If you like walking, running, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, or any kind of non-motorized movement, you’ll love the Bridgeway Trail. Starting at Day’s Dam in Lorain and ending at the High Meadows picnic area in Elyria, this expansive 4-1/2 mile trail is the most popular in the park system and offers something for everyone with exercise, fresh air and natural beauty in mind. You’ll pass through meadows and forest groves, under bridges and over the treetops on a 1000-footbridge that crosses the river in two places.

This bridge is the highlight of the Bridgeway Trail and offers captivating views of the river, a scenic railway bridge, shale cliffs on one side and an expanse of bottomlands on the other. Just north of the bridge is the tram turnaround with several picnic tables and a small shelter—a great place to rest and have a snack. All along the trail, you’ll find interpretive sites that elaborate on the natural highlights of the area and offer a richer understanding of the world around you.

The Black River Reservation is one of the most popular parks in the Lorain County Metro Park system. The most notable feature is the Bridgeway Trail and the Steel Mill Trail. They total 5.5 miles of paved all-purpose trail that follow the Black River through its meanderings from Elyria to Lorain, spanning four city jurisdictions altogether. The reservation also features three separate picnic areas: High Meadows, Bur Oak and Day’s Dam, each contributing its own special character to the variety and natural beauty of this impressive park.