Over the past ten years, Lake Metroparks has made many improvements to park properties and updated several park rules to allow more access to property owned by the public and managed by Lake Metroparks. These improvements have allowed more Lake County residents to enjoy the amazing natural resources that we have here in Lake County—visitation to the parks has increased by more than one million annual visits (more than four million visits annually) since 2015.
In addition to building more than 10 miles of new trails, opening eight new park properties to public access, constructing nine new shelters and installing seven new flush restrooms, the park district has also extended the hours of operation in most parks and changed the park rules to allow visitors to leave the park trails and freely explore their parks. Lake Metroparks also constructed several new amenities on the shores of Lake Erie—the observation tower at Lake Erie Bluffs, the pier at Painesville Township Park and the currently developing Lakefront Trail. These projects provide visitors the opportunity to see and interact with the greatest natural resource in the county—Lake Erie. Two natural play areas were developed for children–Nature Play at Penitentiary Glen Reservation and Adventure Play at Jordan Creek Park as well as the construction of eight new playgrounds. Special steps were also taken to specifically help seniors enjoy their parks, including the construction of a boardwalk along the beach in Fairport and the paving of ADA-accessible trails. Lake Metroparks has also introduced webcams at several parks to give “virtual visitors” the opportunity to visit the parks when they cannot physically travel.
Lake Metroparks looks forward to continuing to provide clean and safe parks and programs for all visitors. We look forward to seeing you in the parks!