Mill Hollow, Vermilion River Reservation - Lorain County Metro Parks
A Valley Carved by the Vermilion River
The most striking feature of this reservation is the winding ribbon of shale cliffs carved by the Vermilion River. Millions of years old, these cliffs reveal layers of the past and drop bits of sandstone, shale and turtlerock along the riverbed.
The Vermilion River has no industry along its banks, making it especially rich in wildlife. Aquatic life includes freshwater clams and several species of darters (small fish that feed along the bottom of the river) that turn brilliant colors during the mating season. Some insect species include mayflies, cadis flies and water pennies (beetle larvae that lie flat against a rock surface and look like pennies.)
Fishermen will find rock bass, small mouth bass and steelhead trout in the river, and catfish, crappie and bass in the ponds.
Information sourced from Metropark Website
Steelhead fishing on the Vermilion River.wmv
Vermilion River
Kevin catching the last of the morning.
Vermilion River Drone Footage
Collage of flights over the Vermilion River in Ohio.
West River Paddle Sports Vermilion, Ohio
Voted #1 in paddleboard, kayak, and canoe rentals/sales in northern Ohio by Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards 2013. Guests are welcome to be captain of your own watercraft. ACA certified staff offers hourly, daily, and overnight rentals, lessons, and excursions. Enjoy the historic and beautiful scenery along Lake Erie and the Vermilion Water Trail. The fleet has been selected for stability and comfort, and introductory lessons are provided; with a good foundation of boat control and safety guidelines, you'll maximize your time sightseeing, spotting wildlife, and exploring the river beyond the bend. Large groups and corporate outings welcome.
a trip to mill hollow vermilion ohio
Benjamin Bacon Settles in Brownhelm
In 1817, Benjamin Bacon settled with his family along the top of the cliffs overlooking an oxbow in the Vermilion River that would eventually be called Mill Hollow. Soon afterwards, and at an early age, Benjamin was elected to the prestigious position of Justice of the Peace, and in 1824 was selected as one of the first commissioners for Lorain County. In 1835 he purchased an interest in a saw and grist mill that had been relocated to the oxbow in the river. A mill race was cut across the oxbow to increase the water power that turned the mill's large water wheel. The mills were very successful and by 1845 had provided Benjamin the means to build a nice house across the road. When he died in 1868 at the age of 78, the house and mills were sold to John Heymann, a German immigrant new to the area.
Frederick Buys His Father's House
Frederick and Abigail Bacon
Frederick Bacon was born in 1840, the youngest son of Benjamin and Anna, Benjamin's third wife. In 1860, he enlisted in the Union army and fought in the Civil War for four years, after which he returned home to his wife Abigail (formerly Abigail Wells) and started a family in Brownhelm.
In 1879, John Heymann sold the mills to Frederick Bacon. They'd been modernized with steam power after a fire destroyed them in October of 1876 which started after the close of business. Frederick now not only owned the mills, but also owned land in Geauga county and coal fields in Iowa. This diversity was very fortunate because with the advent of the railroad, fewer farmers needed to mill their grain locally and many local residents weren't even farmers, but rather worked at the sandstone quarries instead. By 1901, the mills were no longer profitable and had to be sold and dismantled.
The First Park in Lorain County Metro Parks
Frederick and Abigail had nine children, seven of whom never married. After Frederick's death in 1901, his children continued to farm the river valley. By the late 1920s, only Sarah and Charles remained, and the house was rented to several people for decades until Charles' death in 1957. Dorothy Bacon DeMuth, a distant cousin, inherited the property and donated it to the newly formed Lorain County Metro Parks. The Vermilion River Reservation became the first park in the Lorain County Metro Parks. The Bacon House was opened as a house museum in 1962 with the help of the Lorain County Historical Society. Today, the house is open Sundays, Memorial Day to Labor Day, and scheduled private tours throughout the year.
Kayaking on the Vermilion River #1
Mary and I kayaking on the Vermilion River in Ohio. We launched at Birmingham, Ohio and went to Mill Hollow State Park. We saw lots of vultures, birds, cranes and a few bald eagles. The water level was just above 2.5' and was is pretty low for our kayaks. It was very fun and the weather was great!
