Penitentiary Glen Reservation (Cleveland Loop)
Nearly eight miles of hiking trails thread through this 400+ acre Lake County Metropark. A deep gorge bisects the property, and provides some of the most spectacular scenery in Lake County.
Key Species by Season
Spring
- Eastern Phoebe
- Black-Throated Green Warbler
- White-Eyed Vireo
Summer
- Sharp-Shinned Hawk
- American Goldfinch
- Eastern Bluebird
Fall
- Dark-Eyed Junco
- Yellow-Rumped Warbler
- Philadelphia Vireo
Winter
- Downy Woodpecker
- Black-Capped Chickadee
- Golden-Crowned Kinglet
At-a-Glance
15 - Penitentiary Glen Reservation
Lake Metroparks
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road
Kirtland, OH 44094
440.256.1404
Public Access
Open daily, sunrise to half an hour past sunset
Amenities
Hiking Trails, Equestrian Trails, Restrooms, Visitors Center, Picnic Area, Handicap Accessible Trails, Checklist Available, Sightings Board, Outdoor Feeders, Wildlife Observation Window, Binocular Rentals
Driving Directions
Take I-90 to State Route 306 south for about one mile. Turn left onto State Route 615. Turn right (east) onto Kirtland-Chardon Road and continue for two miles. Penitentiary Glen Reservation is located on the right (south) side of the road.
What to Look For
Nearly eight miles of hiking trails thread through this 400+ acre Lake County Metropark. A deep gorge bisects the property, and provides some of the most spectacular scenery in Lake County. Access to the gorge is by guided hike only; information on gorge hikes can be obtained at the nature center.
Penitentiary Glen features an excellent nature center, and a companion wildlife rehabilitation facility. Visitors should check in to obtain more information about the reservation, and get updates on birds in the area.
One hundred and twenty species of breeding birds have been found, including nice species of hawks and owls. Both species of cuckoos are possible, and some of the rarer regional nesters include Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, and Winter Wren. Breeding warblers include Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Yellow-breasted Chat. There is a record of a territorial Brewster's Warbler (hybrid between Blue-winged and Golden-winged warblers).
Local Resources
Lake County Visitors Bureau & Welcome Center
Lake Metroparks
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society
About the Cleveland Loop
The Cleveland region—Cuyahoga and Lake counties—is by far the most populous area along Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline. It also harbors the most birders, and as a consequence the bird life of the Cleveland vicinity is better known than probably anywhere else in Ohio. Birding is good at all seasons, and records of exciting rarities abound.
This loop is the most populous region on the trail, as the city of Cleveland and neighboring areas are the most developed locales on Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline. There are more sites on the Cleveland Area Loop – 28 – than any other loop. Every type of habitat found along the lake occurs on this loop, and some of the sites are among the most famous birding hotspots in the Midwest. The total species list for this loop is 356, and a remarkable 12 of those have only been recorded in this region.
What to Look For
The centerpiece of this loop is the city of Cleveland. The Greater Cleveland area is the largest metropolitan region in Ohio, with a population over two million. There are probably more active birders here than anywhere else in the state and as a consequence this loop's bird list is large and spectacular.
Many of the sites along this loop offer outstanding birding opportunities during spring migration, and a number of these same sites support a great diversity of breeding birds. Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve is a standout among migratory hotspots, and boasts one of the largest bird lists of any single site in Ohio.
The greatest sheer numbers of birds occur in fall migration. Lakeside spots such as Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve draw in scads of songbirds: warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and many others. As fall merges into winter, tremendous numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls and Red-breasted Mergansers build up, especially along the downtown Cleveland lakefront.
Even winter has its charms. Eighteen species of gulls have been found, which puts the Cleveland region near the forefront of North America's best gull-watching locales. Joining the gulls are a wide variety of hardy waterfowl, including scoters, Long-tailed Duck, and the occasional King Eider.
Noteworthy Rarities
At least nine species of birds have been found in the Cleveland region, but nowhere else in Ohio. Some of the mega-rarities include: Common Eider, Ivory Gull, Ross's Gull, Black Guillemot, Common Ground-Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Boreal Owl, Rock Wren, and Painted Redstart. Some of the sites on this loop are great places to look for rare species such as Purple Sandpiper and Red Phalarope.
Natural Features
Ohio's best remaining natural beach community is found at Headland's Dunes State Nature Preserve. Many rare plants occur there, such as Beach Pea (Lathyrus japonicus), American Beach Grass (Ammophila breviligulata), and Seaside Spurge (Chamaesyce polygonifolia). Fantastic concentrations of Monarch butterflies can gather at lakefront sites in fall migration. Cuyahoga Valley National Park and The Holden Arboretum, in particular, support a staggering array of botanical diversity across a broad range of habitats.
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland, OH 44094
