Within 25 Miles

• Mill Creek Park- 0 miles Youngstown OH
• Yellow Creek Park- 5 miles Struthers OH
• Mill Creek Bikeway- 5 miles Canfield OH
• Lake Milton State Park-13 miles Lake Milton, OH
• Berlin Lake- 14 miles Deerfield, OH
• Mosquito Creek Lake- 14 miles Cortland, OH
• Shenango River Lake-14 miles Sharpsville, PA
• West Branch State Park 18 miles Ravenna, OH
• Eagle Creek Nature Preserve 21 miles Garrettsville, OH
• Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park 22 miles Garrettsville, OH
• McConnells Mill State Park 22 miles Portersville, PA
• Guilford Lake State Park 23 miles Hanoverton, OH
• Moraine State Park 23 miles Portersville, PA
• Beaver Creek State Forest 24 miles Lisbon, OH

Within 50 Miles

• Beaver Creek State Park 26 miles Rogers, OH
• Quail Hollow State Park 27 miles Hartville, OH
• Maurice K. Goddard State Park 30 miles Hadley, PA
• Tinkers Creek State Park 31 miles Streetsboro, OH
• Tinkers Creek Nature Preserve 31 miles Streetsboro, OH
• Punderson State Park 33 miles Newbury, OH
• Little Beaver Creek Trail 35 Miles Lisbon, OH
• Pymatuning State Park-OH 36 miles Andover, OH
• Portage Lakes State Park 37 miles Akron, OH
• Brady’s Run County Park 37 miles Beaver Falls, PA
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park 37 miles Peninsula, OH
• Pymatuning State Park-PA 37 miles Linesville, PA
• Charles Mill Lake 38 miles Canton, OH
• Raccoon Creek State Park 42 miles Hookstown, PA
• Erie National Wildlife Refuge 42 miles Cochranton, PA
• Sand Run MetroPark- 44 miles Akron OH
• Bolivar Dam 44 miles Bolivar, OH
• Jefferson Lake State Park 44 miles East Springfield, OH
• Woodcock Creek Lake 46 miles Saegertown, PA
• South Chagrin Reservation 47 miles Solon Ohio
• Hillman State Park 47 miles Burgettstown, PA
• Atwood Lake 47 miles New Philadelphia, OH
• Beach City Lake 48 miles Strasburg, OH
• Dover Dam 48 miles Dover, OH
• Leesville Lake 49 miles Bowerston, OH
• Cleveland Lakefront State Park 49 miles Cleveland, OH
• Oil Creek State Park 49 miles Pleasantville, PA

Within 75 miles

• Headlands Beach State Park 52 miles Painesville, OH
• Point State Park 52 miles Pittsburgh, PA
• Crooked Creek Lake 52 miles Ford City, PA
• Yellow Creek State Forest 53 miles New Philadelphia, OH
• Geneva State Park 53 miles Geneva, OH
• Fernwood State Forest 54 miles Steubenville, OH
• Deep Lock Quarry 54 Miles Akron OH
• Cornplanter State Forest 54 miles Tionesta, PA
• Tionesta Lake 54 miles Tionesta, PA
• Tappan Lake 56 miles Tippecanoe, OH
• Gorge MetroPark 56 Miles Akron OH
• Cook Forest State Park 60 miles Clarington, PA
• Findley State Park 61 miles Wellington, OH
• Mahoning Creek Lake 61 miles Smicksburg, PA
• Clear Creek State Forest 63 miles Sigel, PA
• Clear Creek State Park 63 miles Sigel, PA
• Clendening Lake 63 miles Tippecanoe, OH
• Rocky River Reservation 65 miles Berea, OH
• Mohicanville Dam 65 miles Lakeville, OH
• Loyalhanna Lake 65 miles Saltsburg, PA
• Marienville Ranger District – Allegheny NF 65 miles Marienville, PA
• Piedmont Lake 67 miles Piedmont, OH
• Conemaugh River Lake 67 miles Clarksburg, PA
• Keystone State Park 71 miles New Alexandria, PA
• Mohican State Park 73 miles Loudonville, OH
• Chapman State Park 73 miles Warren, PA
• Yellow Creek State Park 74 miles Brush Valley, PA
• Mohican-Memorial State Forest 74 miles Perrysville, OH
• Pleasant Hill Lake 74 miles Perrysville, OH

