The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
History ecology bike hike
Address: Black River Reservation of Lorain County Metro Parks Bridgeway Trail and Steel Mill Trail from Day’s Dam, 2720 E. 31st St., Lorain.
Phone number: 440-324-5481 Website: www.metroparks.co/black_ river_reservation.php
Social media: Facebook: loraincountymetroparks | Twitter: @LCMetroParks | Pinterest: lcmetroparks
WHAT TO KNOW
Take a bike hike in a Lorain County Metro Park for a special glimpse into properties of idled – and restarting – steel factories, and note how nature is reclaiming the land with plants, shrubs, birds and other wildlife. Shy species such as bluebirds and indigo buntings often can be seen, as well as migrating birds in the spring and fall. Take identification books and a small notebook to log varieties, if you like. The 5 1⁄2 miles of the paved Bridgeway Trail follows the Black River and includes meadows, old forest groves, underneath bridges, and vistas from a 1,000foot bridge that overlooks the A two-mile Steel Mill Trail at Black River Reservation offers a view into steel mill properties. river with stunning views. The two-mile Steel Mill Trail extended in 2008 north of the Bridgeway Trail with a unique perspective of slag fields from the U.S. Steel Mill. The trail ends at Colorado Avenue in Lorain. For those unable to walk or bike, tram rides including historical background are available for a group by appointment by calling 440-324-5481. And please always hike with a buddy. — Carol Harper