How to Take Part in the Summit County Fall Hiking Spree
The following instructions will guide you through participating in the Summit County, Ohio, Fall Hiking Spree. The "spree" is put on every year by the Summit County Metro Parks and encourages people to get outside and enjoy the leaves as they change, the cooler weather and Summit County's Metro Park trail system. Participants can send in their application forms at the end of the spree. The event is free for Summit County residents, out-of-towners will pay $10 for a first-year hiker and $5 for a veteran to receive their rewards which include a hiking staff and a shield to place on the staff. The shield changes each year to commemorate that year's event and many long-time participants take pride in how many shields they have added to their staff.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Good shoes
- Hiking spree entry form
- Friends and family
- Portable music player
- Your dog
Instructions
-
-
1
Obtain an application form. The forms change from year to year, so it is important to get the most recent year's form. Forms can be found at most all Summit County Metro Parks. Each park has a kiosk with maps and other information and containers with forms in them. Participants can also print a form from the Summit County Metro Parks web site.
-
2
HIKE! The goal is to complete eight hikes out of 15 possible between September 1 and November 30. The hiking spree form will list each hike designated for that year's spree. Participants mark the date they completed each hike and can usually find a Metro Parks volunteer or ranger on site to stamp their form as verification. If no one is available, another person present can initial the form as verification.Verifying that you hiked 8 trails will get you a reward. If you are a first-year hiker, you will receive a hiking staff and a shield commemorating that year's hiking spree. The shields change from year to year. There is only a fee if you are not a Summit County resident ($10 for first-year non-residents and $5 for non-resident veterans).Forms also include destination information, directions, difficulty ratings for trails and length of trails.
-
-
3
Mail in your forms. Once the hikes are completed, participants can take their forms to the Metro Parks office, or mail them to:Metro Parks, Serving Summit County975 Treaty Line RoadAkron, OH 44313
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Bring along friends! This event is a great way to get together with people you haven't seen in awhile.
Make it a family affair. Trails are kid friendly and most are accessible with a stroller. Check the Metro Parks web site for detailed information regarding trails.
Dogs are welcome, if leashed at most of the parks. Again, check the Metro Parks web site for details on which parks allow pets.
The hiking spree is also a good way to get in shape before the holidays. Bring along some music and jog, walk or run the trails before holiday goodies tempt your waistline!
Resources
- Photo Credit Cindy Laveck, Summit County Metro Parks
