Please help us with our end-of-year fund drive! Your support will help build and maintain a park system that will last for generations, yielding invaluable health, environmental and economic benefits — not to mention beautiful memories along the way.
A Great Winter's Hike!
Chagrin Headwaters Hike
December 18, 11:00-1:00
Join the Friends of the Hiram Field Station as they lead a hike to explore this preserve on the headwaters of the Aurora branch of the Chagrin River in Mantua Township that is not usually open to the public. There are no formal trails allowing for the discovery of hidden gems and woodland secrets as we explore the nooks and crannies of this closed preserve. Directions provided upon registration, which is required. Call Matt Sorrick at 330.569.6003 or email sorrickmw@hiram.edu. Sponsored by Friends of the Hiram College Field Station (donations will be collected for the Portage Park District).
Hiking Badges Are In!
They celebrate the International Year of Forests. (And they are beautiful!)
If you earned yours this year, don't forget to come get it! Pick it up soon at the Park office.
ATTENTION: Berlin Trail Closed for Hunting!
The Berlin Lake Trail was developed on land leased from the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The trail corridor and surrounding lands will continue to be used for hunting, and so the trail will be closed during deer gun season to accommodate that use.
The trail will be closed to non-hunters on the following dates: December 17-18; January 7-10. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Please continue to enjoy this beautiful trail at other times.
Stunning Berlin Lake Trail Open -- and Already Popular!
The opening dedication on October 22nd was attended by over 50 people who had a chance to walk or ride the trail for the first time.
Park District Executive Director Christine Craycroft gave an overview of the trail development project and introduced State Representative Kathleen Clyde who spoke about the value of the Clean Ohio program and the importance of parks and trails to our communities for healthy recreation and for attracting and retaining residents and businesses. Tim Taylor, President of the Berlin Lake Association that spearheaded the trail, told of the organization’s fundraising work and plans to install benches, including one honoring the late Ed Egan who helped initiate the project. Deerfield Township Trustee Randy Wilburn expressed appreciation for the new park and its value to the local community.
The trail was initiated by the Berlin Lake Association back in 2006, when members with a vision for the future approached the Portage Park District to partner in its development. The Park District was granted a sublease on the trail from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, who leases the land from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Key to the project was receiving a Clean Ohio Trails Fund grant in the amount of $348,280, which was matched by several contributors, including the donated engineering services of Deerfield resident Terrence Hohnhorst, P.E., donated labor and materials from Deerfield Township, parking lots by ODOT, entrance gate donated by Atlas Energy, marker posts and side trails by Eagle Scout Alex Landgraf, sign work by park board members, and especially $40,000 of cash and volunteer support by the Berlin Lake Association. The general contractor is Workman Industrial Services with primary subcontractors H. Luli Construction, Great Northern Fence Co., Keith Misner Construction and Graphic Expressions --all Portage County businesses who did a terrific job.
The Berlin Lake Trail is open dawn to dusk, year round for walking, cycling, access to shore fishing and just enjoying nature. Motor vehicles are prohibited, except as permitted for handicapped accessibility.
C'mon! Take a hike on the "BLT"!
HURRY! Deadline for the Portage Park District
2011 Wild Hikes Challenge is December 1st!
Round up your family and friends, lace up your hiking boots and hit the trails!
The Portage Park District is pleased to present the “Wild Hikes Challenge,” a program designed to encourage healthy recreation in our parks and trails while showcasing Portage County’s rich natural and cultural heritage.
Just walk, hike, skip, jog or run on eight great trails before December 1st to earn your “2011 Wild Hikes” tag. First year hikers will earn a beautiful, locally sourced, volunteer‐produced hiking staff.
Click here for trail information and to download the Wild Hikes sign-up form.
More Portage County Racing Fun Yet to Come in 2011!
The Headwaters Adventure Race was just the beginning.
Next came the Black Squirrel Adventure Triathlon in this popular series.
