Swine Creek Reservation Hiking Trail Pictures Geauga County

Swine Creek Reservation in Ohio is a 412-acre park located in the southeast corner of Middlefield Township. Situation in the countryside among Amish farms, the park's cultural and natural setting make it a very popular destination. It is Geauga Park District's intent to protect this natural area in perpetuity.

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TRAILS:
Nearly 6 miles of trails traverse Swine Creek Reservation. The Gray Fox, Meadowlark, Siltstone and Sugarbush trails keep to fairly level terrain, while the Valley and Glen trails take on steeper topography with descents into rock-strewn ravines. Swine Creek Valley, the lower section of the park, can be toured from end to end on the Razorback Trail, while the Walnut Trail provides a shorter alternative.

History:
Swine Creek Reservation was once part of a 1,200-acres hunting preserve belonging to Windsor Ford of Mesopotamia. In 1977 he sold Geauga Park District 268 acres that contained a sugar bush, a pond and a lodge. Additional acres were added along Swine Creek and the former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad corridor.

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The meadows of Swine Creek Reservation are full of life. Abundant summer wildflowers, such as asters and goldenrods, attract butterflies and other insect life. Low, dense plant growth provides cover for a variety of small mammals and nesting birds, including meadowlarks and bobolinks.

Habitats:
Forests cover much of the park with many kinds of trees. Small streams divide the woods into upland and lowland, where a rich variety of wild plants and animals can be enjoyed year-round. Thirty-two acres of the park are managed as an operating sugar bush.

Along Swine Creek, walnut, sycamore and cottonwood trees shade lush growths of wildflowers. Teeming with aquatic life, the creek invites stream-side exploration. Great blue heron and kingfishers are often seen, and songbirds of many kinds migrate through or nest in this valley.

On "Sap's-A-Risin'! Sundays" in March, the history of maple sugaring is demonstrated here and throughout the park. Visitors can follow a Clydesdale-drawn sap sled through the sugar bush to help with sap collection, then stop at the sugarhouse to witness the just-tapped sap boiled into syrup. Costumed guides describe the history of maple sugaring in Geauga County and demonstrate various sugaring methods, including Native American, pre-Civil War and pre-World War II era techniques.

Horseback riding is permitted on the Wagon, Gray Fox and Meadowlark trails. Trails appropriate for cross-country skiing are marked.

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Swine Creek Reservation Hiking Trail Pictures Geauga County

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