any assistance of any kind, we’ll do our best to accommodate,” Scott Carpenter, director of public relations for the Metroparks of the Toledo Area, said.
Wildwood Preserve Metropark via @hanadi_mandouh on Instagram
Wildwood Preserve Metropark
5100 W. Central Ave.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/wildwood/
Wildwood is the busiest of the metroparks with eight trails, perfect for hiking and biking.
“Wildwood’s a great place to walk because it’s got some typography that you don’t find in flat Northwest Ohio very often,” Scott Carpenter, director of public relations for the Metroparks of the Toledo Area, said. “It’s just an interesting place to walk and see things.”
A variety of plants and animals call Wildwood home.
“It’s just located at a really magic location,” Carpenter said.
Secor Metropark via @fragmented_solitude on Instagram
Secor Metropark
10001 W. Central Ave., Berkey.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/secor/
Home to large picnic areas, playing fields and picnic shelters, this metropark also includes almost a dozen trails. Windows on Wildlife, an indoor viewing area, from which visitors can watch birds and other other animals mingle, is a handicap accessible park feature.
Fallen Timbers Battlefield Metropark via @benmorales on Instagram
Fallen Timbers Battlefield Metropark
The intersection of US23/I-475 and US24 (Anthony Wayne Trail)
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/fallen-timbers-battlefield/
Walk into history on the 1.4 mile trail winding past where the 1795 Battle of Fallen Timbers took place. As visitors walk through the park, they will come across interpretive signage explaining different aspects of the historic battle.
Swan Creek Preserve Metropark via @mylifeas_brooke on Instagram
Swan Creek Preserve Metropark
4301 Airport Hwy.
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/swan-creek/
Deer, foxes and raccoons can be seen frolicking throughout the park. In addition to walking the five trails, visitors can have fun at the playground and enjoy a bite to eat at the picnic shelters. The metropark also features, Windows on Wildlife, a handicap accessible indoor viewing area where people get a bird’s eye view of the animals.
Westwinds Metropark, photo credit: Alison Wood-Osmun
Westwinds Metropark
9918 Geiser Rd., Holland.
419-360-9179
Hours: Daily, 7am-dark
Seasonal park, open April to mid-November
metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/westwinds/
Get in touch with nature with practicing your aim at Toledo’s only public archery range and 3D archery range. During normal operating hours, visitors can bring their own equipment or attend special training programs offered through the metropark. Home of the Flying Tigers Model RC Club, Westwinds also includes a shelter and a walking trail. Westwinds opened in the Fall of 2015 and is the newest Toledo Metroparks.
Maumee Bay State Park via @refriedmyke on Instagram
Maumee Bay State Park
1400 State Park Rd., Oregon.
419-836-7758
parks.ohiodnr.gov/maumeebay#overview
Splash in the water, relax on the beach and go fishing at the Maumee Bay State Park. The Park offers more than 1,000 acres of natural environment overlooking Lake Erie. Visitors can also go boating, golfing or hunting. Go for a walk or ride your bike on one of the trails. Bring your lunch with you to the park and enjoy a picnic at one of the six shelters. Can’t get everything down at the Park in one day? Reserve a lodge or cottage and spend the weekend there. Or if camping is more your style, pitch a tent at the campsite.
Olander Park via @knlacour on Instagram
Olander Park
6930 Sylvania Ave., Sylvania.
Hours: Daily, 7am-10pm until July 31.
Hours vary, visit olanderpark.com for seasonal hours.
Whether you are into biking, swimming, hiking or fishing, Olander has something for you. The park also includes volleyball courts and walking trails. The park is wheelchair accessible in most areas with exceptions at the swimming beach and the bait and boat area. There is a handicap accessible fishing pier at the north end of the park.
Access to the park is free for residents of the Sylvania School District. For everyone else, the rates for late April-September are $3 per car Monday-Friday and $5 per car Saturday and Sunday. Major holiday weekends, $7 per car. Additional fees apply for swimming, fishing and boat rentals.
Boat rentals require a $5 deposit. Paddle boat rentals are $3 per half hour and rowboats are $3 per hour. Rent a boat for the day for $6.
Admission to the beach is $2 for Sylvania School District residents and is $4 per person for everyone else, while children 2 and under are free.
Ottawa Park via @cglenn79 on instagram
Ottawa Park
2204 W. Bancroft St.
419-245-2875
ottawapark.org
Looking for a way to spend some fun in the sun this summer? Check out Ottawa Park in order to play some tennis or go for a run. If those activities don’t float your boat, try golf, disc golf or spend some time on the playground with the family. The fun doesn’t stop when summer ends. Visitors can go ice-skating at the only open air ice rink in the Toledo area or sledding. Inline skating at the hockey rink is also available during the summer.
Pacesetter Park via @thebladenews on Instagram
Pacesetter Park
8801 Sylvania-Metamora Rd., Sylvania.
playsylvania.com/pacesetter-park/
Go skating in Sylvania. Try out some new tricks at the Skate Plaza, make memories on the playground or unwind with a walk on the path. The park also features eight baseball diamonds and a number of soccer/ lacrosse fields. Pacesetter is home field to many sports leagues in the area and plays host to a variety of tournaments.
Woodlands Park via @stith_lord_ on Instagram
Woodlands Park
429 E. Boundary St., Perrysburg.
ci.perrysburg.oh.us/index.php/parks-recreation/parks/woodlands-park
The park is home to Fort Imagination, a community built playground, and a trail around the entire park perfect for a walk, run or bike ride. Visitors can spend the afternoon playing on an 18 hole disc golf course, flying a kite or enjoying the garden. Woodlands Park also includes a shelter.
Fort Meigs via @toledoaerialmedia on Instagram
Fort Meigs
29100 W. River Rd., Perrysburg.
419-874-4121.
Hours: 9:30am-5pm Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5pm Sunday, closed Monday & Tuesday
Tickets: $8/adults, $7/seniors, $4/students
Seasonal hours for the Reconstructed fort, April-October; Museum and Visitor Center open year-round.
fortmeigs.org
Walk through a major War of 1812 battlefield at Fort Meigs, the largest reconstructed wooden-walled fort in the nation. A historical landmark located in Perrysburg’s backyard, Fort Meigs hosts a variety of reenactments throughout the season. Walk through the fort and learn how the story of its role in the War of 1812. A museum and visitor center are also included at Fort Meigs.
