CLEVELAND — Exploring area creeks can be a cool way to enjoy the outdoors while the temperatures are warm and it doesn’t cost a thing. 

What You Need To Know

  • Creeks can provide an affordable family activity

  • Kids can explore nature and keep cool during the summer

  • Lake Metroparks provide a creek walking guide at lakemetroparks.com

Tony Gazso said he's been wading in Kellogg Creek his whole life.

“When I was a kid, I’d come here with my dad a lot,” he said. 

He said he enjoyed it so much that he made it his job. He’s now an interpretive naturalist for Lake Metroparks and shares the native species with folks who visit the parks, like the Wetzel family. 

“This is a really great opportunity for them to be out in nature, for them to have fun and do stuff that they normally wouldn’t do and to get a little bit messy doing it,” said Katherine Wetzel, about her sons Andrew, 10, and Jem, 8. 

Wetzel said the boys enjoy splashing around the creek. 

“I think it really helps them grow as people and part of our job as parents is to expose them to things that are gonna help them be good adults,” she said. 

She said that includes how to interact with nature.

Gazso said a big lesson is to stay aware of your surroundings. 

“In the hot weather, you will come across a lot of animals that need to cool off and need water, so you want to make sure you’re observing them from a distance,” he said. “If you’re not bothering them, very few animals will attack yo, unless provoked.”

Gazso also suggested keeping a close eye on the weather before visiting a creek. Storms can flood the shallow waterways quickly, so it’s best to avoid areas where its hard to tell how deep the water actually is.