Wildlife Abounds in Parks throughout Medina County Ohio
Medina County is a wildlife lover’s paradise as the weather warms and creatures great and small emerge from the long winter. What’s more, Medina County has some of the best wildlife-watching areas in Northern Ohio, so whether birding is your passion, or you prefer a casual walk in the woods to see what appears, Medina County is where you need to be!
Attractions
- Chippewa Inlet Trail
- Chippewa Lake
- Hidden Hollow Camp
- Lake Medina
- River Styx
- Hinkley Reservation
Chippewa Inlet Trail
With an entrance at 6105 Chippewa Road, Medina, the trail is situated on over 430 acres of the pristine Buckeye Woods. It offers diverse birding habitats ideal for everyone from the causal twitcher to the most ardent ornithologist. It is home to wildlife from rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional “rafter” of turkeys to herds of white-tail deer.
Chippewa Lake
One of Ohio’s largest natural inland lakes, Chippewa Lake features 52 acres of restored wetlands that attract migrating waterfowl such as ducks and geese, with shorebirds visible during migration season. The lake is home to swallows, swifts, sparrows, and meadowlarks during different seasons.
Hidden Hollow Camp
With 572 acres of streams, woods, and rolling hills, Hidden Hollow Camp, 8672 Richman Road, Lodi, Ohio provides ample opportunities for wildlife viewing. It features a one-acre pond and two nature trails. Hidden Hollow borders the Black River and features a wide array of wildflowers, with wetlands that support migrating waterfowl and wildlife.
Lake Medina
A great place for birdwatching, Lake Medina, Medina Road, Medina, Ohio, features two parallel trails that connect with the Buckeye Trail and provide great twitching opportunities. The upper trail offers views of waterfowl while the lower trail provides opportunities to see “passerine” or sparrow-like perching birds.
River Styx
River Styx Park, 8200 River Styx Road, Wadsworth, Ohio, covers over 83 acres and provides a rare opportunity to view neo-tropical songbirds that migrate from Central American rainforests. The River Styx Park features three relatively short trails and a three-acre pond stocked for fishing. The fully developed forests in the park provide excellent cover and habitat areas for wildlife.
Hinkley Reservation
The nearly 2,300-acre Hinckley Reservation, 1151 Ledge Road, Hinckley, Ohio, features 90-acre Hinckley Lake and is well known as a great bird-watching locale. That includes, of course, the turkey vultures for which the area is internationally renowned. Summer is a great time for bird watching in Hinkley Reservation during migration periods. In addition to turkey vultures, the birdlife on display ranges from songbirds like Grosbeaks to hawks and even Northern Harriers.
