For your convenience, a Horse Riders Center is located on Jeffers Road with ample parking for trailers, restrooms, water, hitching posts and a picnic shelter with grills. Two other rest areas are located at Evergreen Lake and Springbrook Lake, where restrooms and water are available, as well as access for horses to drink from the lake.

Oak Openings is unlike any other habitat in Ohio. The Metropark is named for the surrounding region made up of eastern hardwood forest and western prairie. This combination forms a rare and beautiful blend of habitats and species found only a few places in the world. And it is home to about one-third of all rare and endangered species in the state.

Just a few examples of the wildlife you may observe here include deer, coyotes, flying squirrels, mink, badgers, hognose snakes, turtles, wild turkey, hawks, owls, flickers, indigo buntings, goldfinches and woodpeckers. The area is noted for the number and variety of birds that nest or rest here at various times of the year, including the lark sparrow, an endangered species that nests in the dunes.

The Oak Openings is also known for its array of wildflowers and other plants. Look for these species during your ride: wild lupine, big bluestem, blazing star, little blue stem, bush clover, bergamot, sweet fern, tall coreopsis, cardinal flower, wild asters, Indian grass, trillium, May apple, columbine, iron weed, black-eyed Susan, grey headed coneflower, tall meadow rue, prickly-pear cactus, golden rod, tick trefoil, marsh marigolds and spring beauties.

Metroparks manages certain areas of the park by mowing, burning and removing non-native trees and other plants. You may see areas where these land management techniques have been used to enhance or restore the natural oak savanna habitat. The pine trees you will encounter were planted here in the 1940s and are not native to the region.

Nearby• Maumee State Forest, over 3,000 acres

adjacent to Oak Openings Preserve, has 15 miles of bridle trails and horse-trailer parking on Neowash Rd. Parking is also available on State Route 64, with a trail leading into Oak Openings.

• Mary Jane Thurston State Park is located along both sides of the Maumee River, south of Oak Openings. The park’s North Turkeyfoot Area has six miles of trails for horseback riding, backpacking and mountain biking.

Things You Should Know• Oak Openings is a day-use park open every

day of the year from 7 a.m. to dark.

• Horses are permitted only on the marked horse trail and not on roads, fire lanes or trails designated for walking, biking or skiing. Horses may not be ridden in picnic areas and should be kept away from ditch banks and ravines.

• Bicycles are not permitted on the horse trail.

• Alcohol is not permitted in any area of the park.

• Dogs must be on leashes no longer than eight feet long at all times.

• Hitching posts are provided to tie horses. Please do not tie horses to trees or fences.

• Call 419-407-9710 to obtain a free group permit for all organized events involving horse trail and horse facility use.

• Insect repellent is recommended in late spring and summer to protect against mosquitoes, deer flies and horse flies.

Note: In an emergency, call the number below for the Lucas County Sheriff Dispatcher.

Calling 911 from a cell phone will connect you with the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark4139 Girdham RoadSwanton, OH 43558

Ranger Cell Phone: 419-360-9179

Emergency– Lucas County Sheriff: 419-213-4977

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark

Oak Openings Horse Trail

Oak Openings Preserve Metropark

Oak Openings Horse Trail

Welcome to the Oak Openings Preserve

Horse Trail. The 22.1-mile trail winds

through sand dunes, wet prairies, wet

woods, pine forests and oak savannas of

the 4,000-acre Metropark. With its flat

terrain, the trail is accessible to riders

and horses of all abilities.

7

8

56

9

10

4

3

12

16

15 14

13

12

11

Met

ropa

rks

Rule

s an

d Re

gula

tions

9.1

Ridi

ng P

erm

it an

d A

rea

Mis

use

Pers

ons

shal

l onl

y us

e, ri

de o

r driv

e an

y ho

rse

or o

ther

ani

mal

upo

nbr

idle

pat

hs d

esig

nate

d an

d es

tabl

ishe

d fo

r hor

seba

ck ri

ders

whi

lew

ithin

the

park

. (M

M)

9.2

Are

as W

here

Hor

ses

Are

Per

mitt

edHo

rseb

ack

rider

s sh

all s

tay

on th

e de

sign

ated

brid

le tr

ails

whe

naw

ay fr

om th

e st

able

are

as a

nd a

re n

ot p

erm

itted

els

ewhe

re in

the

park

. (M

M)

9.3

Hor

seba

ck R

idin

g Sa

fety

No

pers

on s

hall

ride

a ho

rse

alon

g an

y br

idle

trai

l with

out d

uere

spec

t for

oth

er ri

ders

, veh

icles

, or p

edes

trian

s or s

o as

to e

ndan

ger

the

life,

lim

b, o

r pro

perty

of a

ny p

erso

n w

hile

in la

wfu

l use

of t

hepa

rk. (

MM

)

9.4

Leav

ing

Hor

ses

Una

ttend

edN

o pe

rson

sha

ll le

ave

a ho

rse

unat

tend

ed w

ithin

the

park

oth

erth

an fo

r pur

pose

of s

tabl

ing

at a

des

igna

ted

stab

le a

rea.

