It’s Cleveland. It’s late November. That means it could be 70 degrees or 17 degrees on Thanksgiving Day. Either way, there are plenty of options to get outdoors in Greater Cleveland to work off your turkey or tofurky – or that one extra piece of pie that you (really) didn’t have room for.
Slow roll
Hit up Wendy Park for a view of beautiful Lake Erie. The small sliver of beachfront is a great place to collect those nuggets of sea glass and wave-caressed driftwood for that list of holiday crafts you’ve been planning. Use the paved paths to stroll or roll out for a peek at the historic U.S. Coast Guard Station. Head over the 500-foot-long Wendy Park bridge, which now links the lakefront with downtown Cleveland. The rolling Whiskey Island walking paths are perfect for wearing out a canine companion.
Where: 2800 Whiskey Island Dr. in Cleveland
When: The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Head west to the woods
The picturesque West Woods is part of the Geauga County Park District and has nine different trail options – some short and accessible and others that will certainly require breaking a sweat.
The woods are exceptionally stunning with a light blanket of snow. Explore on your own or register for the free 8-mile “Hike Your Turkey Off” event on Nov. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Also nearby, it’s worth checking out Ohio’s largest open geodesic dome, which is part of the ASM Materials headquarters in Russell Township.
The dome was built in 1959 and was renovated in 2011. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where: 9465 Kinsman Rd. in Novelty
When: The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Follow the river
Trace a tributary of the Cuyahoga River to the north edge of Summit County to Brushwood Lake at Furnace Run Metro Park. Multiple trails lace the park and along streams that sparkle when they start to ice over.
Furnace Run was one of two public parks in Summit County where African-Americans were welcomed to swim in the 1950s and 1960s, earning it a greenwood designation. The other was Virginia Kendall Park. If it gets cold enough, people can lace up their ice skates and take a twirl on Brushwood Lake.
Where: 4955 Townsend Rd. in Richfield
When: The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Tree time
If the exercise you crave involves wielding a handsaw, head to tiny Swan Farm in Valley View. Get your steps in while walking the lines of Blue Spruce and Scotch Pine and then have fun hauling the tree on a sled back to your car. Not quite ready to decorate yet? You can tag your tree in the field and return closer to Christmas to pick it up.
Where: 1721 Tinkers Creek Rd. in Valley View
When: Nov. 29, the farm is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Dec. 2, it’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fields close at 5 p.m.
The Niagra Falls of Elyria
Who needs Niagara Falls? Head to Cascade Park in Elyria to see two beautiful waterfalls where the Black River “cascades” over Berea sandstone. You will be so focused on the water that you won’t even notice the traffic on the bridge above.
Asphalt, dirt, and natural trails wind through a hemlock forest on the banks of the Black River. There are two large, inclusive playgrounds so kids can burn off all those sweets; and the area near the waterfalls allows aspiring boulderers to practice their climbing skills.
The Lorain County Metro Parks operates Cascade Park in partnership with the City of Elyria.
Where: 387 Furnace St. in Elyria
When: The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset daily
Signal Cleveland’s Mary Ellen Huesken contributed to this story.
