Lake Metroparks took out the suspension bridge over Big Creek at Girdled Road Reservation. The agency says the bridge "deteriorated beyond repair and has been removed for safety reasons," and a new one "will be installed in spring 2027." The bridge stood at the Three-Way Trail Junction in the middle of the reservation. Losing that one crossing changes how Concord Township's biggest park works this fall. Until spring, the entrance you park at decides the walk you get.
The park covers 942 acres, and Audubon Ohio has named it an Important Bird Area. It has three separate addresses: the north entrance on Girdled Road, the south entrance on Radcliffe Road, and Skok Meadow on Concord Hambden Road. When the bridge was up, those three lots fed one connected trail system. Now each one works best as its own outing.
What Came Down, and When We Know It Happened
Lake Metroparks hasn't published the exact day the bridge was removed. The earliest public record we found is a Buckeye Trail Association alert posted August 25, 2026 and updated August 31. It reports that Lake Metroparks "announced the removal of the suspension bridge over Big Creek" and says the plan is "for a new bridge to be installed next year." The Cleveland Hiking Club passed the notice along to its members on September 11. As of early October, the Lake Metroparks park page still lists spring 2027 for the replacement and has no other details on design or cost.
The hiking club's own schedule shows how much one crossing matters. Twice in September it moved a planned Skok Meadows hike to a different entrance because the bridge was down. The September 24 hike moved to the Radcliffe entrance, and the September 27 hike moved to the North Entrance. An organized group with a meeting point had to re-pick its trailhead. A family heading out on a Saturday morning will probably need to do the same.
Matching the Walk to the Lot
What you'll find at each entrance, based on Lake Metroparks listings and the park's trail inventory:
| Entrance | Address | Trails that start here | What's on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | 12840 Girdled Rd. | Surveyors Woods loop, 1.22 mi, easy; Chickadee Trail, 0.68 mi, difficult; Valley View Overlook Trail | Buckeye Trail trailhead |
| South | 12926 Radcliffe Rd. | Oak Leaf Loop Trail, listed by Lake Metroparks at 4.09 mi, difficult | Picnic shelter, playground, pit restrooms, pond fishing |
| Skok Meadow | 12415 Concord Hambden Rd. | Skok Meadow Loop, 1.09 mi, easy | Flush restrooms, observation deck, fishing |
Skok Meadow is the shortest, most self-contained walk. Lake Metroparks describes the loop as a 1.09-mile walk to a scenic overlook, with a 30-acre native-wildflower meadow and the Big Creek valley behind it. The agency directs visitors to enter from SR 608 for this loop. One hiker's review on AllTrails describes the bridge as the link between the one-mile loop and the rest of the trails. Without the bridge, the loop stands on its own. It also has the only flush restrooms on the list.
The north entrance is the place for a short woods walk. Surveyors Woods is a 1.22-mile easy loop reached from the Girdled Road lot. The road itself has a story. The park history says Girdled Road was the first route early settlers built from the Pennsylvania line toward Cleveland in the early 1800s. They "girdled" the trees along the path, cutting through the bark so the trees died and could be cleared.
The south entrance on Radcliffe Road has the most to do with kids along, thanks to the playground, the pond and the shelter. It's also the trailhead for Oak Leaf Loop, a hike, bike and horse trail. Sources disagree on Oak Leaf's length. Lake Metroparks lists it at 4.09 miles and difficult, while a popular trail app lists it at 3.7 miles and moderate. More important this season, we couldn't confirm from published sources whether the full Oak Leaf circuit still connects without the bridge. Treat it as an out-and-back for now, and check the trail map at the kiosk before planning a long loop.
The One Bridgeless Route Across the Middle
The Buckeye Trail, Ohio's statewide trail marked with light blue blazes, runs right through the reservation. It enters at the Girdled Road parking lot and exits onto Route 608 at the Big Creek bridge. The Buckeye Trail Association's detour is the clearest published description of how to get from one side of the park to the other without the bridge.
The association now recommends hiking this section counterclockwise only. "There is no detour for CW hikers," the alert says. Clockwise hikers have to drive or shuttle between the Girdled Road north entrance and the Skok Meadow parking area. The counterclockwise detour goes like this:
- From the north end of Winchell Road, cross Concord-Hambden Road, which is SR 608, and walk 0.3 mile downhill on a very narrow berm, facing traffic.
- Turn left into the Girdled Road Reservation campsite parking area.
- Follow the Big Creek Valley Trail along the edge of Big Creek.
- At the junction with the Oak Leaf Trail, keep heading north to the spot where the bridge used to be.
- Continue on the Buckeye Trail to the north entrance on Girdled Road.
That route matters to anyone who isn't thru-hiking too. It describes a bridgeless path from the campsite parking area on Concord-Hambden Road up to the Girdled Road lot. Big Creek Valley Trail, the start of that route, is listed at 0.43 mile, easy, natural surface.
The road stretch at the start comes with a warning. "SR 608 is a busy road with narrow berms. Wear reflective gear and avoid hiking during the morning and evening rush hours," the association writes. It also offers a second option that skips the downhill walk: head to the Skok Meadow overflow lot instead, then drive or shuttle to the north entrance. If you have a two-car household, that makes for an easy point-to-point Saturday. Park one car at each end and skip the berm entirely.
The backcountry campsite sits along the Buckeye Trail and Big Creek. Its reserved parking is on Concord-Hambden Road about a third of a mile away, and there are no restrooms at the site.
Programs Still on the Fall Calendar
Lake Metroparks still has programs scheduled at Girdled Road this fall, and each listing names a specific entrance. As of October 11, the program listings for the park show:
- Wednesday Wanderings, October 21, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., north entrance. Ages 18 and older, free, spots available.
- Trail Cart Discovery Tours, October 22, sessions at 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., south entrance. All ages, with anyone under 18 accompanied by an adult. $5, waitlist only.
- Creatures of the Night: Beavers, November 13, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., south entrance. Ages 6 and older, free, waitlist only.
- Family Nature Night: Tracks & Trails, November 28, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., south entrance. Ages 6 and older, $5, spots available.
Three of the four meet at Radcliffe Road. With the middle crossing closed, the entrance printed on the listing is the one you need. Showing up at Girdled Road for a south-entrance program would mean driving back around.
The same stretch of October is busy around the township too. Concord Township's Fall Festival is October 17 at 10 a.m. at Fire Station 1, 11599 Concord Hambden Road. That's the same road as the Skok Meadow lot. The township's Drive-In Movie follows that evening at 6 p.m. at Lamuth Middle School, 6700 Auburn Road. Trick-or-treating is October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. The reservation is open 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., so a morning Skok Meadow loop and the festival fit easily into the same Saturday.
Lake Metroparks says to check back for updates on the bridge, and the park page is where a firmer spring 2027 date would show up first.
If you have questions about Concord Township, from which Girdled Road lot to use this fall to anything bigger, Beth Kitchen is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