Vermilion River (Ohio) 2013-12-22
The flooding Vermilion River rushes on its winding way to Lake Erie. From Another Global Warming Day at The Paragraph (
Kayak Fishing the Vermilion River
Taking a two day kayaking trip down the Vermilion River in East Central Illinois, late March 2014. My first of what I hope to be many trips to this beautiful stream, covered about 30 miles in all; breathtaking scenery all throughout. For more information on the Vermilion River, visit:
Paddling Vermilion w Vito
Spring paddling in Northeast Ohio on the Vermilion River. Joined with our friends over at West River Kayak.
Shot with GoPro HD.
Kayaking on the Vermilion River #2
Mary and I kayaking on the Vermilion River in Ohio. We launched at Birmingham, Ohio and went to Mill Hollow State Park. We saw lots of vultures, birds, cranes and a few bald eagles. The water level was just above 2.5' and was is pretty low for our kayaks. It was very fun and the weather was great! This us passing the Deans Hollow bridge.
Kayaking the Vermilion River, March 2014
Taking my second trip down the Vermilion River, just upstream of Danville, Illinois. Kayaked about 10 miles in all, with a few of them spent in darkness. It was well worth it, even if just for the scenery.
Lake Vermilion Reel 1
This is an unedited video that was shot 35+ years ago on 3/4 in commercial tape. It was given to Bob and Gerlinde Ward, then owners of Everett Bay Lodge in Tower, MN by John Schoondyke, a regular customer and friend of theirs. The purpose of the tape, as it was told to me, was to use the video to make a TV commercial for the lodge. That never happened. 12 years ago Gerlinde sent me the 4 videos with a note saying that if someone was ever going to view them it would be me. She also said in her note that Bob was not doing well. He died sometime not long thereafter. Eventually I found a tape deck at an auction, rehabbed it myself and recorded the videos onto DVD. Hope you enjoy a bit of Tower, MN history. Alot of this stuff you see in the video does not exist any more or has changed alot. Where there was bare land there are now houses and even a casino on the reservation land across from the lodge. I will put up all 4 videos.
Kayaking on the Vermilion River #6
Mary and I kayaking on the Vermilion River in Ohio. We launched at Birmingham, Ohio and went to Mill Hollow State Park. We saw lots of vultures, birds, cranes and a few bald eagles. The water level was just above 2.5' and was is pretty low for our kayaks. It was very fun and the weather was great! I go under a waterfall and Mary gets stuck on some rocks...for awhile.
The Origins of Early Fort Ancient Villages in the Ohio Valley
Marcus Schulenburg - March 20th, 2017
UW-Milwaukee Ph.D candidate.
Some Short Days On Vermillion River
When I do not have a whole day to fish I sometimes walk a smaller portion of river to see what kind of pressure It is getting. Some spots are really getting hit hard this year. Footprints on every square foot of shore in some locations. Time for WI.
Driving through Wakeman, Ohio
Wakeman is a village in Huron County, Ohio, United States, along the Vermilion River. Its namesake was Jesup Wakeman, an early settler of Fairfield County, Connecticut, who was involved in western land speculation between 1800 and 1840.
The Valuable Vermillion River
The Vermillion River is in the Minneapolis St. Paul area. The river is home to a tophy-sized brown trout fishery--the only such river in a major metropolitan area.
See some of the big fish there, and see how students participating in a outdoor education program that is designed to connect kids with watersheds through hands-on learning, and learning those lessons on The Valuable Vermillion River.
Thisdocumentary was produced by Minnesota Trout Unlimited, with additional funding from the Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization (VRWJPO). The video is part of the watershed education program run by Minnesota Trout Unlimited, with the help of many local volunteers, and funding from the State of Minnesota's Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
It's a teaching tool created for a watershed education program run by Minnesota Trout Unlimited, with the help of many, many volunteers, and funding from the State of Minnesota's Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
The video includes a summary of the Trout in the Classroom program in 18 Minnesota schools, where kids are raising about 7000 trout from eggs in classroom aquariums. Students learn about fish biology and water chemistry, and how that is paralleled in nature.
You can learn more about the Minnesota Trout Unlimited's outdoor education and Trout in the Classroom program at this link:
2010-09-25 Indain Pow Wow
Native American Pow Wow at Vermilion River Reservation.