Side Cut, the first Metropark, is named for the former "side cut" extension of the Miami and Erie Canal that connected the main line of the canal with the city of Maumee. Three of the six original locks from the canal system are preserved. In early spring, Side Cut is a destination for fishermen from around the country as walleye swim upriver to spawn. The "spring run" is the largest of its kind on the Great Lakes. The flat rocks that extend into the river between Maumee and Waterville are known as the Maumee River Ledges, a rare form of a little-known habitat called an alvar, found in only a handful of places on the Great Lakes.

1025 W. River Road (between Jerome Road and Wayne Street), Maumee.

Open 7 a.m. until dark every day.

More information: http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/index.asp?page_id=515