Rocky River Reservation and Nature Center551

The Nature Center at Rocky River Reservation is one of our favorite places! Inside, children can get up close to Dunkleosteous, the "terrible fish" (a prehistoric, nightmarish version of a shark) that was found embedded in 350-million-year-old shale cliffs rising from the Rocky River.

Terrible fish aside, inside the nature center there's something for kids of all ages, from live fish, reptiles, and amphibians to "Hideaway Hollow," an exhibit that highlights the critters, fungus, and other such things that live inside trees and decaying wood.

Young visitors can also explore what life was like when pioneers crossed Ohio's untamed frontier by dressing up in pioneer clothes and "playing house" with various pioneer implements.

Outdoors - if you can pull the kids away from the nature center's exhibits - you'll find more than five miles of hiking trails that lead to an ancient Indian mound, spectacular river views, bird watching areas, wildflowers, and plenty of picnic tables.

Save some energy to climb the more than 100 steps that lead from the back door of the nature center up to a balcony that affords breath-taking views of the Rocky River and the shale cliffs that rise from it.

Visitors should also take time to visit Frostville Museum, off of Cedar Point Road, which illustrates how 1800s settlers lived and worked in the Rocky River Valley.