Hemlock trees and moss covered sandstone formations wrap around the oldest lake in Mill Creek Park. This hike will guide you past multiple historic structures from the early 1800s.
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Trailhead Location: (41.072944, -80.688548) – Suspension Bridge Parking Lot
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Distance & Type: 2.4 miles (3.9 km) Loop
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Elevation change: +/- 70 feet
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Difficulty: Easy hike on dirt trails, wooden walkways and a portion of this hike follows the road for less than 1/4 mile.
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Dog Friendly: Yes
Hike features:
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Pioneer Pavilion (Built 1821)
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Mill Creek Furnace (Built during the 1820s, excavated in 2003)
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Large Sandstone formations
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Mill Creek Suspension Bridge
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Cohasset Dam
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Lake Cohasset
Note: Trail conditions change over time. If you discover any inaccuracies with this post during your visit, please post a comment below to let me know.
The Lake Cohasset hike is comprised of two hiking trails totaling 2.5 miles from start to finish. Built in the late 1800s, Lake Cohasset is the smaller and narrower of the three lakes Mill Creek Park has to offer. Trail conditions can be rough in areas where exposed tree roots cover the trail, and other areas involve crossing over slick, moss covered sandstone rocks. The only gear I recommend for this hike would be shoes with a good amount of traction and some water. The trails area identified with signs at the trailhead and easy to follow.
Start your hike at the East Cohasset Trailhead located at the Suspension Bridge parking lot. The East Cohasset Trail follows the Mill Creek and Lake Cohasset past the Cohasset dam, ending at the bridge near Pioneer Pavilion. Cross the bridge and walk towards Pioneer Pavilion, a two story sandstone structure known for being one of the oldest buildings in Youngstown, Ohio, built in 1821. The remains of the Mill Creek Furnace can be found by the hillside between Pioneer Pavilion and the parking lot.
Continue your hike by crossing the field in front of the pavilion and then crossing the road. The West Cohasset trail is broken into three short sections. The first half mile of the trail will lead you to West Cohasset Drive, a two lane park road. Proceed downhill by following the gravel shoulder next to the road for a few hundred yards until you see a trail sign on the opposite side of the road. Once on this section of trail, stick to all trail forks by following the trail to the left until the trail ends back on West Cohasset Drive.
The final section of trail can be found by crossing the road towards the stone bridge. After crossing the bridge, you will find two different trailheads. The trail to the left that leads uphill is the section of trail you will want to follow. This trail will cut through sandstone rock formations and a few low ceiling caves I once heard referred to as “the witches cave”. The trail will end when you descend a set of sandstone stairs that lead to the Suspension Bridge and eventually the parking lot where you started the hike.
My Thoughts on this hike
I found my time on this hike to be relaxing and enjoyable. I didn’t find the trail conditions to be terrible, although it got sketchy at one point when I had to cross over a bunch of smooth surface sandstone rocks shortly after it had rained. A great blue heron was perched on the top of Cohasset dam, unfortunately I didn’t pack any of my telephoto lenses for this hike. Pioneer Pavilion is a beautiful, well maintained building, but the Mill Creek Park furnace wasn’t much to look at. I’m also not a fan for how Mill Creek MetroParks built the three sections of The West Cohasset trail or how they have it marked. That annoyance is quickly forgotten once you reach the beautiful Mill Creek Park Suspension Bridge.
Walkthrough:
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(41.072944, -80.688548) – Park in the Suspension Bridge parking lot and start your hike on the East Cohasset trail next to the parking lot.
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(41.07499, -80.68727) – The trail will fork about 1/3 of a mile in. This hike involves following the trail to the left, but if you want to include the additional 0.5 mile Amphitheater trail in your hike, you can follow the trail to the right to hike the 0.5 mile loop.
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(41.08296, -80.67953) – I found a nice photo opportunity of Cohasset dam/falls with tree branches framing the shot.
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(41.08345, -80.68027) – Cross the bridge and head towards Pioneer Pavilion. The Mill Creek Furnace can be found between the pavilion and the parking lot.
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(41.08251, -80.68034) – Walk across the field in front of the pavilion and cross the street to find the West Cohasset trailhead.
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(41.08040, -80.68598) – Trail temporarily ends. Follow the road downhill for around 200 feet to where the trail picks back up on the opposite side of the street.
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(41.07624, -80.68897) – The trail will end a second time at a road. Cross the street towards the bridge. Once you cross over the bridge you will see two different trails. Take the second trail that leads up hill to the left. This trail will lead you to the suspension bridge.
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(41.07370, -80.68933) – Cross the Mill Creek Park Suspension Bridge and head back to your car.