I went to Pete’s Pond Park on a cool Wednesday around noon in very late October. I had avoided the park because of the short trail 1.15 miles…but I walked it and it takes just over two miles to walk. The park is at Wickliffe High School. There is a large sign for the park at the Northern entrance to the school. There are signs designating where to park. There is a porta-john at the trail head. The trail is gently rolling with a couple of steep spots…total altitude change is just under 150 feet. The trails are crushed gravel and well groomed. There is a little road noise and views of the school and houses, but the main attraction is the pond / wetlands. Much of the pond is covered in cattails, but there were some open spots. There is a viewing platform and the whole area around the pond is fairly birdy with lots of movement. I was surprised at how nice of a walk this was for being in an urban area. Must do if you are nearby and have some time.

I knew this local park was there but I never visited it until last week when my hiking group decided to make it part of our itinerary. One of our newest Lake County Metroparks, Pete's Pond is small but there's lots to see. From the trailhead, around the loop and back to the beginning is about 2.1 miles. We saw many deer, species of birds and friendly dogs and people. If you take the north drive into the Wickliffe High School parking lot, you'll find plenty of parking and restrooms at the trailhead. There are a couple hills but benches at the top to stop, catch your breath and listen to the sounds of nature.