.jpg?sfvrsn=c74bb738_5&w=960&auto=compress%2cformat "New Walkway at Nelson Kennedy Ledges (Erin Finan)")
New Glass Walkway Opens at Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park
On May 23, 2025, this northeast Ohio park unveiled a 137-foot glass walkway that provides a new way to look at the area.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park, from its unique rock formations and lush plant life to powerful waterfalls and stunning natural features like the Devil’s Icebox and The Narrows. Now, visitors can enjoy a brand-new immersive feature in the 167-acre park.
On May 23, 2025, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources celebrated the unveiling of the Falls Edge Glass Walkway, located along the 0.4-mile White Trail. The glass walkway towers 50 feet above Sylvan Creek’s gorge, and visitors who walk its 137-foot length can get a clear view down to the water rushing below. At the end of the S-shaped walkway, visitors can peer over (or through) an overlook platform situated just in front of Minnehaha Falls.
“I think this is a great opportunity to have this impressive feature where we hope people will feel even more immersed in nature,” says ODNR director Mary Mertz. “As they’re walking over the glass, they can look directly below them and see the water flowing and the foliage and the incredible geology.”
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The walkway itself is made from galvanized steel, stainless steel cable railings, fiberglass grating and transparent glass panels that provide a one-of-a-kind view of this area of the park. In addition to the new walkway, ODNR has installed new informational plaques along the trails that provide deeper insight into the area’s history and geology.
The $1.68-million project began in late 2022 and represents one of the most unique structural additions to an Ohio state park. The walkway will hopefully encourage visitors to explore this incredible vantage point and minimize damages to the park’s more fragile features by encouraging hikers to stay on marked trails and use the walkway for a more close-up view.
Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park manager John Trevelline grew up in the area and has fond memories of visiting the park as a child. He expressed excitement for what the Falls Edge Glass Walkway will do for the area.
“When you get up on the trails, it’s like none other,” he says. “This is going to be a big draw to our region. This is going to be a big draw to the park. The experience will speak for itself. When you walk across the bridge, you feel it.”
For more information, visit ohiodnr.gov.
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