Know Before You Go: Fourth of July in Cleveland Metroparks

As families and friends make plans to spend the Fourth of July together, Cleveland Metroparks wants to make sure all guests celebrate their Independence Day safely.

Cleveland Metroparks offers a wide variety of summer water recreation opportunities to enjoy over the holiday, including swimming, boating and water rentals. Guests are encouraged to download the free Cleveland Metroparks Mobile App to plan ahead for their visit. 

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will be open on the July Fourth holiday and the Asian Lantern Festival will kick off on July 5. 

The Fourth of July is one of the busiest times of the year for Cleveland Metroparks, welcoming thousands of visitors across 18 park reservations, lakefront areas, and trails. Expect increased traffic and limited parking in popular areas, especially along the Lakefront. Guests are encouraged to follow posted signs, obey officers directing traffic, and park only in designated areas.

Cleveland Metroparks Police will be out in full force over the holiday weekend to ensure public safety. As a reminder, fireworks of any kind are strictly prohibited in all Cleveland Metroparks.

Waterfront Locations: 

For guests visiting beaches and swimming areas, it’s recommended that guests only swim in designated swim areas during lifeguarded hours. Guests can plan ahead by visiting  clevelandmetroparks.com/watersafety for safety tips, guarded locations and hours, and swimming conditions.

Kayaks are available to rent from Wallace Lake in Mill Stream Run Reservation. Guests are encouraged to reserve their rental online in advance at clevelandmetroparks.com/waterrentals.

Due to the expected high visitation at Edgewater Park, all guests are encouraged to arrive at Edgewater Park, Whiskey Island, Wendy Park and all other marinas and yacht clubs by early afternoon. Vehicular access to park entrances will close as the parking lots reach capacity. Larger vehicles such as RVs, buses, and box trucks will not be permitted to park at Edgewater. All vehicular access will close at 9:30 p.m. Pedestrian access via tunnels on W. 65th and W. 76th Streets to Edgewater Park and the Wendy Park Bridge will remain open. 

For boaters on the holiday, please be aware of all locations with public boat launch access. Cleveland Metroparks offers public boat launch access at the Emerald Necklace Marina in Rocky River Reservation, Gordon Park Boat Launch in Lakefront Reservation, Wildwood Park in Euclid Creek Reservation as well as the Edgewater Park Boat Launch in Lakefront Reservation.

Cleveland Metroparks has recently added five no wake buoys in front of Wendy Park to revitalize Wendy Park as a premier paddling area along the Lake Erie Water Trail.  We kindly ask all powerboaters and jet skis to honor the new no wake zone. Our commitment to boater safety, education and preservation of our natural resources was all built into this plan and supported by 9th District U.S. Coast Guard, ODNR and the boating and paddling community.

See Something, Say Something: 

Cleveland Metroparks Police will be present on foot, bikes, patrol cruisers and horseback to assist in parking and safety. In case of emergency, please notify Cleveland Metroparks Police Headquarters immediately by calling 440-333-4911 or calling 911. Non-life-threatening situations should be reported to Cleveland Metroparks Police at 440-331-5530.

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