Gorman Nature Center

Visited Gorman Nature Center the morning of 9-2-25. Nice vistor center, with animals and indoor restrooms. Very welcoming and informational. Nice paths that takes you off the beaten path despite being so close to development, it's a great little escape into nature. We saw many critters and enjoyed our quiet adventure. Paths were somewhat hard to navigate. I wasn't to worried as where you're at, it's unlikely you'll get stranded or truly lost, and it was enjoyable sorting it out but the signage or paint can be easy to miss, or crossroads confusing. We started on the red trial, ended up on the green trail, and finished on the blue trail. 😆🤷... one trail with a covered bridge was seemingly closed off. We will most definitely visit and explore more.

My mom and I attended the pollinators event last weekend. It was a beautiful day to visit the outdoor tents with plants for sale, freebies from ODNR, the Richland County Public Library, a butterfly habitat. You could enter the habitat and see the many different butterflies up close and even feed them! We also attended a presentation on creating a prairie in your yard to attract pollinators! It was a very informative event and I am so glad we went!

A treasure of a park right on the outskirts of Mansfield. The trails are well maintained and we saw and observed many plants, animals and bird species while we were there. Trails are easy and some mild inclines but nothing too strenuous. A couple of portions of the purple loop trail were closed today.

It was a winter wonderland when we visited. A bit mucky from the snow, but we wore boots and got through it. Footpaths are easy to follow. Lots of places where they fork back together. Little signs with coloured arrows at some crossroads and marked trees all along the trails. Some paths have roots, rocks, stairs, or bridges but you can also choose to stay in the areas that are more groomed.

So gorgeous here! I took an hour and just looked for frogs in the pond.

We were looking for the perfect place to relax and watch the total solar eclipse. I found it on Google Maps and thought "This is the one!" It did not disappoint. The nature center was closed but we expected that. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery. There is a pond you can walk all the way around. They also have a walk way that goes out into the water. The walkway could use some repairs but we felt safe walking on it. I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the turtles that populated the pond.

Out exploring Ohio on a road trip and stumbled across this gem. There is decent amount of parking here. Checked out the nature center for a few minutes. Some gentleman was helpful and informative in explaining the place. There are 5 miles of total trails located within the park. Needed to use the restroom, wasn't allowed to use the inside facilities, had to use the outside which was kinda weird because the sidewalk didn't even go all the way around to the men's room.

Love coming here. Brought my nephew, and he had a blast. Taught him about the things he was seeing on the trails and helped another generation to love and respect nature.

What a Mansfield gem! We were visiting from out of town and needed a place to stretch our legs and explore nature, and came across Gorman Nature Center. It's a beautiful park and a great place to go for an easy hike. We visited on a day that the nature center was closed, so we only explored the outdoor areas during our visit. But even without visiting the nature center, we had a great time. The hiking trails are easy and wide, and perfect for strollers. The trails are also mostly lined with grass, so it was easy on my kids' little legs and feet. There are lots of native flowers and plants all over the park, plus bridges, forests, prairies, streams, ponds and other things that make the hike interesting. Gorman Nature Center encompasses 150 acres, and there are five miles of trails to walk. We only walked a total of a little less than a mile (my kids were pooping out), but the mile we walked was beautiful and peaceful. I would have loved to explore more of the park, so I'm hoping we get a chance to come back!

Went here later at night as part of Mohican Wildlife Weekend. The presentation talked about native Ohio animals with the chance to see a grey tree frog and a snake (I think garter). We were also allowed to hold the snake if we wanted. They did a little game where they played an animal sound then we guessed what kind of animal it was. I didn't know deer can bark. Afterwards, we went on a guided night hike to the ponds on the property. We were able to see a lot of local frogs and toads. My main complaint is that everyone, from the guides to little kids, repeatedly picked up the frogs and toads. It's dangerous to do that since frogs and toads have very sensitive, absorbent skin so common chemicals like soap or hand sanitizer is very dangerous to the animals. A frog trying to escape can often dislocate their leg from kicking. One toad started secreting a white toxin from stress. The inside of the center had a lot of taxidermy animals. The main interesting thing about the center itself is that much about it was built to be ecofriendly. They use geothermal heating, have wood from local trees that is the tiny or "imperfect" pieces that often go to waste otherwise, composting toilets, and more. I was there at night so I can't comment much on the property.

This is a nice, outdoor, nature area, very close to town. There are multiple trails, all approximately 1 mile each, but since they criss-cross, you can easily walk 5 miles if desired. We did not walk all the trails, but the blue trail is closed and in terrible shape. We somehow crossed over into the blue and all the bridges and stairs look to have been swept away by a flood. We were able to stay on the blue trail, but it required some creativity in navigating. The parking lot is quiet and spacious and had a park office (closed when we visited), a picnic shelter, and bathrooms.

Great outdoor place! Awesome trails ranging in difficulty! I couldn't find a place to plug in my microwave.....

Nature, free, clean, well maintained, and decent restrooms - what's not to like? This place has nice shady trails and spots for grilling that are quiet and relaxed. I don't think many people frequent, so it is nice and not busy. The trails are for the most part, well maintained (mowed and being updated), although I have taken one trail that was a muddy big, so be warned. There is a large pond and marsh area loaded with croaking frogs - very cool. The trails are marked although a map is certainly recommended so you don't cross trails and get off down another path. There is a large nature center with volunteers. They were featuring reptiles when I went. They had snaked out for hands-on experiences if you so choose. They have some owls, kestrels, frogs, turtles, and snakes inside to check out. It was a nice experience. Overall, a great little gem that costs zero money that would be great for the whole family.