Lorain County Parks Adds Boat Trail

This summer, Lorain County (Ohio) Metro Parks will add a 27-mile (43 km) -long water trail for canoes, kayaks and other paddle boats.x1 The trail starts at the park system’s Vermilion River Reservation, goes down the Vermilion River to Lake Erie, hugs the lake shore eastward for eleven miles, then heads up the Black River to the Black River Reservation. Unlike the park system’s bike and hiking trails, the water trail needs no acquisition, grading or paving. The freedom to travel the water trail is ancient, and kept by Ohio law—basically, the public may travel any waterway that can float a canoe.x2 What the park system adds to the trail are boat ramps, parking lots near the ramps, and some mileage markers. The park system will also issue maps and any hazard warnings—such as low water, log jams, and, presumably, choppy lake waters. A privately-owned kayak rental shop stands near one ramp to the Black River in the city of Lorain.