Parks and Recreation - Opportunities abound for great activities

For a small community, with a population just a little over 4,000, there are endless outdoor and recreational activities in Chagrin Falls. Much of the area is green space, and much of that is being actively preserved. Virtually every residential lot is graced by mature trees, and gardens and woodlands thrive. The village sits prettily in the midst of all this, and residents are able to make the most of outdoor opportunities.

Some of the key elements that play a role in preserving and promoting outdoor and recreational activities include the following:

Chagrin Valley Watershed
At least three private organizations, as well as the Cleveland Metroparks, schools, and countless landowners and other private citizens, work tirelessly to preserve the Chagrin River Valley Watershed. In the Chagrin River's race to Lake Erie, it runs past more than 40 communities, draining over 250 square miles of land. The Village of Chagrin Falls helps out the Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc., Chagrin Falls High School works with scientists who run the Chagrin Watershed Institute, and the Chagrin River Land Conservancy actively works to preserve the quality of the land in the Chagrin River Valley and its tributaries.

Other Village Parks
The village runs several smaller parks around town. One of the best known is Riverside Park, where you can sit by the falls and watch (and listen to) the river cascade by. The gazebo is located in the middle of town in Triangle Park. Smaller Bell Park is up the road. In the north end of town sits the open land of Franklin Park, with a few picnic tables scattered about. River Run Park holds a baseball field, a walking trail, exercise stations, and a fenced-in dog park within its 10 or so acres. There are also two ball fields on E. Washington Street.

Recreation Center
Most communities with recreation centers like to talk about how new their facilities are. But in Chagrin Falls, even the Recreation Center can trace itself back to the 1800s. The Recreation Center, Chagrin Falls High School, and Lewis Sands Elementary School stand on property that was once used by Cuyahoga County as the eastern fairgrounds through the late 1800s and early 1900s. The land was mostly used for county fairs and horse racing. It was leased to the local schools in the early 1930s on the condition that it be used for recreational purposes. A pool was built in 1937, which is still the foundation of the swimming facilities in use today. At the time, the pool attracted swimmers from throughout the area. Over the next decades, the facilities were expanded and improved, run by a group of citizens rather than the village or the schools. A couple of swimming pools were added through the years, and a recreation center was built in 1957. Undergoing several major facelifts and other improvements, the same building and pool facilities still serve 2,000 members. The facility now has three pools, five lighted tennis courts, locker rooms, the main room, and a concession area. For the last 35 years, the Recreation Center has hosted the Chagrin Valley Invitational swimming competition, an event that attracts upwards of 1,000 swimmers from local swim clubs every summer. This year, the Invitational will be held on Saturday, July 17th, and will run all day and well into the evening.

In a short season and in a small community, the Recreation Center is extremely active. Its extensive programming includes Red Cross lifeguard training and CPR training.