LODI, Ohio — A former family retreat in Lodi becomes Medina County Park District’s 25th park on Thursday, November 12, when the Lodi Woods Nature Preserve opens to the public, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. A short dedication ceremony is planned at noon.
The 67-acre preserve will feature a north-south hiking trail that rises some 50 feet from its start to finish, with smaller loop trails providing access to the preserve’s forested areas, according to the Beacon Journal. Parks Director Nathan Eppink told the Akron Beacon Journal the property was initially purchased years ago by a family, whose name was not released, as an investment.
Over the ensuing years, the family used the property for hiking, camping and riding ATVs, and came to appreciate its natural beauty before offering to sell it to the park district for preservation, Eppink told the Beacon Journal. The plans for the nature preserve have been in the works for some six years.
Public access to the new preserve runs through a partnership between the park district and the Medina County District Library. In partnership with the library district, parking and restrooms for the preserve will be provided at the Lodi Library at 635 Wooster Street, according to the Beacon Journal. Nearby residents will also be able to reach the trails from Hawthorne Drive and Oakwood Drive.
“Throughout the county, we’re able to do more thanks to unique and creative partnerships,” Eppink said in comments reported by the Akron Beacon Journal. “Lodi Woods is no different. Our collaboration with the library is what makes public access here possible.”
Library Executive Director Julianne Bedel shared that view in a statement reported by the Beacon Journal. “Lodi Woods is a wonderful example of what can happen when community organizations come together with a shared vision,” Bedel said in the statement. “We’re proud that the library can help connect our community with this beautiful natural space and create another opportunity for people to learn, explore, and enjoy Medina County.”
The opening adds a 25th park to a district that has steadily expanded outdoor access across Medina County, and it preserves a piece of wooded ground that might otherwise have been developed. For Lodi-area residents, the preserve puts hiking and forest trails within walking distance of the village’s neighborhoods.
The dedication ceremony at noon Thursday, November 12, marks the preserve’s first day open. Visitors heading out for the opening — or for a first hike this weekend — should plan to park at the Lodi Library on Wooster Street and use the library’s restrooms before setting out on the trail.