Hidden Hollow Camp is open to the public Mondays through Thursdays from 6 a.m. to one hour past sunset. The site will also be open to the public if there are no weekend reservations.

Hidden Hollow Camp features a beautiful one-acre woodland pond and two nature trails. In geographical terms, a “hollow” is exactly as it sounds, a small valley or basin in the land. At the bottom of Hidden Hollow is the West Fork of the East Branch of the Black River. The rich soil of its floodplain is home to towering sycamore, black willow, and black walnut trees, along with a diverse array of wildflowers. The trees and thickets here provide ideal habitat for migrating warblers. Visitors should plan on bird-watching during spring and fall migration.

Hidden Hollow Camp is named for the distinct hidden floodplain cut by the Black River. There are many species of wildflowers not commonly seen in other park district sites including blue-eyed Mary, Indian cucumber root, and wild hyacinth. The forests and thickets provide ideal habitat for migrating warblers. Signs of river otters have been observed along the Black River, and gray foxes live in the floodplain forest.

All rivers, large and small, have to start somewhere.

The Black River, whose watershed encompasses 467 square miles in parts of five counties, has its headwaters in southwestern Medina County’s Harrisville Township. Medina County Park District is committed to protecting the water quality and rich habitats of one of Northeast Ohio’s great rivers while providing visitors opportunities to explore and enjoy nature.

Black River Nature Preserve is comprised of three park district sites totaling more than 400 acres in the headwaters area: Hidden Hollow Camp (opened 1984), Bluebell Valley (opened 2020), and the future East Fork area.

The East Branch of the Black River is formed by the confluence of two tributaries that flow through these park sites: the East Fork and the West Fork. The streams come together just north of US-42, flowing through Spencer Township and into Lorain County, where the Black River meets Lake Erie at Lorain Harbor.

Along the way, the Black River helps supply drinking water for some of the watershed’s 180,000 residents and provides high-quality habitat for several state-listed endangered or threatened plant and animal species.