Experience the Mentor park trails in winter. The sounds your footsteps make as you crunch through the snow. The sunlight as it is filtered through the bare trees. The hush of a winter afternoon broken occasionally by the call of a bird. Look for the tracks of the animals that live in the park. Feel the bite of the wind sting your cheeks.
Winter is a special time to explore Mentor’s 1,200 acres of parkland and our surrounding natural areas. From easy paved walkways to challenging trails, Mentor city parks offer plenty of opportunities for both the casual walker and avid hiker to connect with nature in the colder months.
If you are looking for a quick, less strenuous winter walk visit Edward R. Walsh Park or Springbrook Gardens Park – both of which feature paved walking paths. Walsh’s 1.5 mile walkway skirts the park’s perimeter, winding through a short, wooded area and then past the fishing pond. The park is perfect for a family walk. Not only do the snow-covered soccer fields offer plenty of space to frolic, but the playground area is open all year long and offers a chance to expend excess energy from being cooped up inside.
Similarly, Springbrook Gardens Park, features 1.7 miles of paved walking paths including an all-access boardwalk that offers views of the large pond. The former nursery land has been transformed to a prairie brimming with native plants. The restored stream bed provides a greater habitat for birds and wildlife. Keep your eyes open for a great blue heron and other birds and animals which have repopulated the area.
More challenging terrain can be found at the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve. Over three miles of hiking trails encircle the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve providing four distinctly different vistas: a view of the Mentor Lagoons Marina, Mentor Marsh, upland forest, and Lake Erie shoreline.
Vere off the main trail and catch the Marsh Rim trail that leads though upland forest along the Mentor Marsh’s western edge. Without the leaves on the trees, hikers have an expansive view of the marsh. The mile-long trail connects with the Overlook trail with views and access to Lake Erie.
The Zimmerman Trail can be accessed from Morton Community Park. This trail is part of the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve and follows the north edge of the Mentor Marsh. The two-mile hike (four miles round trip) leads hikers through an upland and swamp forest. The trail crosses streams and shallow ravines leading to a small parking area on Headlands Road. Along the way, are plenty of opportunities to encounter wildlife and enjoy views of the marsh.
Mentor’s park trails as well as the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve trails are open dawn-to-dusk all year long. We invite you to get outdoors and experience the beauty of season with a winter hike.
Learn more about outdoor activity opportunities in our community at cityofmentor.com/parks.