Date: 07/31/2021 – Distance: 11.1 mi – Elapsed Time: 5.0 hr – Ascent: 479 ft – Descent: 282 ft – Difficulty: Difficult (Distance)
Oak Openings Preserve Metropark is a large 5000 acre park, which lies right in the middle of the larger over 830,000 acre Oak Openings Region. The region took shape after the last ice age, when Lake Erie was larger, and actually called Lake Maumee. When the waters receded, what was left in the region was a clay deposit with pockets of sand on top. This unique environment, created a huge swamp, known as the Great Black Swamp, because of the richness of the soil, with pockets of dry areas where sand was built up over the water. These two environments together created a rich location where rare species thrive and more common species in the area outside the swamp couldn’t tolerate. It’s a striking contrast to the rest of the area south of the region.
Early settlers to the region found the swamps and dry sandy soil both inhospitable due to the fact that you could grow crops and the area was infested by mosquitoes. Don’t underestimate the mosquitoes if you hike in this region. I was wearing permethrin on my clothes, picaridin on my skin, and they still swarmed me. An effort was made in the late 1800s to drain the swamps with long drainage ditches to varying degrees of success, at least to the point that people could live there and farm. This effort also destroyed a lot of the habitat where the rare species thrived. However, there are still pockets scattered throughout the region which are attempting to be preserved so that these species can survive. Many groups are involved with this preservation as well as partnerships with the people who live there to educate and benefit both the people and the species.
The Metropark is part of Toledo Metroparks, and features over 70 miles of trails with a mixture of horse, skiing, hiking, and biking for both paved and mountain bikes. There are also a few lakes with a very nice center and lodge which can be reserved for events. One of the hiking trails is also a 17 mile backpack trail which traverses the whole park.
I parked in the center of the park at the Buehner Center.
Map of the park.
The trails go off in all directions, but know where you are going, because this place is vast. EXPERT TIP: I like to take a picture on my phone of kiosk maps, so I can reference them along the way. Also, the new ODNR Detour app has all of these trails and it will track your position.
The trails are marked with colors. The trail colors match those on the map.
The trails are very well maintained here.
Ferns are common throughout.
Ticktrefoil.
The woods are beautiful.
They change often. Notice the difference between this and the previous image.
Tall pines.
Big trees too.
Sand is common here.
Tall Bellflower.
Black Cherry fruit.
Yet another different forest.
Blazing Star.
Goldenrod.
This is how Oak Openings gets its name.
Flowering Spurge.
Deptford Pink a type of Dianthus.
The sunflowers are common right now and there are many varieties.
Rough Blazing Star.
Lots of ferns.
Some colorful fungi too. The one on the left was blue on top.
Some rare birds nest in the dunes.
Sand.
Evening Primrose.
Dry sand dunes contrast the wetter woods.
More colorful fungi.
I switched here to the blue trail.
Wetlands are scattered about as well.
The woods on this trail are different.
Crossing the paved trail.
The tree on the front left is the Black Cherry.
Small cascade.
These ferns are huge.
A Coral fungus.
There are a few boardwalks.
A man-made pond.
Bridge crossing back over to the Buehner Center area.
Shelter overlooking Mallard Lake.
Mallard Lake.
Mallard Lake spillway.
Types of fish found here. Notice the Black Crappie.
Taking the Orange Trail now.
Blue Jay feather.
Annual Cicada molted exoskeleton.
Large oak cross section.
Events which occurred during the life of this tree.
Blue Vervain.
The lodge can be rented for events.
Continuing the Orange Trail.
Notice how tall the Blue Vervain gets.
Large prairie.
More rare birds nesting.
Douglas Meadowsweet a type of Spirea.
The Lupines, which like the sand, grow here and are instrumental to feeding the endangered Karner Blue butterfly which is found here.
Lupines are beautiful flowers.
Blackberries are very plentiful this year.
Horse Trail crossing. Deep sand.
Prickly Pear Cactus grows wild here.
More tall pines.
Sweet William.
St. John’s-Wort.
Virginia Mountain Mint.
Senna.
Senna has black stamens and is a host plant for a few species of butterfly.
More Prickly Pear Cacti.
The trail crosses the intersection.
Beautiful pines.
Quite large too.
Crossing the paved trail again.
Joining the same Blue Trail I was on earlier back near the Buehner Center again.
This time I’m taking the Silver Trail.
Bridge over a creek.
I was surprised to see a Hemlock Pine grove here.
And Trilliums still around. These are an early spring flower.
Nice fruit on the Mayapple. Surprised the animals haven’t scarfed these up yet.
The North Country National Scenic Trail passes through the area.
A few trails are joined here for a bit.
Another large open prairie.
Another Spirea, this time White Meadowsweet.
Fire is common here. This may be from a controlled burn.
Pay attention to the signs when you have joined trails. As I said earlier that Yellow Trail is a long one.
Beautiful Fungi.
There are sand dunes here too.
Joining the bike trail for a few hundred feet. That’s a big oak ahead.
I think these are seed heads of the Ghost Pipes. Ghost Pipes are a plant which lacks chlorophyll and uses a fungi which ultimately get their food from the roots of trees.
Horseshoe-shaped pond.
Interesting fungi. Looks like a powdered donut.
White Baneberry aka Dolls Eyes. It’s very poisonous, even deadly if eaten causing cardiac arrest.
I thought the roots were cool looking.
One last place I visited here is known as “The Spot”. It’s a planted grove of white pines and is quite striking.
The pines are planted too close together and this stand is nearing the end of it’s lifespan.
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