BEECH
CREEK
GARDENS
Amazing Garden
The Amazing Garden is our vibrant indoor plant science center where the nature comes alive. Wander through lush greenery, meet fascinating reptiles and buzzing insects up close, and dive into hands-on exhibits that reveal how plants and animals shape our world. It’s an immersive, high-energy space where curiosity grows fast and every visit uncovers something unexpected.
Butterfly Garden
Home to our beloved Butterfly House, the Butterfly Garden is a vibrant haven designed to attract and support pollinators of all kinds. Bursting with bright, colorful blooms and buzzing with life, this sun-soaked space becomes a living kaleidoscope in the summer — an unforgettable gem where butterflies drift, flowers flourish, and nature is on full display.
Humming Bird Garden
Located just outside the Visitors Center, the Hummingbird Garden may be small, but it delivers a big burst of wonder. Filled with vibrant, nectar-rich blooms, this lively space is designed to draw in dazzling hummingbirds as they dart, hover, and shimmer in the sunlight, a magical welcome the moment you arrive.
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Secret Garden
Tucked away beneath a canopy of trees and surrounded by lush greenery, The Secret Garden is a hidden gem designed for unforgettable “I do” moments. Secluded, romantic, and naturally breathtaking, this enchanting outdoor venue feels like stepping into a private fairytale where love is celebrated in the heart of nature.
Potager Garden
Located near our main parking lot, the Potager Garden, also known as a kitchen garden, is a vibrant blend of herbs, vegetables, and flowers growing side by side. This beautiful and functional space celebrates the connection between garden and table, where fragrant herbs, fresh produce, and colorful blooms come together in one abundant, ever-changing display.
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Sensory Garden
Located just across from The Amazing Garden, the Sensory Garden features five vibrant beds designed to awaken your senses. Explore plants you can touch with fascinating textures, scratch-and-sniff blooms that surprise your nose, and even edible varieties that let you taste the garden — a playful, immersive experience for visitors of all ages.
PLAYGROUNDS
Nature Playce
Nature Playce is nearly two acres of endless outdoor adventure! Kids can climb treehouses connected by swinging bridges, soar on a mini zip line, explore a giant bird’s nest, and create in the mud kitchen. With living willow huts, a sprinkle pond, a rock mountain with a slide, a music stage, oversized Lincoln Logs, and so much more, every corner sparks imagination, movement, and pure, hands-on fun.
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Logs O' Fun
Logs O’ Fun Playground is a nature-inspired play space where kids can run, jump, and balance on logs in endless combinations. The fun continues with a small swinging bridge and a netted climbing wall, creating a hands-on adventure that sparks imagination, confidence, and active play.
TRAILS
Chad's Way
Chad’s Way honors the life of Chad McClung, who loved spending time in nature. After Chad’s passing from ALS, his wife Heidi began a mission to make hiking trails more accessible, ensuring that people of all abilities can experience the beauty of the outdoors, just as Chad always did.
Trail Details:
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Trailhead: Side of the main parking lot, around the pond, and down the wooden path connecting to Creekside Trail
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Length: Approximately 1/2 mile
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Difficulty: Easy — fully accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility aids
This serene, fully accessible trail invites everyone to enjoy the outdoors safely, fostering connection, movement, and the joy of nature for all.
Creekside
Creekside Trail winds alongside a peaceful stream, guiding you across charming bridges, around gentle curves, and past a thriving wetland habitat. This scenic connector links the Visitor Center to the Hoover Bridge trailhead, offering a beautiful, immersive walk through one of Beech Creek’s most tranquil spaces.
Trail Details:
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Trailhead: Facing west from the Visitor Center, approximately 50 feet to the left of the red brick path
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Length: Approximately 1/4 mile
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Difficulty: Moderate — the slope at the trailhead is steep. Most visitors can complete the trail in 6–8 minutes at a steady pace.
Fern Ridge
Fern Ridge Trail is the most naturally diverse hike at Beech Creek, guiding you through a rich tapestry of habitats with every step. Stroll along a scenic ridge overlooking the stream, wander beneath a canopy of trees, and pass through stretches carpeted in lush green ferns. In early spring, this trail shines as the best place to spot Ohio’s state wildflower, the White Trillium, along with a stunning variety of seasonal blooms.
Trail Details:
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Trailhead: Cross the Hoover Bridge and continue west approximately 300 feet. The entrance is on the right.
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Length: Approximately 1-mile loop
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Difficulty: Moderate — most visitors can complete the loop in 40–50 minutes at a steady pace.
Spicebush
Spicebush Trail invites you into a quiet woodland dotted with fragrant spicebush shrubs that line the path from the very start. Cross gentle stream tributaries as you wind through the forest, then step out into an open meadow that offers a refreshing change of scenery and wide-open views.
Trail Details:
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Trailhead: Approximately 100 feet before crossing the Hoover Bridge, on the north side
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Length: Approximately 1/2-mile loop
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Difficulty: Moderate — most visitors can complete the loop in 25–30 minutes at a steady pace.
Oakview
This circular trail offers visitors a beautiful hike in the woods. Enjoy this peaceful trail while resting at one of the benches nestled along the way. If you love hiking, but are short on time, Oakview trail is just the right length – give yourself 30-40 minutes to complete this trail at a leisurely pace.​​
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Trailhead/Length/Degree of Difficulty
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West of the bird feeding stations on the west side of the Hoover Bridge over Beech Creek. Trailhead entrance will be on the south side of the trail starting with the Oakview bridge.
3/4 mile loop (approximate)
Moderate. An average person walking at a steady pace should be able to complete the trail in 40 minutes.
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BUTTERFLIES
Butterfly House
Step inside our charming conservatory, where the air is alive with fluttering wings and vibrant colors. This family-friendly, hands-on experience invites you to interact with butterflies up close while discovering the fascinating life cycle of butterflies and moths from tiny egg to soaring adult.
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Hand-feed both male and female butterflies, learn how to spot the differences between species, and encounter up to 23 native butterflies, moths, and skippers from Northeast Ohio. It’s an immersive, magical space where curiosity takes flight.
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Group Visits:
For groups of 10 or more, please make a reservation in advance.
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The creation of the Butterfly House was made possible through a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Nature Works program. For more information, visit www.ohiodnr.gov.
Caterpillar Nursery
Step into the Caterpillar Nursery and witness transformation in action. Observe up to 21 species of native Ohio caterpillars as they munch, grow, and prepare for their incredible metamorphosis.
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Learn about more than 30 species of host plants that support these tiny creatures, and discover each stage of the life cycle — from delicate egg to crawling larva to chrysalis, and finally to the adult butterfly. It’s an up-close, fascinating look at one of nature’s most remarkable journeys.
