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6 - Hell Hollow Wilderness Area
Lake Metroparks
14435 Leroy Center Rd., Leroy Twp., OH 44077
440.358.7275
Public Access
Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Amenities
Hiking Trails, Restrooms, Picnic Area
GPS Coordinates
N 41° 41'13.55"; W 81° 7'46.40"
Driving Directions
Take I-90 to Vrooman Road. Go south for ½ mile to
Carter Road. Turn left onto Carter Road. Turn left onto
Paine Road. Proceed north on Paine Road to Blair
Road. Take Blair Road for about 1 mile, then turn right
onto Ford Road and right onto Trask Road. Continue
south on Trask to Brockway Road. Follow Brockway
Road one mile to Letoy Center Road and turn right.
The entrance to the park is on the right.
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What To Look For
This 783-acre site is one of northeast Ohio's premier natural areas. The odd name stems from the difficulty in accessing the steep-sided 100-foot deep gorge carved by Paine Creek. Lake Metroparks—the site's owner—has built a 262-step wooden staircase to the bottom of the chasm, for those wishing to really explore this site.
Hell Hollow is worth exploration—106 species of breeding or potentially breeding birds have been documented. All five vireo species that occur in the region breed here, as well as all eight flycatcher species. Both Alder and Willow flycatchers use the property—a good opportunity to hear the calls of these look-alikes in close proximity.
As with nearly all sites on the Lake Erie Birding Trail, spring and fall migrations can bring influxes of migratory songbirds, as well as raptors moving overhead. Winter finches such as crossbills may appear in irruption years. |
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Noteworthy Rarities
Many regionally rare nesters have been found, such as Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Saw-whet Owl, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The hemlock-dominated gorge slopes offer habitat for boreal breeders such as Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, and Dark-eyed Junco. Twenty-one species of warblers may breed, and especially noteworthy are Magnolia, Cerulean, Kentucky, and Canada warblers, and both waterthrush species.
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Natural Resources
Two rare dragonflies, the Uhler's sundragon (Helocordulia uhleri) and riffle snaketail (Ophiogomphus carolus) occur along Paine Creek. At least three state-listed rare plants can be found on the reservation: cow-wheat (Melampyrum lineare), hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium), and lance-leaved violet (Viola lanceolata).
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