(MM

)

9.5

Mis

trea

tmen

t of H

orse

sN

o rid

er o

r oth

er p

erso

n sh

all m

istre

at, o

verri

de c

ruel

ly b

eat,

mut

ilate

, or t

ortu

re a

ny h

orse

with

in th

e pa

rk. (

MM

)

9.6

Hor

seba

ck R

idin

g O

nly

No

pers

on s

hall

use,

ride

, or d

rive

any

hors

e or

oth

er a

nim

al d

riven

cart,

wag

on, s

led

or o

ther

con

veya

nce

upon

any

par

k tra

ils. (

MM

)

20.3

5 M

otor

Veh

icle

Rig

ht o

f Way

to H

orse

sN

o pe

rson

whi

le o

pera

ting

a m

otor

veh

icle

on

a ro

adw

ay in

or

adja

cent

to th

e pa

rk s

hall

fail

to s

low

dow

n an

d st

op th

e ve

hicl

ew

hen

sign

aled

to d

o so

upo

n m

eetin

g or

ove

rtaki

ng a

hor

se-d

raw

nve

hicl

e or

per

son

on h

orse

back

and

to re

mai

n st

atio

nery

unt

il th

eve

hicl

e or

per

son

has

pass

ed p

rovi

ded

the

sign

al to

s to

p is

giv

enin

goo

d fa

ith u

nder

circ

umst

ance

s of

nec

essi

ty a

nd o

nly

as o

ften

and

for t

hat l

engt

h of

tim

e as

is re

quire

d fo

r the

veh

icle

or p

erso

nsto

pas

s w

heth

er it

is a

ppro

achi

ng fr

om th

e fro

nt o

r rea

r. (M

M-1

stof

fens

e; 2

nd o

ffens

e-ci

te u

nder

ORC

4549

.01A

)

20.1

Est

ablis

hed

Way

s of

Tra

vel

No

pers

on b

y fo

ot, v

ehic

le, m

otor

veh

icle

, or

ani

mal

sha

ll us

e an

ypo

rtion

of t

he p

ark f

or m

eans

of t

rave

l exc

ept d

rivew

ays,

road

way

s,st

reet

s, h

ighw

ays,

trai

ls o

r any

oth

er m

eans

of t

rave

l est

ablis

hed

for s

uch

purp

oses

. Veh

icle

s an

d pe

rson

s sh

all n

ot e

nter

the

park

exce

pt b

y es

tabl

ishe

d w

ays

of tr

avel

. NOT

E: In

divi

dual

s w

ho u

sem

obili

ty a

ssis

t veh

icle

s ar

e ex

empt

from

this

regu

latio

n. (M

M)

20.4

6 M

ulti-

Trai

l Use

Rig

ht o

f Way

Whe

n tra

il co

nditi

ons r

equi

re a

righ

t of w

ay fo

r saf

e pa

ssag

e, h

orse

rider

s ha

ve th

e pr

imar

y rig

ht o

f way

, hik

ers

next

and

then

cyc

lists

whi

le o

n pa

rk d

istri

ct p

rope

rty tr

ails

. (M

M)

8.1

Dog

s, C

ats

and

Oth

er A

nim

als

Dogs

, cat

s an

d ot

her d

omes

tic p

ets,

hou

seho

ld o

r exo

tic a

nim

als

are

proh

ibite

d in

the

park

s ex

cept

und

er th

e co

nditi

ons

stat

edbe

low

or i

n ar

eas d

esig

nate

d by

the

Dire

ctor

. No

pers

on sh

all s

uffe

ror

per

mit

such

pet

or a

nim

al to

ent

er a

par

k or

run

at la

rge

in a

park

or r

emai

n un

atte

nded

at a

ny ti

me

whi

le in

the

park

. All

such

pets

and

ani

mal

s sh

all b

e co

ntro

lled

at a

ll tim

es w

hen

perm

itted

in th

e pa

rk o

n a

leas

h no

t mor

e th

an e

ight

feet

long

una

ttend

edby

and

und

er th

e im

med

iate

con

trol o

f the

ow

ner o

r ano

ther

. The

owne

r of s

uch

a pe

t or a

nim

al s

hall

rem

ove

anim

al w

aste

from

any

area

s of

the

park

gro

unds

and

mus

t car

ry a

t all

times

a v

isib

lem

eans

of c

olle

ctin

g an

d di

spos

ing

was

te p

rope

rly in

des

igna

ted

area

s. O

wne

rs m

ust c

ompl

y w

ith a

ll st

ate

and

loca

l hea

lth a

ndlic

ensi

ng re

quire

men

ts a

nd a

ny c

onst

rain

ts im

pose

d by

law

,or

dina

nce

or re

gula

tion.

Was

te re

mov

al s

hall

be w

aive

d fo

r the

owne

r of a

n as

sist

dog

. (M

M)

4.6

Poss

essi

on o

f Alc

ohol

ic B

ever

ages

No

pers

on s

hall

be u

nder

the

influ

ence

of a

ny in

toxi

catin

g liq

uor

or a

lcoho

lic b

ever

age

with

in th

e pa

rk, n

or h

ave

in h

is/he

r pos

sess

ion

cons

ume

(drin

k) a

ny in

toxi

catin

g liq

uor o

r alc

ohol

ic b

ever

age

with

inth

e pa

rk e

xcep

t in

certa

in e

nclo

sed

or d

esig

nate

d ar

eas.

(MM

)(O

RC 4

301.

62B3

)

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rse

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t Are

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to

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