Within 100 Miles

• Presque Isle State Park 76 miles Erie, PA
• Barkcamp State Park 76 miles Belmont, OH
• Malabar Farm State Park 76 miles Lucas, OH
• Mohawk Dam 77 miles Warsaw, OH
• North Chagrin Reservation 78 Miles Willoughby Hills OH
• Salt Fork State Park 79 miles Cambridge, OH
• Wills Creek Lake 81 miles Adamsville, OH
• Kinzua Dam And Allegheny Reservoir 82 miles Warren, PA
• Ryerson Station State Park 85 miles Wind Ridge, PA
• Linn Run State Park 86 miles Stahlstown, PA
• Senecaville Lake 87 miles Senecaville, OH
• Long Point on Lake Chautauqua State Park 88 miles Bemus Point, NY
• Allegheny Portage Railroad Ntnl Hist Site 88 miles Johnstown, PA
• Laurel Mountain State Park 88 miles Rector, PA
• Sunfish Creek State Forest 89 miles Clarington, OH
• Forbes State Forest 89 miles Stahlstown, PA
• Laurel Summit State Park 91 miles Somerset, PA
• Kooser State Park 91 miles Somerset, PA
• Laurel Hill State Park 93 miles Rockwood, PA
• Dillon State Park 94 miles Nashport, OH
• Friendship Hill National Historic Site 96 miles Greensboro, PA
• Laurel Ridge State Park 96 miles Confluence, PA
• Wolf Run State Park 97 miles Caldwell, OH
• Fort Necessity National Battlefield. 98 miles Farmington, PA
• Tidioute Overlook 99 miles Tidioute PA
• Hearts Content Recreation Area- Warren PA 100 Miles
• Ohiopyle State Park. 100 miles Ohiopyle, PA
• Blue Rock State Forest 100 miles Blue Rock, OH

How To Use this List:

• I’ve kept State Parks and related State Forests as two lines. This might be cheating, but they usually offer different experiences.
• Each Link goes directly to the appropriate site, not to a directory, wherever possible.
• Scroll down to your favorite area. Look right above it. Have you been here? How about the area right below it?

100 Days of Summer: 100 Recreational Areas Within 100 Miles ©, .

Favorite Local Hikes: ( Short to Long)

McConnells Mill State Park: Devil’s Hollow is a fantastic trail for a small day Hike. And the Alpha Pass Trail is part of the North Country Trail ( Map )

Nelson Kennedy Ledges- Picnic area North West of warren off 422. Rocks split and exposed by glaciers, pretty cool (Pun intended). NO CLIMBING.(Map)

Moraine State Park- Multiuse park has beaches, hiking and biking and horse trails, boating and even a windsurfing area. ( Map )

Raccoon Creek-44 Miles of Hiking trails. Many Multi use trails.

Cuyahoga Valley-Outside Akron: If you Ski, You’re familiar with it. Lots of trails, I like the Ledges. Ride the Railroad.(map)
Little Beaver Greenway Trail- 11 Miles of paved roadway along the Scenic River in Lisbon

Minister Creek Overlook- Minister Creek has a stocked creek, 7 mile overlok loop ( That also intersects the North Country Trail) and a small Camp Area at the trailhead ( Although I like camping farther back.)

Buckeye Trail- 1,400 miles around the state

North Country Trail- Developing trail to link New York to North Dakota. Locally, the trail crossesthe Alleghenies, Through McConnells Mill, to

Beaver Creek and on though Minerva. Think of the Appalachian Trail, only going east and west.

Other Hikes

Great Allegheny Pasage- Connect Pittsburgh Airport and region to Washington DC with a system of Rail to Trails.

Akron Metroparks Bike and Hike Trail-33 Miles of paved trail

Montour Trail-Active trail group developing 46 mile trail

Rachel Carson Trail-35 Mile Day Hike Trail

Three Rivers Trail-37 Miles of Trails in Downtown Pittsiburgh

Oil Creek

Geocaching

Steel Valley Outdoors Geocaching Primer

www.Geocaching.com- Geocaching is a scavenger hunt using a GPS device that is popular all over the country. Find the treasure chest, sign in, take the small gift and leave another to keep it rolling. There are several hidden caches in the Mahoning Valley.

www.Geocacheohio.com- Buy Ohio shaped Geocache coins to use in caches., Special cache contests and a members map to find others.

Northeast Ohio Orienteering Club- Get Skilled with Map and Compass.

Resources:

Essential Gear: Sleeping Bags

Essential Gear: Water and Hydration

Ultralight Backpacking Primer

Hiking tips

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Rail to Trail Trail List-  Biking and Hiking Trails across the country

Best Hike- Where in the wold is the best hike?

