Bur Oak is the middle picnic area along the Bridgeway Trail, with plenty of parking for its many visitors. You can take the loop trail for a short walk along the river and re-growth meadow where butterflies and eastern bluebirds have recently been calling home. You don’t need to walk the Bridgeway Trail to enjoy yourselves here. The area includes two reservable picnic shelters and plenty of open space to throw a Frisbee.

The Black River Reservation is one of the most popular parks in the Lorain County Metro Park system. The most notable feature is the Bridgeway Trail and the Steel Mill Trail. They total 5.5 miles of paved all-purpose trail that follow the Black River through its meanderings from Elyria to Lorain, spanning four city jurisdictions altogether. The reservation also features three separate picnic areas: High Meadows, Bur Oak and Day’s Dam, each contributing its own special character to the variety and natural beauty of this impressive park.