There’s always something to do at Pearson.

From birding to baseball to picnicking and fishing, there’s something for everyone at Pearson. This Metropark is one of the last remaining stands of the Great Black Swamp, a notorious forest that once blanketed much of northwest Ohio. Activities abound. And examples of work done by the depression-era programs are all around you.

A beautiful way to spend the day.
Purple cress, spring beauties, trillium, wild ginger and wild geranium bloom in spring. The thick woods and location close to Lake Erie make Pearson a favorite stopover for a wide variety of migrating birds. Buildings, shelters, bridges, ponds and a garden with a waterfall were built by workers enrolled in the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps.

Activities and attractions include baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts, fishing, a playground, ice skating and sledding and the Black Swamp Cabin.

About three miles of trails criscross this 624-acre park—trails that often provide remarkable access to the best birding anywhere. Millions of migrating birds cross Lake Erie each spring and fall, often massing on the shore when conditions for crossing are unfavorable. Forest birds nest here in the summer and the feeding station at the Nature Center attracts flocks of birds for the winter, making Pearson a year round birding destination.

Fishing at Pearson

The Ohio Division of Wildlife stocks the lake at Pearson with rainbow trout from the Castallia hatchery, providing a unique fishing opportunity to catch this cold water species in early spring. Fishermen also take catfish and other species. The lake’s stair-stepped shore makes it an accessible place to introduce children to fishing.