More Heart Than Most
How a former golf course became the first veterans park in Geauga County, Ohio
By Sandy Ward
Photos: Geauga Park District
At the center of Geauga County, Ohio, along the main artery Route 44, lies a new park with more heart than most. Veterans Legacy Woods quickly gained recognition as the county’s 27th park and its first dedicated to U.S. veterans.
A former-golf-course-turned-nature-sanctuary, this 180-acre property now honors the legacy of those who served in the armed forces and now provides a place for their families and the community to relax, reflect, and remember.
Situated at the border of Newbury and Burton townships, the view to the entrance to the park extends nearly three miles toward Burton, treetops fading into the distance: black and snowy white, shades of green, or warm reds, oranges, and yellows, depending on the season.
“But Veterans Legacy Woods is much more than a park with paths surrounded by beautiful landscape,” writes Michele Pemberton, director of the Geauga County Veterans Service Commission, herself an Army veteran. “It is a refuge for our veterans, a place where everyone can come to relax and connect with nature, or meet with a few veterans to talk about the good days. This park is a reminder that our service and dedication to this country and Geauga County will never be forgotten.”
A New Lease On Life
From mid-April through September 2022, the park welcomed visitors in 13,809 vehicles to check out the park’s new look and feel.
From spring 2021 to the dedication in June 2022, Phase I focused on the existing upper portion of the property’s former clubhouse area, parking lots, and maintenance building at a cost of $1,681,037.
An extreme slope from the parking lot down to the former Wicked Woods Golf Course required new ADA-accessible trails. Environmental concerns of stormwater runoff and non-native planting practices were also remediated.
Approximately 35,000 people live within a 15-minute drive, and many had walked the property in its former use, lauding its challenging but incredibly scenic hiking.
Visitors immediately note a variety of themed tributes, beginning with a Corridor of Flags honoring the nation’s flag, as well as the flags of each military branch. A central plaza includes a Service Branch Garden of stylized pillars, and a monolithic-style sandstone wall bears the park’s name — its backdrop that sprawling, miles-long view.
New amenities include a public pavilion that is not reservable, making it always available for up to 45 visitors; it features ADA-accessible restrooms, running water, a water fountain, and a water-refill station.
To encourage exploration, a new, paved, loop trail of 0.33 miles joins existing former cart paths to provide 4.68 miles of guided travel for hiking.
An innovative, multi-leveled, nature-based playground for ages 2 to 12 features military-inspired play pieces, like a ship and climbing elements reminiscent of “boot camp.” Picnic sets just below the pavilion nearby allow for more private seating.
A new parking lot and access drive can accommodate 75 cars, complete with rain gardens and other sustainable stormwater-management practices.
Wicked Woods’ former clubhouse, now called Tribute Lodge, also had vast improvements during Phase I. Its “overlook deck” was completely replaced, ADA-accessible entrances were created (with new handicap doors and the removal of an entry step), and a performance stage/terraced lawn area was landscaped to host various events.
Sandstone, sourced locally from Cleveland quarries, was used for walls, plaza pavers, and stone benches. A variety of new plantings are entirely native to Northeast Ohio.
The Next Phase
And improvements are far from complete.
Coldwater stream and forest restoration will soon be underway, thanks to a $1,166,575 grant from the Ohio EPA, with assistance from Chagrin River Watershed Partners. Phase II will focus on three substantial improvements: interior renovations of Tribute Lodge, a complete trail system consisting of aggregate and primitive surfaces for multiple uses, and a Memorial Tree Grove, where veterans can be recognized with patron-sponsored donations.
Lodge reservations reopened this spring.
From activity to reflection, guests have been pleased by what they have found in the veterans park.
Sandy Ward is the Marketing Coordinator for the Geauga Park District in Chardon, Ohio. Reach her at sward@geaugaparkdistrict.org.