Now it's time for the Brady's Leap Adventure Race!
Download info on the Brady's Leap Adventure Race, click on the CR Logo:
Join KSU Adventure Center for the Fourth Annual Brady's Leap Adventure Race on Saturday, Oct. 22. The race is named after famed northeastern Ohio frontier scout Captain Samuel Brady. Brady is best known for jumping across the Cuyahoga River to escape pursuing Native Americans in what is present day Kent, Ohio. This section is still remembered as "Brady's Leap." The pursuit continued to Brady Lake where Captain Brady then hid in the lake using a reed for air to further evade his pursuers.
The race will begin at 10 a.m. at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC). The multi-discipline race will include biking, paddling, orienteering and a few other surprises. The course features many of the famous historical areas that Brady raced through to escape from the Native Americans as well as other points of interest in the Kent area, including the Portage County Hike and Bike Trail, Brady Lake, Towner's Woods and the Cuyahoga River. Volunteers will be on hand to assist those who are first time racers through the course.
Don't miss it! Click on the CR logo above to find out more!
Kent State Students Partner in the Parks.
KSU Conservation Biology, Wetlands Ecology, Soils and Conservation of Natural Resources classes are getting a chance to apply their knowledge and skills with hands-on field experience while helping the Park District gain important information to assist with the property's long-term stewardship.
They're at the 504-acre Morgan Preserve in Shalersville Township,conducting inventories of stream life, invasive plants and deer, and will monitor the changes in different ecosystems over time.
Students find and document life in the stream for comparison before and after restoration.
Long term plots are established to monitor changes in vegetation over the years.
Due to funding limitations, the Morgan Preserve is only open for specially permitted purposes, including student research and occasional guided nature hikes.
Headwaters Adventure Race a Success!
Vince Elia, Males First Place winner
It was a perfect day for an adventure in Portage County! One hundred and eighty two racers participated in the 3rd Annual Headwaters Adventure Race in Mantua on July 9th to run, pedal and paddle to support the Portage Park District. Dozens of volunteers supported the event, including ham radio communications operators, Americorps/Vista members, and many friends of the park district.
The race involved running 2 miles on the Headwaters Trail, cycling 10 miles to Camp Hi Canoe Livery, (with hills taking racers from the lowest to the highest points in the county), and finishing with a 5-mile paddle on the Upper Cuyahoga Scenic River. “It was honestly one of the best days I have had in a long time. Can’t wait for next year” said Tom Harrington, who raced with his son Christopher as a team.
The top overall finishers were: Males: 1st place Vince Elia; 2nd place Josh Franek; 3rd place Russ Neubert. Females: 1st place Rosalie Franek; 2nd place Heather Robinson; 3rd place Kristi Brown. The first place Relay Team was Brian Baird and Mary Ruehr; first place All-Phase Team was Tom and Dan Euclide. 
“This race was not only a fundraiser for the parks it was also meant to showcase the beauty of Portage County and the natural resources here that need protection”, said Kurt Ruehr, Foundation President and race official.
Thanks to the support of volunteers and race sponsors, the Portage Park District Foundation raised over $6,000 for the Portage Park District. Sponsors included AMATS, Camp Hi Canoe Livery, Advanced Rehabilitation and Health Specialists, WW Reed & Son Real Estate, Eastern Ohio Time Trials, Port Authority, Sirna and Son’s Produce, Giant Eagle, Home Savings Bank, Road ID and Keelhaulers Canoe Club.
The Headwaters Adventure Race was the first of 3 races in the Crooked River Adventure Race Series sponsored by Kent State University, which also includes the Black Squirrel Triathlon by Kent Parks and Recreation and the Brady’s Leap Adventure Race by the KSU Adventure Center.
DOWNLOAD FINAL RACE RESULTS:
Pitch In for Mother Earth!
These young volunteers recently made quite an impact in cleaning up Seneca Ponds Park in Streetsboro -- THANKS!
