Hidden Valley Lake Metroparks Hiking Trail Pictures

Hidden valley Lake Metropark borders the Grand River and is within the lake metroparks dominion. Owned and managed by Lake Metroparks, Hidden Valley has a river trail and many recreational amenities. One of the most popular activities emerging is steelhead fishing.

Though not native to the Great Lakes, steelhead have been stocked in the eastern United States for more than a century. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, has stocked tributaries in northeast Ohio for a few years. In the fall, these fish gather at the river mouths, waiting for the river to rise. They swim upstream to spawn and make the return trip in the spring.

River banks are some of the best places to witness geological finds. Deposited 360 million years ago when much of the earth was covered by a shallow sea, Chagrin Shale is a blend of fossilized mud and siltstone that washed into the sea from nearby shores. The shale erodes more easily than the siltstone, creating ridges of siltstone protruding from the banks. Chagrin Shale is visible at Hidden Valley Park.

Visit our website hikingohioparks.com for more detailed information about Hidden Valley Park and many other parks. Get the DVD loaded with maps, pictures and movies.