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The Adventure Walkway is Now Open!

Field Report

        Edison Woods is owned and managed by Erie MetroParks. It is open daily from 8 am until ½ hour after dark year-round. Visitors should note that there is no drinking water on the site, and that, currently, only seasonal restroom facilities are available.  Edison Woods Preserve offers a variety of opportunities to enjoy a relaxing and educational visit with nature within its 1300+ acres. 

        The trail system at Edison Woods allows visitors to appreciate marshy meadows, wet woodlands and sandstone cliffs. The Reserve is also home to a vast array of wildflowers, rare plants, amphibians and reptiles. The natural resources of Edison Woods are protected. Please take only photographs and leave only footprints.

        Approximately 5½  miles of the planned 7 mile public trail system is open to the public for hiking, cross country skiing, and horse-back riding. Areas that are not marked for public use are closed to park visitors. Signs are posted along all open trails. Please stay on established trails, roadways, and parking areas.

        In September 2005, the Adventure Walkway was opened to the public.  The walkway is a six foot wide raised boardwalk with benches to take a rest or just enjoy the trees and birds. It weaves for about 1/2 mile through the largest forest in Northern Ohio (Edison Woods).

         There are also some really nice signs that tell you about where you're at and what has happened there. Like the Ghost Railroad, how Edison Woods almost became the site of a nuclear power plant, what the glaciers did to the land there, and the wildlife you may (or may not) see around you.

         Darkness comes early in the Preserve. Visitors are asked to remain on public trails and are cautioned not to venture off into adjacent meadows or wooded areas. All trails take 1½-3 hours to walk, with the exception of the Dogwood Loop Trail which requires about 45 minutes. It is advisable for visitors to wear appropriate footwear, as most trails are unimproved and often wet.

        Erie MetroParks is currently conducting a native prairie restoration at the Preserve.  Visitors may notice large meadows full of native prairie grasses and often even wildflowers.  At times, the areas may be burned or cut, so as to eliminate the invasive plants and weeds.  For more detailed information, click here.