Rebecca Zak, Interpretive Naturalist
When the mid-winter deep freeze envelops Northeast Ohio, geology, water and temperature unite to create spectacular icicles in Gorge Metro Park. On a cold, sunny day, hike Glens Trail — a one-way trail with a .8-mile-roundtrip that is worth every slippery step.
Equip yourself with crampons, hiking poles and winterwear and keep your eyes to the east. Across the Cuyahoga River, you will notice icicles dangling from rock ledges. Continue along to view ice formations that grow in both quality and quantity, coalescing into ice columns covering rock walls. Once you reach the end of Glens Trail, consider extending your adventure an additional quarter mile north on Front Street. Follow the sidewalk to High Bridge Glens Park and view the grand finale: a 250-foot stretch of colorful icicles draping over one hundred feet of rock walls above our “crooked river.”
For more stories like this, check out Green Islands Magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.