WINTER RECREATION, From Page 13
and Lawrence counties. Visit website for activities.
Struthers 44471. 330-755-7275. Offers hiking trails in a scenic glacial valley.
Bicycling trails
Hiking Trails
East Golf Hike and Bike Trail. 641 Plymouth
Drive, Boardman 44512.
Lake Milton Mountain Bike Trailhead. 16525 Ellsworth Road, Berlin Center 44401. Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail. Lisbon to Washingtonville. Asphalt trail runs 12.5 miles. Originates at Route 164/S. Lincoln Avenue in Lisbon and runs along Little Beaver Creek on the bed of the former Erie Lackawanna Railroad. Offers scenic views of Little Beaver Creek. MetroParks Bikeway. Canfield. Asphalt trail runs 11 miles – from W. Western Reserve Road to the Trumbull County border near Salt Springs Road. Parking is available at MetroParks Farm (Canfield) and the Kirk Road Trailhead in Austintown. Niles Greenway Bike Trail. County Line Road to Robbins Avenue and State Street, Niles 44446. Scenic ride (4.5 miles) takes in the Mahoning River, Mosquito Creek and Meander Reservoir. Stavich Bicycle Trail. Mahoning and Lawrence counties. This 10-mile trail runs from Struthers and Lowellville to New Castle. Sights include the Mahoning River, Lowellville and a beaver pond. Western Reserve Greenway. Ashtabula County. Trail (43 miles) extends from Ashtabula to Warren.
Disc (Frisbee) golf
Austintown Township Park Disc Golf Course. 6000 Kirk Road, Austintown 44515. 330-799-6989.
18 holes. Flat with some wooded areas.
Birdie Hill Disc Golf Course. Lakeview Recreation Area, 3001 Warren Meadville Road, Cortland 44410.
18 holes. Mostly flat with some wooded areas.
Boardman Park Disc Golf Course. 375 BoardmanPoland Road, Boardman 44512. 18 holes. Flat and
moderately wooded.
Buhl Park Disc Golf Course. 715 Hazen Road,
Hermitage, Pa. 16148. 18 holes. Hills and woods. Mauthe Park. 156 Smithfield St., Struthers 44471. 9 holes. Moderate hills, lightly wooded. Mill Creek MetroParks Farm Disc Golf Courses. 7574 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield 44406. 9
holes, 18 holes. The Field Course (9 holes) is flat with some woods. The Forest Course (18 holes) is wooded. The courses are located near the Bikeway spur trail. Parking available at the MetroParks Farm. Squirrel Run Disc Golf Course. Mosquito Lake State Park, 1439 Wilson Sharpsville Road, Cortland
44410. 18 holes. Flat with wooded areas. Designed by Bill Flynn.
Titan Disc Golf Course. Kent State Trumbull Campus, 4314 Mahoning Ave., Warren 44483. 9
holes. Flat, some woods. Designed by Bill Flynn. Wick Park Disc Golf Course. 260 Park Ave., Youngstown 44505. 18 holes. Flat course, mature trees, located in interior of the park. Young’s Run Disc Golf Course. Educational Highway, adjacent to Kent State Trumbull Campus, Route 45, Champion 44483. Features an 18-hole disc course in open and wooded areas.
Exercise and walking trails Austintown Township Park. 6000 Kirk Road, Austintown 44515. 330-799-6989. Offers a metered walking trail, a wooded trail and the “Braille Trail” (for the visually impaired). This quarter-mile trail includes a rope guide and signage explaining park wildlife and vegetation. Closes after dark. Beaver Creek State Park. 12021 Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool 43920. 330-385-3091. This 3,038-
14 METRO MONTHLY
NFL FLAG FOOTBALL
Games will be played on Saturdays at Wick Recreation Area in Youngstown beginning May 14 through June 18.
