Frohring Meadows is 298-acre park in Bainbridge Township that features a 100-acre prairie, and trails through the woodlands. It is Geauga Park District’s intent to protect this natural area in perpetuity.

In 1996, Paul Frohring, a pioneer in the development of nutritional and medical supplements, donated the land that surrounded his Bainbridge farmhouse to Geauga Park District. Much of the property was once farmland; soybeans, oats, corn, and wheat were harvested here. In 1999, Geauga Park District entered into a 50-year lease with Chagrin Falls for 122 acres adjacent to the Frohring property.

In the midst of the prairie is the Katydid Shelter, which provides a picnic area that will seat up to 50 people, with a nearby restroom and 40-car parking lot.

Katydid Shelter & Restroom

Trails through Frohring Meadows are designed for users of all abilities. Through the meadow is the fully-accessible Dragonfly Trail, which is a paved walkway to allow visitors to experience an upclose view of the wet prairie, and makes an ideal jogging trail. Bicycles are permitted on the Dragonfly Trail, too.

An area near the parking lot, designated by natural borders of tall grass and a sign, opened in the summer of 2011 as the Park District's inaugural dog park, where dogs and their owners can enjoy some time off leash.

Hikers and cross-country skiers can also enjoy an easy stroll through the woodlands on the Big Bluestem Trail.  Download the trail map here.

Frohring Meadows features a woodland dominated by red and sugar maples; beech, black cherry, tulip, red oak, ash, and hickory trees also grow there. Vernal pools host a variety of life including several species of amphibians, like the spotted salamander, which return each spring to lay their eggs.

A low-lying, wet sedge meadow habitat serves as an important feeding stop for migrating shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipers. Aquatic invertebrates living in the shallow water provide ample food for hungry migrants. The water-holding capacity of this area is beneficial to many species of dragonflies and damselflies as well. The Band-winged Dragonlet dragonfly, a new species to Geauga County typically native to Texas, was discovered here in 2007.

The abandoned farm fields have become an ideal setting for a special habitat creation project featuring a tall grass prairie, a habitat that might have been found in parts of Ohio when early settlers roamed the territory.

The prairie includes warm season grass species such as Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, and Switch Grass. There are a number of flowering plants associated with this habitat, such as Purple Coneflower, Blazing Star, New England Aster, and Mountain Mint. Over time, this habitat will yield a beautiful array of grasses and flowers for visitors to enjoy.

A beautiful prairie butterfly garden also features all 40 plant species found in the surrounding prairie – a great reference for what a stroll around the park may reveal.

Click below for a map, courtesy of Mapquest®.

From Cleveland and points east: Travel 77 S until Exit 156 at I-480 E. Keep left to take I-480N E via Exit 26. Keep right to take US-422 E. Take the OH-306 exit toward Bainbridge/Chagrin roads. Turn left onto Chillicothe/OH-306. Turn left onto Chagrin Road/CR-9. Turn right onto Savage Road and continue 0.8 miles. Park is on the left.

From Erie and points north: Take I-90 Wuntil Exit 200 at OH-44. Turn left at OH-44 toward Chardon. Turn right onto Girdled Road/CR-202. Turn left onto Auburn Road/CR-409, and follow Auburn Road. Turn right onto Kinsman Road/OH-87. Turn left onto Chillicothe Road/OH-306. Turn right onto East Washington Street/CR-606. Turn left onto Savage Road and continue 0.4 miles. Park is on the right.

From Warren and points west: Take I-422 W until Bainbridge/Chardon roads exit to OH-306. Turn right onto Chillicothe Road/OH-306. Turn left onto Chagrin Road/CR-9. Turn right onto Savage Road and continue 0.8 miles. Park is on the left.