1.5 hr
Overview
In 1914, voters in Ashland passed a bond measure to help develop a park and set of fountains that would establish the small town as a mineral springs resort. The mineral water, called lithia water just like the famed restorative liquid found at Saratoga Springs in New York State, was piped in from a spring four miles away. While the park lives on and, in 2014, was named one of America’s Great Public Spaces, the resort idea never caught on: The water itself was not particularly palatable, although you can sample it in a couple of locations still, and its high mineral content clogged the original pipes that were installed. Luckily, Ashland developed a second tourist resource in the world-renowned Shakespeare Festival, and many of the strollers you will encounter on this leafy walk up Ashland Creek will be theater goers from far and wide. Although this is a city park, native vegetation shades the creek above the playground area, and in the early mornings and evenings you have an excellent chance of spotting deer and wild turkeys.
Trail Stats
5.0 km
105 m
668 m
—
—
Photos
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.
Trail photo
No caption provided.