35 - Miller Road Park
City of Avon Lake
33570 Lake Road
Avon Lake, OH 44012
440.930.4130
Public Access
Open daily, dawn until dusk
Amenities
Hiking Trails, Restrooms, Picnic Area, Handicap
Accessible Trails
GPS Coordinates
N 41° 30'13.23"; W 82° 3'36.99"
Driving Directions
I-90 West to State Route 611. Turn right on State Route
611 and right on Miller Road. At U.S. Route 6 (Lake
Road) turn right, then turn left into the parking area at
Miller Park.
What to Look For
Because of warm water releases from the neighboring power plant, a sizeable section of Lake Erie adjacent to Miller Park does not freeze in winter. This open water area can be fabulous for gulls and waterfowl when the lake is otherwise iced over. Winter is definitely the season to bird Miller Park, although large numbers of migrant Red-breasted Mergansers, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and occasional scoters and other ducks can be seen passing by in late fall. When all else is covered with ice, the opening off Miller Park can teem with Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Canvasback, Greater Scaup and other hardy fowl. Thousands of gulls often congregate, mostly Herring and Ring-billed gulls, but rarer species are usually present as well.
Noteworthy Rarities
Miller Road often produces Glaucous, Iceland, Lesser Black-backed, and Thayer’s gulls, and sometimes multiples of each. Pomarine Jaegers have occurred on a number of occasions, and Snowy Owls sometimes turn up on the breakwalls. Purple Sandpipers are probably annual on the breakwalls behind the power plant. Northern Gannet has been recorded here several times, and one of Ohio’s few records of Barrow’s Goldeneye comes from this spot.