Let’s Move Outside! on Millcreek’s Greenway Trail

It was a warm, sunny, Sunday morning, when Husband Jim and I, along with our Cairn Terrier rescues, Nutmeg and Nora, set off on our first hike in the Let’s Move Outside! program.

The day before, I had given Jim the task of deciding which trail we would tackle first, what I thought would be, at the most, a five-minute job.  You have to know Jim to know that I underestimated that one.

When I checked back in on Jim’s progress about an hour later, I saw him huddled over a piece of paper filled with his teeny, tiny handwriting. He had created a spreadsheet with columns for Trail, Location, Distance (miles & difficulty), and Completed. Below this data, he listed combinations of trails that could be accomplished on the same day, those that should be completed individually, and some that could go either way.

“But where are we going tomorrow?” I asked with exasperation. 

“Oh, easy,” he said, consulting his spreadsheet for a moment or so. “Millcreek.”

I had hiked the Greenway Trail one time before with our late black lab, Happy, and recalled that the trail is quite rigorous with rather steep inclines. It can be slippery when it’s damp out. At 2.2 miles long, you might as well plan twice the distance, because in order to return to your car, you must retrace your steps, so you actually get to see the scenery twice, once coming and once going. That’s not a problem, because it is a beautiful location, with mature forest, a pleasant foot bridge that spans Walnut Creek, and many fellow hikers to greet along the way.

We started our journey at Brown’s Farm, the end of the trail rather than the beginning, which is located at Asbury Woods. Both are part of the Millcreek School District and all three of my kids spent many field trips at both, reporting on Buttermilk Falls, the Lake Erie Watershed, and the assortment of critters that reside at the Asbury Woods Nature Center. They also attended day camp at Asbury Barn during the summers when they were small.

The Erie County Recreational Passport advises that the Greenway Trail is moderate to difficult. That assessment is certainly correct. Make sure to wear sturdy shoes and be sure there’s plenty of daylight left before setting out.

Fun Fact: If you’re a fan of the band Train, you’ll enjoy visiting the Monahan Deck, which overlooks Oxbow Lake, and was constructed to honor the late mother of Grammy winner, Pat Monahan, an Erie native. When we visited the site, the lake was dry, due to the drought this summer, but perhaps in wetter weather, it will be filled again. In any case, the Deck provides a nice view and you might be touched by the inspirational passages carved into the wooden railings.

Let’s Move Outside Overview

Corry—Corry’s Trail of Simple Pleasures

Erie—Perry 200 Commemoration Trail

Fairview Township—Pleasant Ridge Park Trail

Girard—Girard Trail

Harborcreek Township—Harborcreek Community Park Trail

Millcreek Township—The Greenway Trail

North East—North East Heritage Path

Union City—Union City Area School District Trail

Washington Township—Veterans Memorial Park/Wainer Park Trail

Waterford—Fort LeBoeuf Trail

Epilogue