Cascade playground is a summer hit

The new all-inclusive playground at Cascade Park in Elyria has been “widely popular” since opening July 29, according to Jim Ziemnik, director of Lorain County Metro Parks.

Ziemnik shared the information at the Metro Parks board meeting Aug. 16 at Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd. The Metro Parks has an office in the library for the Kopf Family Reservation.

The Lorain County Metro Parks, city of Elyria and Elyria Rotary Club held a ribbon-cutting event with the public for the opening of the playground.

The area of the playground in Cascade Park is the only portion of the park currently open, while other phases are in process of completion.

“The numbers have been insane since (the playground) opened to the public,” Ziemnik said. “The numbers never dropped after the opening, but we’ll see how things go once school starts back up.”

Ziemnik said gravel and sewage work was finished and crews are ready to place asphalt for new and older trails in the park.

The placing of asphalt is all that’s left in the Cascade portion and in the renovated 19 acres area of the park, he said.

The newer trails under construction are part of the Metro Parks’ Black River Bikeway Trail Extension project.

The county bikeway project will carry through the park, going into Cascade and into Elywood Park eventually.

Ziemnik said contractors are ahead of schedule and trail work could be complete and ready to open in October.

A phase of the Cascade Park project called Phase 4E will include placement of a bridge to connect Cascade to Elywood.

The park’s original ford is still being used to get to Elywood until the new bridge is in place.

Bridge work will follow once trails are complete, Ziemnik said.

Metro Parks also will continue to accept donations of trees and fences for Cascade Park, he said.

All of the work on Cascade and Elywood parks should be completely finished near the end of 2020, Ziemnik said.