Side Cut
1025 River Road (between Jerome and Wyne roads), Maumee
Side Cut, the first Metropark, is named for the former "side cut" extension of the Miami and Erie Canal that connected the main line of the canal with the city of Maumee. Three of the six original locks from the canal system are preserved.
In spring, Side Cut is a destination for fishermen from around the country as walleye swim upriver to cast their eggs over the protective cobblestone below the rapids. When the eggs hatch, the young fish are washed out into Lake Erie. The spawn, or "spring run," is the largest of its kind on the Great Lakes. Just as the walleye are moving out, white bass move in to spawn.
The flat rocks that extend into the river between Maumee and Waterville are known as the Maumee River Ledges. Ledges are a rare form of a little-known habitat called an alvar, found in only a handful of places on the Great Lakes.
Side Cut has a 15-passenger tram used for group programs and weekly nature tours in the summer. A Window new Wildlife overlooks a wooded ravine and historic locks.
