Mill Stream Run Reservation (10/16/2016)

Sunday, October 16, 2016
It must still be Indian summer (First Nations summer?).
Yet another section of the Emerald Necklace of Cleveland Metroparks, the Mill Stream Run Reservation follows the East Branch of Rocky River.

Dam and falls on the Rocky River East Branch

Baldwin Lake viewing platform with Kent, Gus, and Brynne

View of Baldwin Lake; several dams have been removed turning the lake
into Baldwin Creek to restore fish passage and reconnect fish populations

Baldwin Lake viewing platform

We hiked the South Quarry Loop Trail, which was a Parcours trail.

Brynne tries out a parcours station

Kent tries out a parcours station

Tamiko tries out a parcours station (KSS)

Part of the trail follows an old interurban railway line

Interurban railway bridge abutments

Interurban railway bridge abutments

We also hiked the Butterfly Trail (no butterflies) on the shale cliffs above the Rocky River East Branch.

View of the Rocky River East Branch

Another viewpoint

Wallace Lake, like the former Baldwin Lake, was created by
flooding old stone quarries; Wallace Lake joins two separate quarries

Kent spotted the possible edge of a quarry
just under the surface of the water

Mallard duck family

I missed it when they crossed the road!

Part of Wallace Lake is used as a swimming beach;
note the very beginning of autumn's colors

And part of the lake is used for fishing

The roadway through Mill Stream Run Reservation has a river ford;
the river is not high enough to cover the road this summer

While auto traffic must ford the river, people have a bridge

Walter F Ehrnfelt Covered Bridge (1983)

The Mill Stream Run Reservation has a zip line,

and a "Go Ape" Treetop Adventure playground,

and The Chalet lodge,

and seasonal hay rides,

and double toboggan chutes for winter!