Wildflowers are rising in the sand traps at the former Astorhurst Country Club. The Cleveland Metroparks quietly reopened the Walton Hills site in 2018 as Astorhurst Park, a 127-acre extension of Bedford Reservation bordering the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Now the flowers are spreading, the grass is thickening and the links are starting to turn into parklands.

Located in Bedford, Bedford Heights, Oakwood, Valley View and Walton Hills, Bedford Reservation gives the appearance of a continuous forest of large trees and challenging terrain, which apparently discouraged early logging operations.

The reservation offers trails and picnic areas and includes Shawnee Hills Golf Course as one of its attractions. Flowing through Bedford Reservation is Tinkers Creek, named for a member of Moses Cleveland’s surveying party. The stream drops a dramatic 220 feet over a course of two miles and has cut a steep, walled gorge. The gorge, declared a National Natural Landmark, is a unique area with numerous tree, shrub, and flower species.

The Tinkers Creek Gorge Scenic Overlook on Gorge Parkway offers a spectacular vista, particularly in the fall. Tinkers Creek Gorge Overlook is wheelchair accessible.