This morning, we visited West Creek Reservation, in Parma, Ohio, a relatively new addition to Cleveland's famed Emerald Necklace of parks and preserves. The creek itself is a tributary of the Cuyahoga River and the Reservation is a combined project of Cleveland Metroparks and the West Creek Conservancy.
Stretching across 278 acres of the creek's upper watershed, the Reservation harbors a pleasing mix of forested hills, a large valley meadow and a long stretch of floodplain woodlands. It is accessed by a fine network of trails (though the trail to the West Creek Cliffs Scenic Area was unfortunately closed today). Nevertheless, we managed to complete almost five miles of hiking during our two hour visit and observed a large variety of forest and grassland birds.
In my travels across the country, I have encountered few cities that have protected as much open space as Cleveland has. Denigrated in the past for its industrial pollution, this city, with its famous river and lakefront, has become a champion of urban conservation.
