International Park Has a New Name, and the Riverfront Now Crosses the MLK Bridge

Between The Docks restaurants and the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge, the east bank of the Maumee now has a hill on it. Metroparks Toledo built Opportunity Hill from the ground up so visitors can climb it and look out over the river. A boardwalk runs past its base from The Docks to the bridge. Metroparks' Scott Carpenter told WTOL the hill is a nod to the immigrants who came to Toledo and built the city. That fits the name of the land it sits on, which most of Toledo still calls International Park.

That name is gone from the official map, and its replacement is more complicated than a single new sign. Even so, the name change is the smaller story. The bigger one is a path across the MLK Bridge, which turns the east bank and downtown into one walk. This fall, while the water and skating seasons are paused, that path is the most useful thing on the riverfront.

One old name now covers three places

According to a 13abc report from June 3, 2026, Glass City Metropark now runs from the I-280 bridge all the way to The Docks. The part northeast of Cherry Street is called Downriver, and the part southwest of it is called Upriver. Metroparks' March 25, 2026 update says the newly opened section includes "a portion of the former International Park, now called Glass City Metropark - Upriver." It also says the rest of the old park is still in design. International Cove is the redesigned area inside that space. It's where the Starburst sculpture stands, and it's the name you'll see on event listings.

There's a second cove that can cause confusion. Kayak Cove, with its Adventure Boardwalk, is a separate feature of Glass City Metropark. It has a dock with an ADA-accessible roll-off launch, and that's where the kayak share runs. If a friend says "meet me at the cove," ask which one.

At International Cove, the Starburst sculpture is 15 feet tall. Blessing Hancock designed it, and it was dedicated on June 11, 2026, during Watershed Weekend. It shows 10 key words translated into 18 languages. The Cove also has hammocks, places to lock up a bike and a free bike repair station in case you get a flat. Morgan Sopko of Metroparks Toledo told 13abc that the redesign is "all about integrating safe ways to access the water and also for us to celebrate a clean, safe, natural area."

The bridge path is the bigger change

The east bank has had trails for a while. When Glass City Metropark opened, Metroparks said its three miles of trail connected to an existing trail at International Park by way of a bike and pedestrian bridge over Main Street. Artists painted a mural on that bridge's abutments that honors nature and East Toledo history. Those trails all stayed on the same side of the river.

The 2026 phase crosses it. A new trail runs from Upriver Glass City Metropark across the MLK Bridge and comes down into downtown on an offramp on the bridge's north side. Mike Keedy, Metroparks' chief engagement and enterprise officer, explained to 13abc why that crossing matters:

"This is the first time the Riverwalk goes outside of a Metropark. It's to connect parks, to connect attractions, to connect restaurants and all the things that make up an active Riverwalk."

The downtown side opened at the same time. The March update counted the riverfront from Cherry Street to Swan Creek as part of the new 50 percent. One new public space there is The Bend, located behind One SeaGate and steps from Promenade Park. The Blade has also reported six floating wetlands along the downtown edge. They're planted with native species to soften the shoreline, give fish a place to live and filter runoff.

Keedy said Metroparks designed the route so that "every couple hundred feet there's something to play or experience or interact with," which is meant to keep people moving from one space to the next.

The pieces of the route, from east to downtown

None of these pieces is new on its own. Together, they now make one continuous route:

• Glass City Metropark, home of The Ribbon, Market Hall and The Garden by Poco Piatti
• The Main Street bike and pedestrian bridge, with its East Toledo mural, which leads to the former International Park trail
• The boardwalk from The Docks past Opportunity Hill to the MLK Jr. Bridge, with International Cove's hammocks and bike repair station along the way
• The MLK Bridge path, which comes down into downtown on the north-side offramp
• The downtown riverfront from Cherry Street to Swan Creek, including The Bend near Promenade Park

For Saturday events at the Cove, 13abc noted that you can park right across the street or down by The Docks. If you're arriving by boat, Metroparks lists Glass City Marina at 1701 Front Street, with fuel and pump-out service.

Fall is the quiet stretch on the water

The route matters most this time of year because most of the riverfront's seasonal activities are on hold. The kayak share at Kayak Cove ran from late May through Labor Day. The Roller Trail on The Ribbon runs from early April through mid-October. It's free with your own skates. Rentals cost $5 for roller skates or blades and $8 for a scooter or balance bike. Metroparks hasn't posted a specific last day for roller skating this year, so check before you bring the skates.

International Cove's water access has been tied to events this fall. Metroparks scheduled its first Glass City Fall Festival there for Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. It included free canoeing, s'mores, a Witches Paddle from 1 to 3 p.m. that required online registration, and a community pumpkin patch with pumpkins for the first 200 kids. Paddleboarders could rent a board or bring their own, and Metroparks provided personal flotation devices to anyone who needed one. Trolley tours covered the restoration work and the next phases of Glass City Metropark. We found no regular paddleboard rental schedule at International Cove outside of events like this one.

Nov. 14 turns the east bank back on

Two things are scheduled on the riverfront for Saturday, Nov. 14. Nature Rx: Hiker Fest, Riverwalk Edition runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with guided Riverwalk hikes and a hiking fair. Opening Skate on The Ribbon starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 9:30 p.m. That makes the bridge route a good way to spend the morning before the ice opens.

The 2026–27 ice season runs from Nov. 14, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027. If the weather cooperates, it may be extended through March 14. Metroparks will announce extension dates one week at a time, and they can't be reserved in advance. Destination Toledo lists public skating daily except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, in 90-minute sessions with times that vary by day.

Here's how the prices compare:

If you need rental skates, the day pass costs less than two sessions. Day passes and admission discounts don't apply during special holiday hours.

Groups have a new option this season. The Garden Winter Patio is a heated, enclosed space next to The Ribbon that holds up to 50 people. Metroparks says it opens during the 2026–27 ice season and can be reserved daily during public skate sessions.

The rest of International Park is still to come

The current route covers half of the plan. Metroparks describes the Riverwalk as a 10-year project that will eventually run along both sides of the river from the Veterans Glass City Skyway to the Anthony Wayne Bridge. Glass City Metropark alone makes up about a quarter of it. The remaining half is in design. It includes the rest of the former International Park and a new Metropark in the Vistula neighborhood, running from Toledo Pickle Co. to Magnolia Street. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027.

Keedy said Metroparks aims to open the Vistula park by 2028, which would be Metroparks' 20th park and part of its 100th anniversary. Carpenter told WTOL that he hopes the full Riverwalk will be done in 2028 as well. The new park doesn't have a name yet, but it will likely include "Vistula." In 2025, 13abc reported a target of "by 2030 or sooner" for the whole project, so treat 2028 as a goal, not a firm deadline.

Until then, the bridge route is already open. You can start at The Docks, walk the boardwalk past Opportunity Hill, cross the MLK Bridge and keep going downtown to The Bend behind One SeaGate.

If you own a home in East Toledo, Vistula or near downtown and want to know how the Riverwalk's next phases could matter when you sell, Marcus Hammer can talk it through with you directly. Start with a free home valuation, and you'll get straight answers and a quick reply.