MetroParks offers NFL Youth Flag Football
M
ill Creek MetroParks is announcing a coed Youth NFL Flag Football League this spring at Wick Recreation Area. Registration is now open to 4U, 6U, 8U, 10U, and 12U players with skill evaluations on April 11 or 12. Evaluations will be followed by a coaches’ draft for team selections. Games will be played on Saturdays at Wick Recreation Area in Youngstown beginning May 14 through June 18. Players will have branded jerseys and additional NFL Flag support resources. “We’re thrilled to bring NFL Flag to the football-hungry communities of the Valley, and to host a flag football season at Wick Recreation Area,” said Chris Bundy, recreation manager. “We’re so excited to share this experience with our community.” Registration is $119.99 for Mahoning
acre park offers 16 miles of hiking trails. Boardman Township Park. 375 BoardmanPoland Road, Boardman 44512. 330-726-8105. Offers a walking trail with various trail offshoots. Ford Nature Education Center. 840 Old Furnace Road, Youngstown 44511. 330-740-7107. Features the “Virginia J. Axtmann Nature Trail for All People,” a barrier-free 1,635 foot nature trail with signage pointing out plants and trees. Grand River Wildlife Area. 6686 state Route 534, West Farmington 44491. 330-889-3280. This 7,000-acre facility offers wetlands, lakes and ponds. Howland Community Park. 2000 Rosegarden, Howland 44484. 330-856-9707. This 169-acre park offers sports and recreational facilities. McGuffey Wildlife Preserve. 4448 McGuffey Road, Lowellville 44436. This 78-acre nature preserve permits hiking. Onsite parking. Mill Creek MetroParks. 7574 ColumbianaCanfield Road, Canfield 44406. 330-702-3000. Mill Creek Park, established in 1891 by Volney Rogers, is a 2,530-acre park that courses through western and southern Youngstown and portions of Boardman. Features 21 miles of drives, 15 miles
County residents and $129.99 for nonresidents. Early registration receives $10 off through Feb. 28. Registration is available online by visiting www.millcreekmetroparks.org, in person at Wick Recreation Area or by calling 330-740-7114. There are five NFL Flag teams in the Mahoning Valley: Boardman Youth Flag Football, Mill Creek Flag Football League, Poland Flag Football, Neo Flag Football and the Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association. All are coeducational teams. About NFL Flag – NFL Flag is an NFL-licensed property of more than 1,600 locally operated leagues and over 500,000 youth athletes across all 50 states. NFL Flag is an accessible non-contact program available for girls and boys ages 5-17. For more information, visit nflflag.com. of trails, sports and recreational facilities, gardens, natural areas and picnic facilities. In addition, the park system maintains the Vickers Nature Area and the McGuffey Wildlife Preserve. The park contains an extensive network of trails. Mosquito Lake State Park. 1439 Wilson Sharpsville Road, Cortland 44410. 330-637-2856. Offers 3,961 land acres and 7,850 water acres, including 2 miles of hiking trails. Visitors can pick up trail maps at the park office. Packard Park. 1703 Mahoning Ave., Warren 44483. 330-841-2641. Offers exercise trails around the perimeter of the park. Perkins Park. 680 Perkins Drive N.W., Warren, 44483. 330-841-2641. Has an asphalt path of varying grades (for jogging/inline skating). Poland Municipal Forest. College Lane, Poland, 44514. Offers trails through a mature wooded area. Wick Park. 260 Park Ave., Youngstown 44504. 330-742-8711. This 34.14 acre city park features a jogging path and exercise stations. A popular place for walking in morning and throughout the day. The city recently added a disk-golf course. Yellow Creek Park. 17 Lowellville Road,
Mill Creek Metroparks – Mill Creek Metroparks contains a network of trails. The Gorge Trail Boardwalk is a 2-mile all-weather walkway along Mill Creek. Additional hiking trails appear below. Artist’s Trail. Scenic trail takes in a stone wall built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration. Easy. Distance: 1/4 mile. Virginia J. Axtmann Nature Trail for All People. Trail takes in scenic and natural views. Easy, barrier-free. Distance: 1/4 mile. East Channel and Islands Trail. Flat terrain through wetland/wildflower area. 1 mile. West Channel and Islands Trail. Fairly easy with slight grades. Distance: 1 mile. East Cohasset Trail. Courses along Lake Cohasset and the Suspension Bridge. Moderately difficult. 1.5 miles. West Cohasset Walk. Takes in the park’s hemlocks and Lake Cohasset. Moderately difficult with steps and slight grades. 1 mile. Davies Wetland Trail. Courses through wetlands. Easy. Barrier-free. Distance: 1/4 mile. East Glacier Trail. Trail takes in wildlife and the Parapet Bridge. Fairly easy, with flat terrain. Distance: 1/2 mile. East Golf Hike/Bike Trail. Heavily used by cyclists, joggers, walkers and in-line skaters. Easy with a flat surface. Barrier-free. 1.5 miles. East Gorge Walk. Takes in stone outcroppings, lush vegetation and Lanterman’s Falls. Moderately difficult (steps and boardwalk). Distance: 1/2 mile. West Gorge Trail. Takes in Lake Newport Dam. Moderately difficult, some hills. 1 mile. Lily Pond Circle Trail. Loops around the Lily Pond, with lots of wildlife viewing. Easy, with flat terrain. Distance: 1/4 mile. East Newport Hike/Bike Trail. Takes in Daffodil Meadow and Lake Newport. Relatively easy, with slight hills. 1.75 miles. West Newport Trail. Views of Lake Newport and wetland area. Moderately difficult with hills. 1 mile. Old Tree Trail. Takes in views of Lake Glacier. Fairly difficult, with hills. 1 mile. Vickers Nature Preserve. 10334 W. AkronCanfield Road, Canfield 44406. This 262-acre nature preserve spans meadowlands, woodlands, wetlands and ponds. Dress for wild, wet terrain.
Hockey (Dek Hockey) Dek Hockey Rink. Wick Recreation Area, Mill Creek Metroparks, 1861 McCollum Road, Youngstown 44509. 330-740-7114. Dek hockey is a variation of ice hockey and is played with a ball on foot or with inline skates. Rink is available hourly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Skating (ice) Deep Freeze Ice Arena. 360 McClurg Road, Boardman 44512. 330-953-3104. Full-service ice rink offers figure skating, learn-to-skate programs and youth and adult hockey leagues. Hess Ice Rink Ice Skating Rink. 3365 Mitchell Road, New Castle, Pa. 16105. 724-658-6332. Hess opened in 1996. Offers public skating, figure skating and ice-skating lessons, adult skating lessons for beginners and more-advanced skaters.
See WINTER RECREATION, Page 15
