Lake Chippewa

About Lake Chippewa

Chippewa Lake in northeastern Ohio is a small natural wonder created by a retreating glacier that has left a depression in Chippendale Creek. The shores of the lake and the surrounding wetlands were used by the indigenous people for centuries before the European settlers expanded into the newly opened western reserve. It became a destination for settlers to swim, fish and picnic, but needed more than just water for fishing, hunting, fishing and recreation.

Lake Chippewa is not large by inland lake standards, but the fame of this small lake grew and settlements were founded. The largest wetlands covered a large part of the area, with two small villages stretching along the east coast. Although there is a small village on the west bank of Chippendale Creek and a larger village at the north end, they are separated by the lake. There is no evidence that there were other settlements on the west or east coasts, only a few small ones on either side.

Because of a complicated history of ownership and deed restrictions, landowners on the East Coast had varying amounts of direct water access.

In 1890, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the entire lake was privately owned and that only landowners who could track their access rights in documents had access to the water. Chippewa Lake Village, formerly known as "Chippendale The Lake," was developed as a community where residents had access to water by buying an annual pass, giving them direct access from the lake to their homes on the lake's west bank. Public access to Chippy Lake is via West Bank Lake, which was purchased by Medina County Parks in 2007.

The beach in the village is roped off as a bathing area and lifeguards are in action, but there is a beach where fishermen can try their luck from the shore or from the shore.

As regards planning and activities to ensure access for residents, the two cities act as one community, but they are not to be described as "one community" when it comes to planning activities to ensure access to residents.

Villagers with direct access to the water can use larger boats, and public boats that start from the west bank are allowed to start for newcomers. The Chippewa Lake Festival, the summer performing arts festival of the Lake District, is held on the eastern shore of the lake in summer. Add your photos to our Flickr page with photos of Chippy Lake, Ohio, which you can download here.

A valid Ohio fishing license must be in place, and all regulations apply, as well as a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Fishing, boating, kayaking, rafting, canoeing and other leisure activities are also popular.

Since the county purchased the lake, a series of grants and fundraisers have enabled Medina County to restore tributaries affected by years of agricultural activity and neglect. A number of paths have been designed to allow nature lovers access to wetlands and adjacent forests. Buckeye Woods Park on Chippewa Lake is accessible from the west side of the city of Medina, south of Lake Erie. The park is maintained by Medina County and at the boat launch they maintain a reserve structure that includes a kitchen, a multipurpose room and office space.

The limestone quarry and asphalt paths are labeled by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Medina County Parks and Recreation.

Along the route there are parking spaces, rest rooms and picnic areas, and the area includes acres of restored wetlands ideal for bird watching. Schleman Nature Preserve is adjacent to Buckeye Woods Park and covers over one hectare of a restored wetland ideal for birdwatching.

Chippewa Lake theme park was founded in 1884 when Edward Andrews organized the Andrews Pleasure site. The park grew and in the 1920s there were live concerts and dancing, which were crowded almost every night of the week. With better access to the lake and more opportunities to enjoy nature, its popularity rose to levels that reached its heyday as a theme park.

Growth eventually subsided and the property was auctioned to a second owner who bravely tried to emerge from the depression with accumulated debt.

Chippewa Lake Park was closed in the late 1970s due to declining ticket sales and the park lay in ruins. The ghostly remains of the park's old wooden huts and picnic tables collapsed and peeped out from under the young trees.

In 2008, the property was sold and plans were made for a resort and spa called Chippewa Landing, but those plans appear to have been abandoned.

Most rides have been dismantled and many buildings burned, so it is unclear what will happen to the park in the future. There are only a few small buildings and the remains of a small parking lot, but not much else.

There are few vacation rentals in Chippewa Lake, except for a few private landlords, and there are occasional bed and breakfasts, but the entertainment is mostly of the laid-back nature of the Midwest. Medina has few hotels and guesthouses along the highway in the area.

A number of small historical and social museums keep artefacts and records of the early settlers, and antique shops are best placed in aging shops. The area is home to the remains of the early pioneers who moved in after the Revolutionary War, when the land was opened to settlement. Much of America can trace its ancestors back to those who immigrated from the plains of the Midwest.

In Medina, the Little Wiz Fire Museum delights visitors with a collection of family firefighting equipment. Hinckley is just an hour from Chippewa Lake, and those who make the trip every March 15 can visit the Northern Ohio Railroad Museum, which is nearby.

A trip from Akron, northeast Ohio, requires a stop at Chippewa Lake, so bring hiking boots and a bird book to identify the many birds. Enjoy the remaining rides on the remaining ride of the Northern Ohio Railroad Museum, where it stands as an aging guard of trees that grew around it in the late 19th century.

M are amazed how nature has reconquered the destroyed landscape and makes it a beautiful place for the next generation. Restore your faith in Mother Nature and your soul will be rejuvenated by the beauty of Lake Chippewa and its natural beauty and history.