Your parks boast more than 70 miles of trails suitable for hiking, walking and running across scenic Geauga County. In fact, the only parks within the system without a trail are Bass Lake Preserve and Woodin Road Park – all others are fair game!
Please enjoy perusing the resources below, including any upcoming naturalist-led opportunities to stretch your legs.
Are you setting a New Year’s resolution to explore Nature more? To discover new places, or get more exercise? Or maybe all three?
Here’s a brand new program for you: the Geauga Gems Trekking Series!
With changes required to our typical program group sizes, we have adjusted the requirements for our 2020 Geauga Gems Trekking Series in order to help registered participants meet their program goal. Completion will still require 30 hikes, but now participants will only need to participate in three naturalist-led hikes, instead of six, and complete 27 self-guided hikes, instead of 24. Hikes will continue to be offered throughout the summer in smaller groups, adhering to guidelines set forth by the State of Ohio and the CDC, all with registration required due to limited space. Qualifying naturalist-led hikes will be identifiable by the Geauga Gems logo in our quarterly Park Explorer Activity Guide, and among our website listings by utilizing the filtering tool. If you have already completed your three naturalist-led hikes for this year, can you please kindly consider allowing others to register for these small group hikes? We will be continually reviewing social distancing guidelines and adjusting our program offerings to provide safe experiences in the parks. Please check our website under News & Updates for the latest. See you on the trails!
Additionally, we joyfully had an abundance of interest in this new offering, and have closed registration for 2020. If you have not already registered for our 2020 opportunity, please try again January 1, 2021, to register for our 2021 series.
How to Get Started
Upon registration, you’ll receive a Geauga Gems Trekking Card to track your progress. Keep the card with you to mark the self-guided treks you take, and bring your card to the naturalist-led hikes to be marked. We encourage you to spread your hikes throughout the year to discover new trails and parks in different seasons! Finally, at year’s end, those who complete the series will receive a collapsible trekking pole and inaugural Geauga Gems 2020 hiking medallion sticker to be provided at an event in January 2021.
Have some questions this summary didn’t quite answer? Check out our Geauga Gems Trekking Series FAQ.
We’ll see you out on the trails in 2020!
| Event | Location | Date | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backcountry Hike: Swine Creek | Swine Creek Reservation | 12/05/2020 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Free |
| Explore Sunnybrook Preserve | Sunnybrook Preserve | 12/06/2020 | 9:00 am - 11:00 am | Free |
| Timbertots: Evergreen Artists! (Ages 3-5 w/adult) | Big Creek Park | 12/06/2020 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Free |
| Timbertots: Evergreen Artists! (Ages 3-5 w/adult) | Big Creek Park | 12/06/2020 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Free |
| Timbertots: Evergreen Artists! (Ages 3-5 w/adult) | Big Creek Park | 12/07/2020 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am | Free |
| Timbertots: Evergreen Artists! (Ages 3-5 w/adult) | Big Creek Park | 12/07/2020 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Free |
Staff clear snow from paved trails in the following parks during the cold winter months. After large snowfall events, park entrance drives and lots take priority; thanks for your patience as operations crews make their way to the trails.
Do you enjoy special events, family activities, experiences in Nature, programs for seniors, or all of the above? Sign up for our emails tailored to your interests by selecting the proper categories. We promise we won’t flood your inbox – just send you what we think you’ll like.
(440) 286-9516