This 101-acre park was donated in memory of Walter C. Best, founder of the nearby Best Sand Corporation, who had a vested interest in waterfowl. Its 30-acre lake, a former settling pond for the quarry, is home to a rich diversity of plant and animal life. Three trails total 1.6 miles.
Three asphalt trails take you on a picturesque path around your park.
Goldenrod Trail – 0.23 – asphalt
Cattail Trail – 1.18 – asphalt
Waterfowl Trail – 0.04 – asphalt
More than 100 kinds of birds have been seen here, mingling with other pondside neighbors.
Mammals such as woodchucks, chipmunks and squirrels are readily seen, while deer, raccoon, Red Fox, mink and voles leave signs of their secretive presence. Muskrat and beaver are often seen in and around Best Lake.
More than 100 kinds of birds have been sighted here. While many are migratory visitors, the marshy meadows, thickets and wooded stream corridor harbor an outstanding variety of nesting songbirds. Nest boxes shelter bluebirds, tree swallows and wood ducks. The aerial courtship display of the male American Woodcock can be observed at dusk on early spring evenings.
In the water, aquatic plants provide a soggy “salad bar” for ducks and geese. Fish-eating birds such as grebes, mergansers, gulls, loons, terns and herons frequent. Keen observers may spot an osprey or bald eagle.
A patch of tall-grass prairie, using Ohio seed sources, offers an attractive nectar source for hummingbirds, many kinds of butterflies and other insects.
Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve has one reservable shelter.
Sunset Shelter can host up to 75 people and offers 9 picnic tables, electrical outlets, a grill, and nearby vault-style restrooms.
Guests must bring their own water for drinking and clean-up. Alcohol is only permitted in the shelter, not in the adjacent support facilities such as restrooms, activity areas, trails, parking lots or roads.
To protect the beauty of the parks, Geauga Park District encourages you to “Pack It In, Pack It Out.” Decorations are nice, but please no nails, glitter or confetti, and be sure to remove all traces of your decorations at the end of your visit.
Guests are responsible for their own shelter clean-up at the end of each reservation/event.
| Event | Location | Date | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toddler Time: Sensing the Summer (Ages 1-2 w/adult) | Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve | 06/11/2026 | 9:30 am - 10:30 am | Free |
| Toddler Time: Sensing the Summer (Ages 1-2 w/adult) | Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve | 06/11/2026 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Free |
| Timbertots: Fish Fun! (Ages 3-5 w/adult) | Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve | 06/13/2026 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am | Free |
| Timbertots: Fish Fun! (Ages 3-5 w/adult) | Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve | 06/13/2026 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Free |
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