Medina County Park District Celebrated Its 60th Anniversary on April 19, 2025
Established on April 19, 1965, the park district has become a beloved community resource, offering residents and visitors access to more than 22 park sites, over 50 miles of trails, and a variety of educational programs that inspire people of all ages to connect with nature. Over the decades, the park district has emerged as a leader in conservation, successfully acquiring and managing nearly 9,000 acres of protected land.
Celebrate with us by participating in the following special activities:
Park Perks Challenge
April 19-October 4, 2025
Click HERE to download the Park Perks Challenge pdf. Hard copies are available at the nature centers or park headquarters.
Celebrate Medina County Park District’s 60th Anniversary by taking part in the Park Perks Challenge! This is a self-guided adventure where you will need to successfully complete challenges to collect perk points to earn park prizes! Challenge yourself across three categories: Research It, Seek and Find, and See You There, all designed to help you explore and learn about Medina County parks. There are a few challenges that occur in the month of April -- so be sure to get started right away!
Prizes will be awarded at four different levels based on the number of park perk points achieved. The more points you collect, the more prizes you’ll get! Prize value increases with point values. The challenge officially begins on the actual anniversary date of April 19 and runs through October 4.PRIZES WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER THIS SUMMER, but they are items you can use while enjoying the parks.
Prize Pickup and 60th Anniversary Event – October 4
Completed forms may be turned in, and prizes will be awarded at a culminating anniversary event on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Lodge at Allardale. If you can’t make this awesome event, don’t worry, you can pick up your prize(s), while supplies last, at the Oenslager Nature Center on Saturday, October 18 and Saturday, October 25 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
60th Annivesary T-Shirts for $15
In celebration of the park district's 60th anniversary, Friends of Medina County Parks is selling t-shirts for $15 each! The "In My Parks Era" t-shirts are available for purchase (cash or check made out to Friends of Medina County Parks) at Oenslager Nature Center each Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. starting THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 19!
The t-shirts are also available at Medina County Park District Headquarters from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting on Monday, April 21.
Please note, these t-shirts are not available online -- in person sales only. Sales proceeds benefit Friends of Medina County Parks. For more information about the Friends, visit https://friendsofmedinacountyparks.org/.
Special 60th Anniversary Treats Offered by Local Businesses
Over the coming months, MCPD is teaming up with local businesses to celebrate its 60th anniversary with special treats.
Capital Projects Planned
To honor this milestone, the park district will open new park areas and amenities in 2025. Here’s a glimpse of some exciting capital projects planned.
Zachary A. Weber Riverside Park - Liverpool Township
MCPD will open its newest park on July 4 in Valley City on land that was recently donated in memory of a young Buckeye High School graduate who passed away unexpectedly last May. The first phase will include a small parking lot, open-air picnic shelter, seating, and great views of the Rocky River as it flows north through Liverpool Township.
Rivendell Nature Preserve - Westfield Center and Westfield Township
This 203-acre property was donated to the park district in 2022. Phase 1 of the nature preserve will open on September 20 and 21 with parking, trails, restrooms, a fishing pond, and more.
Shotwell Gardens at Lake Medina - Medina Township
Over several years, the Shotwell family donated 25 acres at the corner of Foote and Weymouth Roads. Phase 1 of this new entrance to Lake Medina will open in October.
Chippewa Lake Park - Lafayette Township
Phase 1 of public access to the former amusement park property will open in fall of this year. It'll feature approximately one mile of aggregate trail, restrooms, and a picnic shelter. The trailhead will be built next to a house we're leasing to the Chippewa Lake Historical Society, which will establish a small museum there.
Liverpool Meadows Nature Preserve - Liverpool Township
This will be the second area to open in Liverpool Township in 2025. The 104-acre preserve will open by year's end and feature a one-mile aggregate loop trail and views of the Rocky River.
60th Anniversary Celebration (and prize pickup for Park Perks)
Saturday, October 4 - The Lodge at Allardale - 1 to 4 p.m.
Check back for details.
Get outside and fish at your Medina County parks this spring. Participants who fish at five or more designated fishing areas between March 20 and June 19 and turn in their completed forms to the Oenslager Nature Center between June 20 and July 6, 2025 will receive an award (while supplies last). This program is open to all ages; one award per person. Download the form at www.medinacountyparks.com or visit nature
centers or park district headquarters for a hard copy.
Click HERE to download the form.
April 1 to June 30 -- Get outside and explore your Medina County parks on accessible trails! “Strolling Through Spring” is great for strollers, wheelchairs, and walkers of all abilities.
Click HERE to download the form.
Complete five or more of the designated trails between April 1 and June 30 to qualify for an award. Hikes and awards are FREE for all participants! The award for all hikers is a unique commemorative art print created by local artist and long-time park volunteer George Parmelee.
June 21 and 22 Plant Sale Inventory List
Plants are $5/each. If you have questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Purple giant hyssop
False sunflower
Late figwort
Prairie dropseed
Starry campion
White snakeroot
Brown-eyed Susan
Riddell’s goldenrod
Prairie alumroot
Golden Alexander
Rattlesnake master
Spotted Joe-pye weed
Purple coneflower
Clustered mountain mint
Yellow coneflower
Obedient plant
Sneezeweed
Stiff goldenrod
Swamp milkweed
Seedbox
Trailing bean
Wild petunia
Aromatic aster
Blue-stemmed goldenrod
Blue vervain
Golden ragwort
Butterfly weed
Royal catchfly
Common boneset
Sweet goldenrod
Blue false indigo
Virginia stonecrop
Sweet Joe-pye weed
Partridge pea
Common milkweed
Downy woodmint
MCPD is accepting applications for the fall session of the Northeast Ohio Native Plant Specialist Course! Would you like to learn more about the beautiful plants that grow in nature? Would you like to learn how to use them in your landscape? Native Plant Specialist (NPS) courses are a fun way to gain knowledge about the native plants of Ohio.
Native plant specialist course consists of outdoor field sessions taught at various Medina County Park District locations with diverse displays of flora by qualified field naturalists and botany experts. During the course you will learn common and scientific names, ecological relationships, and human uses of native plants. You will also develop skills in using family features and a botanical key to identify plants. Courses include special emphasis on natives useful for landscaping and alien invasives that threaten native ecosystems.
Click HERE for the program brochure. Those interested must complete an application by the July 22 deadline.
To learn more about the program and obtain an application contact Shelley Tender at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
