Summit Metro Parks We're Your Back Yard

Silver Creek

Metro Park

Photo: Silver Creek, Pheasant Run Trail

Park Areas

Archery Range

Address 89 Eastern Rd.
Doylestown, OH 44230

Hours Daily: 6 a.m. - dusk

Lake House & Pheasant Run Area

Address 5000 Hametown Rd.
Norton, OH 44203

Hours Daily: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
 

Trail Icon Trail Name Miles Class Rating Description
Pheasant Run Trail Pheasant Run Trail 1.2 C 1 Pheasant Run Trail takes you through different types of habitats on a fairly flat trail. You'll pass through an old field, young woods, old forests and pines. You will also pass by two quiet ponds on this short loop.
Pheasant Run Trail Miner's Trail 2.2 A 1 Miner's Trail utilizes a portion of the paved roadway that surrounds Silver Creek Lake.

Boathouse Area

Address 5171 S. Medina Line Rd.
Norton, OH 44203

Hours Daily: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
For boathouse rental hours, click here.

Trail Icon Trail Name Miles Class Rating Description
Bridle Trail Bridle Trail 3.4 E 1 Enjoy the 3.4-mile Norton Loop of the Bridle Trail at Silver Creek, the only horseback trail managed by Summit Metro Parks.
Bridle Trail Bridle Trail 3.25 E 1 Enjoy the 3.25-mile Wadsworth Loop of the Bridle Trail at Silver Creek, the only horseback trail managed by Summit Metro Parks.

Big Oak Area

Address 5199 Medina Line Rd.
Norton, OH 44203

Hours Daily: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Trail Icon Trail Name Miles Class Rating Description
Chippewa Trail Chippewa Trail 2.0 C 1 Chippewa Trail showcases the history of the area. You can see the thin wood lines that separated farm fields, old apple orchards and the historic Harter Dairy barn. You also have a great view of Silver Creek Lake. Mature trees have grown along the trail; they began as seedlings planted by Girl Scout troops between 1967 and 1983.

Cross Country & Disc Golf Course

Address 4579 Medina Line Rd.
Norton, OH 44203

Hours Daily: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Download a list of rules & regulations. Interested in holding a practice or event? Complete and submit a Special-use Permit.
See the Cross Country Course map here.
See the Disc Golf Course map here.

Classes: A = Multipurpose  |  B = Accessible*  |  C = Basic  |  D = Primitive**  |  E = Bridle

Ratings: 1 = Easy  |  2 = Moderate  |  3 = Difficult

* Flat, easy trail or section with asphalt or crushed limestone surface.

See our  Spree For All page for more information about accessible trails.

** Rugged and challenging with uneven surfaces and steep, narrow routes

Park Maps

Silver Creek Map

History & Wildlife

The 1,008-acre Silver Creek Metro Park is tucked away in a quiet, rural area near Norton. Observant visitors will see traces of the past. Open fields, fence rows and a stately old barn, part of which dates back to the Civil War, are evidence of the park’s former life as the Harter Dairy Farm. Other park history hides beneath our feet. As coal is an important resource, it was mined in much of this area in the 19th century. Many of these mines closed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The one-time farm has changed a great deal since Summit Metro Parks acquired the land in 1966. Thousands of trees have been planted, and the bathhouse and 50-acre lake – fed by a spring from an old mine near Wall Road – were built in the early 1990s.

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Today, iron-laden water from the mine shafts feeds into Silver Creek, coating the bottom of the stream with reddish-brown iron-oxide. However, fish, frogs and other animals thrive. The open fields are home to woodcocks, meadowlarks and eastern bluebirds. Many butterflies flutter among the flowers and grasses. Hawks circle overhead to hunt rabbits, mice and voles living in the grasses and weeds below. Deer travel among the woods, fields and wetlands. Osprey can be seen hovering and diving into the lake water searching for fish. Tall sycamores grow in soggy areas, and hickory woods grow in drier spots. The beech-maple woods contain spring wildflowers. One of the largest northern red oaks in Summit County – 20 feet in circumference – stands in this park.

Photo Gallery

Activities
  • Archery
Amenities
  • Restroom
Activities
  • Cross-country Skiing
Amenities
  • Pet-friendly
  • Picnic Tables
  • Play Equipment
  • Restroom
  • Shelter
Activities
  • Boating
  • Fishing
  • Ice Fishing
Amenities
  • Pet-friendly
  • Picnic Tables
  • Restroom
Activities
  • Fishing
Amenities
  • Pet-friendly
  • Picnic Tables
  • Restroom
Activities
  • Disc Golf
Amenities
  • Pet-friendly
  • Restroom