The Hidden Park That Will Make You Feel Like You've Discovered Cleveland's Best Kept Secret
By Nikki Rhoades|Published March 08, 2018
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
Ohio is overflowing with breathtaking places to explore, but there’s nowhere quite like a Cleveland-area park. The loveliest ones are located along Northeast Ohio’s waterways, and locals especially adore those on Lake Erie’s shore. Each lakefront park is beautiful in its own way, but the beauty of one, in particular, is criminally overlooked.
Wendy Park, which is located on the Whiskey Island Peninsula at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, can be found at 2800 Whiskey Island Drive in Cleveland.
This 22-acre park on the edge of Downtown Cleveland is truly an urban gem.
This park opened in 2005, and it contributes splendidly to the Emerald Necklace that is the Cleveland Metroparks. They actually purchased Whiskey Island in 2014, meaning that this site will delight Clevelanders for years to come.
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Its shores attract visitors as well as local wildlife and migratory birds.
More than 260 species of birds can be found here, making this site a goldmine for birdwatchers. In the fall, monarch butterflies are also found in great quantity in this lush little oasis.
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Wendy Park contributes to the acreage of the spectacular Lakefront Reservation, which leaves locals enthralled in every season.
Early settler Lorenzo Carter established a family farm here in the earliest years of Cleveland's history. The site hosted a distillery in the 1830s, which is how the peninsula came to be known as Whiskey Island.
Are you ready to explore one of the dreamiest hidden gems in Cleveland?
There is so much to love in Northeast Ohio, but this one petite peninsula truly is a hidden wonder. Do you have a favorite park in the Cleveland Metroparks? Tell us in the comments and share your favorite photos!
