When the great outdoors is calling to get lost in the natural beauty of Geauga County, new Holbrook Hollows awaits exploration in Bainbridge Township.
When the great outdoors is calling to get lost in the natural beauty of Geauga County, new Holbrook Hollows awaits exploration in Bainbridge Township.
Geauga Park District’s 129-acre Holbrook Hollows, 7250 Country Lane Road, once home to a horse farm, opened its trails April 1 to the public .
Park-goers may enjoy four scenic trails traversing around natural hollows surrounded by a mature beech-maple forest and trickling streams.
A lodge and nature-themed playground nearing completion will add to the experience with an official ribbon cutting Aug. 17 to showcase summertime’s nature in bloom.
“When developing the master plan for this park, our planning team drew upon the park district’s mission to develop trails that allow people to enjoy the natural features of the park while still preserving and conserving them,” GPD park planner Daniel McConnaughy said.
The property was purchased in 2002 and is located in the most populated township in the county, within two miles of downtown Chagrin Falls.
GPD Executive Director John Oros said as was the case at Claridon Woodlands, which opened last year, staff worked hard to break the mold of typical park development.
“The new lodge and trails with bridges and elevated boardwalks through stream and wetland is some of our best park construction to date,” Oros said. “Our staff has taken a creative approach in developing park amenities while still protecting and conserving nature. For me personally, I enjoy the large trees on the property. They range from red oak, wild black cherry, sugar maple to sycamore. I even spotted black walnut and my favorite tree, white oak, on the property. The rolling hollows with beautiful streams are also special.”
Some trails welcome horseback riding and include access to Cleveland Metroparks’ existing bridle trails.
Paul Pira, GPD park biologist, began in 2010 his survey work on Holbrook Hollows.
“In many cases, I’m often one of the very first employees from the park district to set foot on new properties,” Pira said. “This is one aspect of my job that I really enjoy. I’m typically given about one full field season to study, assess and document the biological conditions and habitat quality found on new properties.”
He uses that information to write management plans to guide park planning processes, oversee important natural resources, and help the park district balance public use and the protection of plants and animals for future generations.
“This is a unique park,”Oros said, adding Holbrook Hollows is GPD’s only park connecting to an existing trail system from another park district.
As a result, people may access the park from on foot and not just by car.
Pira said the property is important for a number of reasons.
“First and foremost, in my opinion, it protects water quality within the Aurora Branch of the Chagrin River,” Pira said. “It is pretty noteworthy that there are over 2.7 miles (14,400 feet) of streams and tributaries at this new park.”
There are also many wetlands associated with these streams harboring reptiles, amphibians and plenty of plant life.
“Another noteworthy feature of this new park are mature forested areas,” Pira said. “Big mature trees and undisturbed forests are crucial to protecting water quality in the aforementioned streams and wetlands while at the same time also being really important for certain types of wildlife.”
In 2011, routine bird survey work conducted by GPD’s natural resource management staff documented 56 bird species utilizing this park.
“Some were rather uncommon, like the Least Flycatcher and Dark-eyed Junco and others were great indicators of large high quality forest, such as scarlet tanagers and wood thrushes,” Pira said. “In addition to some nice big old oak trees, this property has really scenic views that hikers will appreciate. There are lots of wonderful overlooks, ravines and hills.”
White Pine Trail is a tranquil wheelchair and stroller accessible trail not far from the parking lot and lodge.
McConnaughy said GPD planners always try to use local settings of the site as the starting point for a project.
He said the wide variety of natural and manmade environmental impacts on the site set this project apart from others.
Beginning with the early conceptual design phase for the project, planners envisioned a combination open and closed shelter for the park.
“We wanted the shelter to hark back to some of the older structures on the site that had been removed years ago,” McConnaughy said.
The last remaining structure on the site was a large horse barn.
“With this in mind, and with some conceptual modeling, we leaned on AECOM architects to combine these ideas into a contemporary park shelter that would be reminiscent of that older barn structure,” McConnaughy said. “This gives the shelter a more traditional barn form, but maintains clean lines. The overarching concept allows for a strong visual and physical connection to the site.”
An operable glass garage style door is located at the rear of the 1,700-square foot lodge with sliding shade screens that can be moved along the front glass wall to manage daily and seasonal changes in light.
Perennials to be planted this spring include a similar native mix that can be found at Frohring Meadows demonstration garden, Claridon Woodlands bio-retention basins and many of the newer plantings performed at the parks over the last three or so years.
“The residents of our county need to be able to enjoy nature, celebrate a family event at the new lodge, or hike one of the great trails through forest, stream or wetland,” Oros said. “Parks of our type are for nature, but parks are also for people to enjoy. We want as many of our residents as possible to experience the new Holbrook Hollows.”
