MENTOR, Ohio — A new observation deck is going up at Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, promising visitors a bird's-eye view of Mentor Marsh.
The structure will stand approximately 101 feet tall with railings and will feature two platforms.
"The railing will bring it to about 101 ft, and it's going to have two platforms. One of them will be ADA accessible, and the second one, you will have to take the steps to get up to the top," Ante Logarusic with the City of Mentor said.
The observation deck is the city's latest investment in the popular nature area, which draws roughly 220,000 visitors each year. Visitors come to walk and bike the trails, kayak, canoe, fish, and take boats out onto the lake.
"Nature lovers, people who just come out here for a walk, they'll bike, they'll kayak, they'll canoe, go fishing, and even, you know, show up and take their boat out onto the lake," Logarusic said.
Christopher Anderson, a Lake County resident and regular visitor, said the preserve is a favorite destination.
"The lagoons are beautiful and the trails, so I like to walk the trails and also ride my bicycle on the trails," Anderson said.
Wayne and Connie Dustman, both born and raised in Northeast Ohio, live in neighboring Geauga County. We caught up with them on their first visit to the area, drawn by the opportunity to canoe through the marsh.
"You can go canoeing in the lagoons. I thought, wow, man, that sounds pretty cool," Wayne Dustman said.
