Explore Sandy Ridge West, Lorain County’s Newest Metro Park

The resident frogs and salamanders that call Sandy Ridge West home, a new 207-acre addition to Sandy Ridge Reservation, now have more room to stretch their legs.

The amphibians can partly thank the elimination of an invasive plant. When Lorain County Metro Parks planners decided to clear glossy buckthorn (a shrub that crowds out native species) from the wildlife preserve, they noticed the area would be perfect to create vernal ponds. The four seasonal, shallow ponds are a unique kind of wetland and have already welcomed chorus frogs, spring peepers and wood frogs.

“The staff supplemented these areas with logs and other things to make them more habitat friendly,” says James Ziemnik, director of the Lorain County Metro Parks District. “The new habitats will also attract birds and mammals. It’s the circle of life.”

Sandy Ridge West opened to the public this past April and includes trails and a 1.8-mile loop that begins at the parking lot at 7020 Case Road, winding around the ponds. The park is separated from the 526-acre Sandy Ridge Reservation by Case Road, but park officials are hoping to someday directly connect the two properties.

“If that happens, we also could have a series of additional new trails that would take us all the way up near Lorain County Community College,” says Ziemnik, noting that the school could also use the natural, preserved land for classroom field work.

The land that eventually became Sandy Ridge West was purchased by the park district from Lorain County Community College in 2018 with state of Ohio grant money, according to Ziemnik. The college was looking to streamline its property portfolio, and both parties knew it would be a good conservation and preservation transaction.

“And that is the true mission of all metropark districts in the state of Ohio,” Ziemnik says.

There is much to study and simply enjoy for both students and the general public in the affiliated preserves. Plant lovers can view Ohio native wildflowers, sensitive fern, swamp milkweed (a vital plant host for Monarch larvae), pin oaks (some over 200 years old that were part of old farms, according to Ziemnik) and maple trees.

Mink, muskrats, beavers, deer, raccoons and coyotes may also be watching from their hidden homes.

And, of course, birds — lots of birds. Sandy Ridge Reservation is a well-known regional birding hot spot, with 250 species observed since its opening in 1999. The area, on the migratory bird path in the state, is now expanded with the addition of Sandy Ridge West. Those looking for bird rarities might spot Virginia rails, least bitterns, sandhill cranes, sedge wrens and cerulean warblers.

Seasonally, Wednesday Morning Birding at Sandy Ridge Reservation is one of the district’s most popular ongoing programs. Weather permitting, a naturalist meets with birders most weeks from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Sandy Ridge tram rides around the wetlands are also a great way to see waterfowl.

Ziemnik drives by Sandy Ridge West on his work commute every day. Although the park isn’t even a year old yet, he’s impressed by the number of cars in the parking lot and visitors of all ages already making it part of their lives.

“People are there in the morning, the evening, the middle of the day. They are walking the trails, getting a little workout, taking their dog for a walk,” says Ziemnik. “Parks are also social connectors, and we know they can help heal people.”