Columbia Creek Wetland, Westlake Park-n-Ride

Columbia Creek Wetland, Westlake Park-n-Ride

Columbia Road Westlake, Ohio 44145

Official Website

Birds of Interest

Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Canada Goose, Pied-billed Grebe, Hooded Merganser, American Crow, Blue Jay, Red-winged Blackbird, Gray Catbird, Mourning Dove, Wild Turkey, Red-tailed Hawk, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Common Grackle, Killdeer, Chimney Swift, flyover gulls, American Robin, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Nashville Warbler, Warbling Vireo.

About this Location

The Columbia Creek Wetland is located adjacent to the railroad tracks crossing Columbia Road on the northern border of Westlake and was completed in 2014, with funds received from a grant by the Ohio EPA Surface Water Improvement Funds (SWIF), the City of Westlake retrofitted the Cahoon Creek and Columbia Creek detention basins. The new detention basins are intended to improve water quality by filtering the contaminants from urban runoff prior to entering Lake Erie. Other benefits include restoring creekside native vegetation, preventing erosion, and improving creek water quality through the reduction of high sediment and nutrient loads.

Going north on Columbia Road just past I-90, the area can be accessed by turning right onto the access road marked by an RTA Park-n-Ride sign. Shortly after turning onto the access road, a parking lot is located on the right, directly across the street from the wetland area. On weekdays it is best to park at the back (south) edge of the parking lot as this parking is also utilized by commuters. The buses currently operate Monday through Friday between the hours of 6-8 am and 3-6:30 pm. There is a good viewing location from the two bus shelters at the edge of the wetland. Additional birding can be done along the tree lines at the edges of the two other parking lots comprising the Westlake Park-n-Ride area, just east of the wetland.

Features

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Restrooms on site

  • Entrance fee

  • Roadside viewing

Content from Patricia McKelvey