NEOnaturalist Listing of over 40 hiking trails, primarily in the Cleveland and Akron area. Big Concentration on Cuyahoga Valley

Outdoorzy- Outdoor blog with emphasis on Hiking and climbing

Peak to Peak- Small Directory of trail and hiking resources

Section Hiker- Long distance trail resource. From the AT to the Pcific Crest trail and everything in between

Slackpacker- Dayhiker resource with lots of trips and background information.

100 Days of Summer: Hiking and Geocaching ©, .

Image via Wikipedia

COLUMBUS, OH – Nature enthusiasts throughout Ohio are encouraged to enter a lottery to tour Ohio’s only floating island – Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve in Buckeye Lake – during the bog’s annual open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 18.

Attendance at this popular open house is limited, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.

Anyone interested in touring the bog on June 18 should send a postcard to the ODNR Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, 2045 Morse Road, Building C-3, Columbus, Ohio 43229.  Postcards must be postmarked by May 31 and contain the following information: contact name, address with zip code, daytime phone number and total number of people in the party (not to exceed four).  Only one postcard will be accepted per family.

The lottery drawing will be held in early June, and winners will be notified by mail.  Walk-in visitors are welcome to attend, however, they will not be guaranteed a time slot.  Boat transportation to and from the island will be provided by the Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society for a donation of $5 per person.

Cranberry Bog is one of Ohio’s most unique natural areas.  The 11-acre island, located approximately 100 yards off the north shoreof Buckeye Lake in Fairfield County, was registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1968.  Its unique composition gives the island a spongy surface, therefore visitors are required to remain on the boardwalk.

The island dates from 1830 when Buckeye Lake was created as a feeder reservoir for the Ohio & Erie Canal.  A 50-acre portion of the lake’s bed, once a thriving sphagnum bog, rose with the waters.  Cranberry Bog is what remains of that portion after nearly two centuries.

Aside from the annual open house, visitation to Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve is by written permit only.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all.  Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com

Enter the Annual Cranberry Bog Lottery ©, .

COLUMBUS, OH – Dynamic blazes of orange, yellow, red and rust will provide the perfect backdrop for hikers who are ready to reconnect with the natural world this weekend. ODNR is reporting near peak and peak fall foliage in most parts of the state.

“There are many organized hikes planned at Ohio state parks and nature preserves this weekend that will provide Ohioans and visitors to the Buckeye State an amazing perspective of some of the state’s most spectacular natural terrain,” said Casey Munchel, fall foliage expert for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry. “State parks like Lake Hope and preserves like Clifton Gorge are stunning on a normal day, but when these places are draped with beautiful fall color, the experience is breathtaking.”

In addition, the brilliance of fall color will add to the excitement of games of disc golf and golf, which can be played on beautiful, award-winning courses at several state parks. Anglers and boaters can also get priceless perspectives of amazing fall foliage as it reflects in the rippling water along miles of shoreline and waterways. And the Division of Wildlife is currently in the middle of their annual fall trout stocking so go towww.wildohio.com to find the nearest pond or lake in your area.

One of the best parts of the state this weekend will be up in northeastern Ohio where there is lots to do and see.

“Visitors to Lake County on the east side of Lake Erie can enjoy exceptional fall foliage, the largest winery district in the Grand River Valley and waterfront dining,” said Bob Ulas, Executive Director of the Lake County Visitors Bureau.  “Although Lake County is Ohio’s smallest county, it offers two seasons, thus a longer viewing period of fall foliage.  Due to Lake County’s proximity to Lake Erie’s warmer waters, colors peak later while one mile inland, colors peak earlier.  For more info, visit www.lakevisit.com.”

This coming weekend, check out one of the following events at one of your Ohio State Parks or local partners…

Halloween Campout, Rocky Fork (SW) – Oct. 15-16. Campsite decorating and costume contests, movies , silent auction, games and a haunted trail.  (937) 393-4284.

Halloween Campout, Forked Run (SE) – Oct. 16. Campsite decorating contest, games, trick or treat, & spooky hayrides. (740) 767-3570.

Grandma Gatewood’s Fall Colors Hike, Hocking Hills (SE) – Oct. 16, 1 PM at the Old Man’s Cave Visitor Center. 6-mile strenuous hike. (740) 385-6841.

Fall Hike, Shawnee (SW) – Oct. 16, 9 AM. 5-mile hike with refreshments available at the half-way point. Evening entertainment and a bean dinner are also offered. (740) 858-6652.

