Summit Metro Parks

Looking to reduce or eliminate herbicides in your Wild Back Yard? Interpretive Naturalist Karen shares her tips to avoid using herbicides at home in our latest blog post. Read now at ow.ly/gAUS50WrW40.

Learn how to paddleboard and take a guided tour around Summit Lake with a certified instructor! Register by noon today for our Intro to Stand Up Paddleboarding program on Sunday, July 27 from 1-3 p.m.: ow.ly/zafi50WuBKP

Everyone needs a break here and there. International Self-Care Day emphasizes the importance of incorporating self-care into your overall wellness. How will you practice self-care in your Metro Parks today? Photo by Doug Dawes

Looking to make a difference in the Summit Lake neighborhood? Join @TowpathTrail for upcoming Canal Cleanups. The next one is Saturday, August 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Summit Lake Park (390 W Crosier St, Akron). Learn more and register: ow.ly/787J50WrSfu

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a native shrub that makes a perfect addition to your Wild Back Yard! It can tolerate full and partial sun and is even drought resistant. Flowers bloom all summer long and are often visited by our most beloved pollinators.

We are proud to announce that our nature and visitors centers and Administrative Offices have been officially recognized as an Akron-Summit Age-Friendly Accredited Organization by @BBBAkronOhio.

Climb aboard! Sit in and explore more than a dozen Metro Parks and local emergency response vehicles at Touch-a-Truck, presented by @wayside_akron, on August 2. For event details – including a sensory-friendly hour – visit ow.ly/5q6250WrsEh.

This week in your Metro Parks: Go on a safari for beautiful and bizarre insects along the 1.6-mile Prairie Trail, discuss the natural history and wildlife of Hampton Hills Metro Park and more. Find details on our Programs & Events calendar at bit.ly/SMPevents.

It’s International Ride a Mountain Bike Day! Have you tried the over 7 miles of trails at the Mountain Bike Area of Hampton Hills Metro Park (2092 Theiss Rd., Akron)? For details on mountain biking in your Metro Parks, visit summitmetroparks.org/activities/mou…. Photo by Rob Vaughn

Did you know? Deep Lock Quarry Metro Park is named after the deepest lock along the Ohio & Erie Canal (Lock 28 was 17-feet deep) and the fact it was an early State Quarry that provided blocks of Berea sandstone for structures locally and beyond.

UPDATE: This section of Sand Run Parkway is now open.

Today is Park and Recreation Professionals Day! If we’ve inspired you to connect with nature through clean and safe parks, shout out a staff member or share your favorite Metro Parks memory. #NRPAParkandRecDay

ALERT: Sand Run Parkway is closed between Sand Run Road and Revere Road for forestry work. It will reopen this afternoon. Visitors may still access Revere Road Lot. 🚧

Grab your fishing rod and bait – two Metro Parks locations have been restocked with channel catfish, bluegill sunfish and largemouth bass! 📍 Little Turtle Pond at Firestone Metro Park 📍 Tinkers Creek Pond in Liberty Park For fishing details, visit bit.ly/3E509zt.

UPDATE: The vehicle ford on Sand Run Parkway is open.

In our latest blog post, we dive into how we made the 0.3-mile gap between Freedom Trail and the Portage Hike & Bike Trail easier and safer for users. Read now at ow.ly/uRrS50Wmy1J.

ALERT: Due to high water at the vehicle ford, Sand Run Parkway is closed between Sand Run Road and North Portage Path. 🚧

It’s #WorldSnakeDay! If you’re lucky enough to see one while hiking or biking, give them a little wave. Please don’t touch the "sneks." And be cautious to avoid them when they’re lying on warm trails — we don’t want to interrupt their sunbathing.

Riding a bike is great for the environment and for you! Bicycles create zero emissions. And e-bikes can be charged using a fraction of the energy an EV would. Explore your Metro Parks by bike! Learn more at ow.ly/15VV50Wpyn2. Photo by Rob Vaughn

UPDATE: The vehicle ford on Sand Run Parkway is open.