Magazine: Toledo Among Best Places for Outdoor Lovers
The Toledo area is one of the best places to live in the nation if you love the outdoors, according to US News and World Report.
Glass City residents’ access to more than 12,000 acres of Metroparks in Lucas County contributed to the region’s No. 2 ranking behind Frezno, CA, and ahead of Indianapolis, El Paso and Madison. Nashville, Baton Rouge, San Diego, Greensboro and Cincinnati round out the top 10.
The magazine looked at the number of parks available in each of the 100 most populous metro areas.
“Toledo, Ohio, also proves to be a good place to live for those who want easy access to the outdoors,” the article states. “The metro area's expansive Metroparks of the Toledo Area system, which includes 15 area parks (and is affiliated with the Toledo Botanical Garden), offers residents the opportunity to camp, fish, hike and bike. In the winter, the park welcomes cross-country skiers and snowshoers.”
Steve Madewell, executive director of Metroparks of the Toledo Area, said the park system is working toward a goal of having a Metropark within five minutes of every resident of Lucas County. Three new Metroparks opened in 2015, and the first in downtown Toledo, Middlegrounds, will open September 17.
“We’ve been saying all along that Toledo has a remarkable set of natural resources,” Madewell said. “It’s these attributes that make this such a great place to live.”