Mill Creek MetroParks is a 4,500-acre greenway running through the heart of the Youngstown metropolitan area, following Mill Creek through a forested gorge. The park system was established in 1891 and is one of the oldest urban parks in Ohio. The Fellows Riverside Gardens, within the park, offers 12 acres of formal gardens including a rose garden that peaks in June and July.
The gorge trails are the best part. Paths descend into a surprisingly wild-feeling ravine with waterfalls, stone bridges, and old-growth trees — hard to believe you are inside a city limits. Ford Nature Center near Lake Newport offers wildlife programming, and the park has six lakes for fishing. In winter, cross-country skiing is permitted on some trails.