Metroparks Meetup: New trail, new bridge, new spot at Swan Creek

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It’s common for Metroparks Toledo to add new trails.

This time, the newest addition is a trail that takes you high up into the tree canopy at Swan Creek Metropark.

It’s named the Connector Trail.

Scott Carpenter, Director of Public Relations for Metroparks Toledo, spoke to 13abc about the project.

“We’ve opened up over 150-acre area of Swan Creek Preserve, that previously wasn’t accessible to park visitors. It’s a beautiful view,” Carpenter said.

The view is high above Swan Creek.

“You’re up high, you’re sort of halfway up in some cases to the tree canopy,” Carpenter explained, “it’s a birds-eye view of the woods around you and of course the creek below you.” In addition to a new bridge, there are also more trails to explore.

“The new trail, if you take it from one end to the other and back is about 5k,” he said, adding that the inaugural event will be a 5k run.

You’ll be able to follow the trail out to Byrne near Arlington and the University of Toledo’s Medical Campus. But the new trail is part of an even bigger project.

“At the UT campus, this will eventually intersect with the University Parks Trail, to Wildwood, and we’re working to extend Wildwood to Secor and so forth,” said Carpenter, “and when you’re all said and done, we’ve got about a dozen parks connected.”

Since 2020, every Lucas County resident lives within 5 miles of a Metropark. Carpenter said that Metroparks Toledo is building on that fulfilled promise: “The next ‘moonshot’ if you will, is to connect all of those parks with trails. We’ve seen new people exploring the trails, and the more trails that we add, the more we’ll see that happen.”

The bridge isn’t open to the public just yet, but when that happens, we’ll be sure to let you know.

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