Some of my favorite urban spaces are those that emphasize nature, and growing up in Cleveland I was lucky to have thousands of unspoiled acres to explore in the nearby Metroparks. Still, I’ve only seen a fraction of what the Metroparks have to offer. Fortunately, Clevelanders Mark Beltavski and Brian Grady have created a new podcast to highlight the Metroparks called Explore the Cleveland Metroparks.
The Cleveland Metroparks is a 23,000-acre system of nature preserves in Northeast Ohio. Nicknamed the “Emerald Necklace,” the reservations circle Cleveland with parks, trails, picnic areas, golf courses, fishing holes, and nature centers. The Metroparks spans six counties and even includes the region’s most-visited year-round attraction, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The Metroparks are beloved by Clevelanders who were among the system’s 45 million visitors last year.¹
The idea for a Metroparks podcast began with Beltavski’s desire to launch a radio show highlighting news and events in Cleveland. A Metroparks explorer since he was a kid, Beltavski makes an effort to go beyond the beaten path in these parks. “I’m always going off of the trails and finding unique things, like waterfalls, that visitors don’t usually see,” he said.
The expanse of the Metroparks system makes it a great candidate for curious Cleveland natives and visitors. A recent photojournalism project led Beltavski into parks he hadn’t previously explored. “I believe there are 18 reservations, so if you live in Euclid you might not even know about the Rocky River Reservation,” Beltavski said. “For example, I was photographing Sulpher Springs in the South Chagrin Reservation and started following the creek. I stumbled on awesome areas off the trail that I would have never known about.”
Rather than encompassing an entire reservation, Explore the Cleveland Metroparks will focus on individual spots within them, such as waterfalls or picnic areas. Park news and special events, like live music at Edgewater Beach, is also mentioned. Each episode is accompanied by photography on the podcast web pagepodcast web page. “I want to document these places so people know where to go and what to do in each area,” said Beltavski.
“I want to document these places so people know where to go and what to do in each area.”
Beltavski and Grady chose the Bedford Reservation’s Viaduct Park to kick off the podcast because they spent many hours in the park while growing up nearby. “In high school, we would go there after school for hours to swim and explore off the trails. We could have talked for hours about it,” said Beltavski.
While I am very familiar with the Bedford Reservation, I have never visited the Rocky River Reservation nor Monarch’s Bluff, the subjects of episode two and three respectively. I’m excited to keep listening and learning more about my hometown, and I’m looking forward to exploring more reservations on my next visit.
As Beltavski said, “Brian and I both thought we had been so many places in the Metroparks, but we realized how many sites we still have to explore.”
Enjoy episode one of Explore the Cleveland Metroparks below.
Cleveland Metroparks. “Cleveland Metroparks by the Numbers.” clevelandmetroparks.com, N.p., Web. 25 July 2016.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
Lovely! I follow you on bloglovin and have been liking what you do! I would be honored if you could check out my blog and maybe give it a shout out?? My Blog Is focused around Art, Creativity, Adventure, Urban Exploring, and Story Telling. I have been having a hard time getting myself out there and It would be so great to have some help from such an amazing and successful blog like yours? and any tips and pointers would be greatly appreciated also! Thank you!
My blog : http://theexplorercamp.blogspot.com/
Thanks for following Morgan! I love the color tones in your urbex photos.
Thank you! I have really liked the pictures you post on your blog as well the waterfall is very mystical. One of my friends climbed a waterfall last year. I have never seen a big waterfall in real life but Im planning on going to Niagara next spring.
I went to Niagra as a kid. It was breathtaking! You’ll have a great time.