Parks & Rec: Wellington with more than enough to offer | The ...

Moun?tain bik?ing, kayak?ing, canoe?ing, camp?ing, fish?ing, base?ball, hik?ing ? it?s all avail?able this out?door sea?son, and it?s all in Wellington.

Wellington?s Com?mu?nity Park, the MetroParks Reser?va?tion, and Find?ley State Park have upgraded and enhanced their facil?i?ties, trails, and recre?ational oppor?tu?ni?ties for villagers.

The Wet?land Mit?i?ga?tion Project allowed for the MetroParks to develop the Welling?ton Reser?va?tion in 2005. A once bar?ren flood plane has been trans?formed into a 550-acre park with free hik?ing, pad?dle?boat?ing, fish?ing and explor?ing on the shores of the 21-acre reservoir.

?There are parts of the park that peo?ple don?t even get to. I sug?gest peo?ple see the back loops and the restored prairie,? said con?ser?va?tion super?vi?sor and park man?ager Chris Grame, who has been with the park sys?tem for 18?years.

?It?s the largest lake in our park sys?tem,? Grame?said.

Many orga?nized activ?i?ties are also offered at the?park.

This June there will be a full-moon hike, yoga classes, nature hikes, youth explorer club, a kayak?ing float, fit?ness walks, and scrap?book?ing at the?park.

Res?i?dents can also par?tic?i?pate in the hik?ing stick pro?gram where explor?ers can com?plete six des?ig?nated hikes in four dif?fer?ent reser?va?tions to earn a stick or?pin.

Other than the inva?sive plants like bush hon?ey?suckle and autumn olive, Welling?ton Reser?va?tion is pre?pared for all the guests that come for the busy season.

Wellington?s Com?mu?nity Park has seen growth and improve?ment over the last cou?ple of years. Park?ing improve?ments, drainage, added fields and facil?i?ties have helped make Com?mu?nity Park more than just grass and slides.

?Teams come from all over the state and I always hear it?s some of the best facil?i?ties that I?ve seen. They are con?stantly improv?ing it,? said Mark Care?vic, orga?nizer of the Welling?ton Memo?r?ial Day base?ball tour?na?ment played at Com?mu?nity?Park.

With well-kept fields, the young play?ers have a place to compete.

?About 50-60 kids from Welling?ton will be play?ing,? Care?vic?said.

Being able to host the tour?na?ment is a shot in the arm for local busi?nesses as?well.

?With each team hav?ing around 50 indi?vid?u?als, you?re look?ing at 660 peo?ple. Add par?ents, sib?lings, etc., and the tour?na?ment brings around 2,000 peo?ple into Welling?ton. It?s a boom for the local econ?omy, gas sta?tions, gro?cery stores, restau?rants,? Care?vic?said.

The Splash Pad is now open at Com?mu?nity Park as well. The free, cool-off zone that goes through 5,000 to 7,000 gal?lons of water daily gives younger res?i?dents a chance to have wet sum?mer?time fun with?out the need for a?pool.

New addi?tions can also be found at Find?ley State?Park.

?We have a new 18 hole disc golf course, that used to be nine, but now is fin?ished. Also, a new boat ramp with lights,? said Ranger Bob Thuemling.

Find?ley State Park encom?passes 900 acres and a 93-acre lake.

For tent trekkers, the park has 273 camp?sites, with 91 hav?ing elec?tri?cal hookups.

For those look?ing to get on the lake, many options are available.

Elec?tric motor boat?ing is per?mit?ted, and vis?i?tors can also rent row?boats, kayaks and canoes at the beach/marina area.

With a valid fish?ing license, anglers can cast into a bass, bluegill and cat?fish filled lake.

The nine-mile moun?tain bike trail is a key attrac?tion as?well.

?Peo?ple come from all over to ride the moun?tain bike trial, from Penn?syl?va?nia, Michi?gan, Ken?tucky, all the sur?round?ing states,? Thuem?ling?said.

The park also offers time trail races and even an antique car show with around 500 automobiles.

?You can spend the whole week?end here. Pull in on Fri?day, bring enough food, and stay until Sun?day,? Thuem?ling?said.

Con?tact the?parks:

? Welling?ton Reser?va?tion, 535 Jones Road, 440-647-2509, www.metroparks.cc.

? Welling?ton Com?mu?nity Park, end of Johns Street, 440-647-3827, www.villageofwellington.com.

? Find?ley State Park, 25381 St. Rt. 58, 440-647-4490, www.findleystatepark.org.

by ADAM?FOX

Enter?prise reporter

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