Chippewa Lake Birding and Bridle Trail extended

WESTFIELD TWP. — Birdwatchers and equestrians can now go on a longer ride along the Chippewa Lake Birding and Bridle Trail. The trailhead is at 7782 Ballash Road in Westfield Township and can be found west of Chippewa Lake and south of Krabill Lodge. On the west side of Ballash Road, there is a gravel parking lot that can accommodate horse trailers, along with 10 paved and striped parking spots for smaller vehicles. "We opened the birding and bridle trail in 2024, and during that phase, for the first really two years, all of the trail was on the west side of Ballash Road," Medina County Park District Director Nate Eppink said. "We've extended the trail now, and there is a crosswalk at Ballash Road with signs facing both directions to alert drivers that there's a trail crossing." There are now 3.5 miles of mowed trails that go through the 123-acre grassland habitat now that the new third loop has added 1.2 miles to the trail. Eppink said the trail is open from May 1 through Oct. 31 each year. "The reason for the more seasonal use is because it's a mowed trail," he said. "The surface improvements are limited, so we want to protect the trail surface. The horses could, in the wetter months, really beat that up." The birds in the area vary by season, Eppink said. Chippewa Lake is a stopover for many migratory waterfowl, and there are a lot of species in the grassland. "The bobolink prefers grassland habitats, and Ohio has lost many of them as farms have disappeared," he said. "We've developed much of the state, so to have an area here that is an open grassland, it is great for birding." The Medina County Park District repeatedly hears requests for longer trail experiences, which the birding and bridle trail now offers, Eppink said. "We're developing the east side of the lake, the former Chippewa Lake Amusement Park area, as a more active park," he said. "We're viewing the west side of the lake, where Ballash Road is located, as a little more of a nature park, and a little more primitive, so you'll get varied experiences." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.