Info:
- Great for hiking
- Part of the Summit Metroparks System
- Has plenty of ponds and marshlands
- Very open
Where is this located? Summit county near Hudson
The Way There
I don’t really remember much of the way there. It was just a bunch of straight shot roads. The weather was very foggy, though. Because it is part of Liberty Park from the Summit Metroparks system I initially parked in the archery range. I then went on my ‘AllTrails’ app and clicked on a trail to head to and then parked in that area.
When I got out of my car the weather was warmer and I started regretting wearing sweats and a long sleeved running shirt haha.
What I Did
Where I parked there were two trails. One was a .2 to an overlook and the other was an about 2 mile through the park. I decided I’d do the longer one first.
I crossed the road and headed into the wilderness. The first part was walking on the trail next to the railroad tracks. As I continued, the trees then opened up to clear blue sky and started to disappear as ponds reminiscent of a Monet painting surrounded me.
At times, I was walking on wooden boards with marshes and ponds to my left and right. The only sound that filled the air was birds chirping and the leaves of the plants rustling in the wind. One could meditate here.
Looking closer at the ponds, like Wingfoot Lake, they were covered in lily pads and bordered with various plants and flowers. A calming sight to see. Also, at various points, you can go on what looks like an overlook to oversee the ponds/marshes.
Near the end of my hike, there was a straightaway that had the trees, underbrush, ponds and blue sky which made for a perfect walkthrough, moreover, at the end was a bench to sit and take in the views (which I did for a few minutes).
Walk Back and the .2 Overlook
On the walk back I went on the other side of the loop and took in more views of the water. When I stood to take in the view of the ponds on the way there and back I heard *clunk* and birds would chirp loudly and fly away to another pond. ‘Must’ve been a fish or something’ I would always think to myself.
The other side of the loop was more of a shady area. Then, back to being next to the railroad tracks I went. I decided I’d walk straight to the overlook. Through bare trees and shrubs I arrived. Unlike the other trail, this one just overlooks land-mostly trees and short plants. However, against a clear blue sky, the view was pretty.
Thoughts
I loved every moment of my tranquil hike. This one, so far, is in my top 3 or 2. I hope everyone can enjoy this state park as much as I did. To mention, when I went there on a Saturday morning near 10-I saw nobody on my hike. Zero people. I had this one to myself lol.
