Greetings, my fellow Local Guides 
Today’s post will highlight a beautiful Fall visit to Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio and it’s beautiful Fall foliage. Fun fact: Mill Creek was Ohio’s first park district! Established in 1891 and spanning almost 3,000 acres, it is home to many year round activities and hosts over 45 miles of trails.
We only had an afternoon to spend, so we only visited a few of our favorite spots. The leaves were ablaze with color and after the morning clouds had tapered off, the sunshine was filtering through the trees, creating a dappled pattern of sun and shade.
Our first stop was at Lanterman’s Mill, a historic water-powered gristmill that was built in the 1840s and restored in the early 1980s. They offer guided tours of the mill, where you can learn about the process of grinding wheat into flour. There is also access to the mill’s water wheel, which is still used to power the mill’s machinery today.
After visiting Lanterman’s Mill, we hiked along the E. Gorge Trail. This trail winds along the banks of Mill Creek and offers stunning views of the gorge. We took our time hiking the trail, stopping to admire the colorful leaves and listen as they were rustling in the wind, while the water was rushing over the cascades and river stones. It was a joy for the senses.
After traversing the gorge, we made our way to the Suspension Bridge. This bridge was built in 1895 and spans Mill Creek, connecting the east and west sides of the park. It has served as a fairy tale backdrop for many memorable photos. The area adjacent to the bridge - The Flats - offers a quaint setting for a very picturesque picnic.
There are a couple trails you can connect with here, but we crossed the bridge and then hiked the Cohassett Trail to the Cascade Gorge Natural Pools. These pools are formed by waterfalls and are a popular spot for swimming in the summer. It was too cold to swim on the day of our visit, so we contented ourselves by wading our feet in the cool, running water and admiring the pools from the shore. One really exciting highlight was discovering a very large crayfish as it was crawling around in the leaves which had fallen in the creek!
Caption: A surprisingly large crayfish out doing some exploring of it’s own. 
We had a wonderful afternoon hiking around the park and enjoying the fall scenery. We saw a variety of birds and wildlife, including woodpeckers, chipmunks, a handful of deer, and quite a few Canadian geese flying overhead.
Caption: How many deer can you spot in this photo? 
We also came across a number of other hikers and families who were enjoying the park’s many amenities, including the guy that was riding this vintage Whizzer 
At the end of the day, we were pretty tired but very content. We had a wonderful time exploring Mill Creek Park and enjoying a few of our favorite spots. It is a place of peace and tranquility, where one can enjoy the beauty of nature and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Should you ever find yourself in the area, I would definitely recommend visiting. The park is beautiful in every season, but is especially during the fall while the leaves are changing color.
You’d be amazed how many different photos I’ve taken of my feet in a stream 
I must say - 
this is my maple 
The wildlife encounters and picturesque moments, like the vintage Whizzer rider, added to the charm of your adventure.
I always share with the hope of bringing people to a place that they normally wouldn’t gon and trying to capture what I’m seeing and feeling in the moment. It would seem it has worked for you in this post.