Howl-o-Ween Dog Walk & Costume Parade, Mosquito Lake (NE) – Oct. 17, 2-4 PM at the DogPark. Food, vendors & contests for people and pets. (330) 637-2856.

Forest Heritage Festival, Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds (NE) – Oct. 15-16.  Entertainment, food, games, craft booths, old-time fiddling, and lumberjack show.  Admission and parking are free.  (330) 339-3991

To find out more about these and other events, visit www.ohiodnr.com. The site will serve as a premier guide to Ohio’s fall color season. Its pages provide information for travelers who want to map a scenic road trip, adventurers who are refreshed and energized by the cool autumn weather, vacationers who seek places of solace to enjoy the changing seasons and even the students who need a resource for leaf collection projects. Ohioans and out-of-state visitors can also find information about fall foliage by calling 1-800-BUCKEYE or visiting www.discoverohio.com/autumnadventures.

Ohio’s 74 state parks, 21 state forests and 134 state nature preserves provide excellent locations to view fall foliage. Here are the most current reports from selected locations:

COLOR CONDITION KEY: Changing – Still mostly green, less than 25 percent color. Near Peak – Significant color showing – anywhere from 30 to 60 percent color. Peak – Peak colors – as much as 85 percent showing. Fading – Fading from peak conditions and leaves falling to forest floor.

Ohio Fall Foliage: Week Four ©, .

And Fall Festivals, Harvest events, and Halloween!

COLUMBUS, OH – Fall color is starting to come on this week with the seasonally cool temperatures. ODNR is reporting near peak fall foliage in shades of red, orange, gold and yellow in areas throughout Ohio.

“Pockets of color are becoming more noticeable in both the rural and urban landscape,” said Casey Munchel, fall foliage expert for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry. “Ohio has more than 100 hardwood tree species and the variety of species contributes to the variety of colors.”

The diversity of Ohio’s forests make autumn one of the most beautiful times to be outdoors. Maple trees produce a red pigment, anthocyanin; oaks produce a brown color from tannin, a bitter waste product; hickory and beech trees reveal yellows and golds that come from carotenoids.

Leaf peepers can expect to find peak fall color during the second and third weeks of October throughout Ohio.

Fall wild turkey hunting opens in 48 Ohio counties on Saturday, October 9 and continues through Sunday, November 28.  Ruffed grouse hunting season also starts Saturday, October 9 and runs through January 31, 2011.  For more info on fall wild turkey or ruffed grouse hunting, go to www.wildohio.com.

This coming weekend, check out one of the following events at one of your Ohio State Parks…

Halloween Campout, Paint Creek (SW) – Oct. 8-9. Campsite decorating and costume contests, hay rides & trick or treatl. (937) 981-7061 or (937) 393-4284.

Halloween Campout, Lake Loramie (NW) – Oct. 8-10. Pumpkin carving, campsite decorating, trick or treat, movies, games & a potluck supper.  (937) 295-2011.

Fall Color Walk, Malabar Farm (NE) – Oct. 9, 10 AM-Noon. Meet at the visitor center. 2-mile hike. (419) 892-2784.

Fall Festival, Punderson (NE) – Oct. 9. Costume and pumpkin contests, trick or treat, hayrides, games & a campfire.  (440) 564-2279 or www.friendsofpunderson.com.

Fall Color Canoe Tour, Van Buren (NW) – Oct. 10, 2-3:30 PM. $10 donation per canoe benefits the friends of Van Buren State Park. Pre-registration required by Oct. 8. (419) 348-7679.

To find out more about these and other events, visit www.ohiodnr.com. The site will serve as a premier guide to Ohio’s fall color season. Its pages provide information for travelers who want to map a scenic road trip, adventurers who are refreshed and energized by the cool autumn weather, vacationers who seekplaces of solace to enjoy the changing seasons and even the students who need a resource for leaf collection projects. Ohioans and out-of-state visitors can also find information about fall foliage by calling 1-800-BUCKEYE or visiting www.discoverohio.com/autumnadventures.

Ohio’s 74 state parks, 21 state forests and 134 state nature preserves provide excellent locations to view fall foliage. Here are the most current reports from selected locations:

COLOR CONDITION KEY: Changing – Still mostly green, less than 25 percent color. Near Peak – Significant color showing – anywhere from 30 to 60 percent color. Peak – Peak colors – as much as 85 percent showing. Fading – Fading from peak conditions and leaves falling to forest floor.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.gov.

Ohio Fall Foliage Update: Week Three ©, .