MIDDLEFIELD, OHIO Hit the trail at charming park

Swine Creek offers trails, fishing and yearly activities.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MIDDLEFIELD -- One sunny afternoon in early October, I trod across the humped back of a wooden footbridge and stopped in the middle to gaze down into a glassy pool of black water dotted with fat, green lily pads.
The only sounds that filled my ears were the soft hush of the autumn breeze, the steady drill of a woodpecker's bill on a hollow tree and the rustle of falling leaves.
Directly below me, a school of blue gills nosed the smooth surface of the pond, making tiny ripples that ebbed toward shore.
Heeding their command, I reached into my bag, tore off chunks of fluffy, white bread and dropped the pieces into their hungry mouths.
It was the most peaceful moment I'd had all week, and once again, I was quietly appeased by an afternoon spent at Swine Creek Reservation in Middlefield.
I first visited this charming park several years ago, and since then, it has become one of my favorite places.
It's not a very big park, and for people living outside northern Trumbull and Geauga counties, it's virtually unknown.
Adds to atmosphere
But perhaps that's part of its charm.
Located way out in the middle of nowhere on a back road that cuts right through the heart of Amish farm country, Swine Creek Reservation's parking lots are never filled to capacity and its hiking trails are never overrun with people.
And the park offers plenty of hiking trails, some of them paved and some of them rugged, descending into the rocky ravines of Swine Creek Valley.
The trails total about six miles and each has a curiously enticing name.
There's razorback trail, siltstone trail, squawroot trail, gray fox trail, meadowlark trail, killdeer lake trail and sugar bush trail, among others.
Some of the trails are designed for horseback riders, some for cross-country skiers and some are handicapped accessible.
On the shores of the tranquil fishing pond mentioned earlier, there's a log cabin-like lodge where special events take place throughout the year.
During maple syrup season in spring, park visitors can enjoy live music and eat maple sugar treats while sitting around the lodge's rustic fireplace. (That's only after they've stopped at the park's very own sugarhouse to watch maple syrup being made, of course.)
During winter, park visitors can gather round the lodge's fireplace again to warm their frosty fingers after a spin on the park's outdoor ice skating rink. (Conditions of the skating pond depend on the weather.)
At other times of the year, groups meet at the lodge before departing on bird walks, stargazing expeditions and children's nature hikes.
Wagon rides
Park visitors can also enjoy free horse-drawn wagon rides at various times of the year. Two mighty draft horses pull a heavy wagon through a section of wooded trail while guides tell passengers a little more about the park's history, its terrain and its wildlife.
Swine Creek Reservation was once part of a 1,200-acre hunting preserve that belonged to Windsor Ford of nearby Mesopotamia.
In 1977, Ford sold 268 acres to the Geauga Park District. Later, the park district acquired additional property along Swine Creek and the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Corridor.
Today the park consists of 382 acres of meadows and forests rife with walnut, sycamore, cottonwood, oak, maple and pine.
The park grounds also feature playground equipment, picnic shelters and two fishing ponds stocked with bass and blue gills. Park visitors can catch fish with a rod and reel or cane pole and should bring a fishing license and bait. Boating, swimming and wading are prohibited.
XSwine Creek Reservation is located on Hayes Road in southeast Middlefield Township. For more information. call the Geauga Park District at (440) 285-2222, (440) 564-7131 or (440) 834-1856 (Ext. 5420).