Stark Parks Hosts National Trails Day June 1

Families with children, hikers, bicycle riders, fishermen, birders and other nature enthusiasts are invited to celebrate National Trails Day on Sat., June 1 along Stark Parks’ trails at Petros Lake Park in Perry Township from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The event is one of 12 taking place in Ohio and one of more than 2,000 across the United States and will showcase large new trees planted at the park on Earth Day by volunteers from the Timken Company and Enviroscapes.

Four different trails await visitors at Petros Lake Park:  an easy 1.2-mile limestone-covered  loop trail providing beautiful scenic views of the lake, the .3-mile Hickory Trail through a woods, the half-mile Bluebird Trail featuring nest boxes, and the .75-mile Meadow Trail. Before or after a hike, guests can enjoy a picnic at one of the two covered shelters or try their hand at fishing at the lake that has been stocked with trout and catfish in the last two months (BYO pole!). Park staff will be on hand to the greet visitors and answer any questions about park trails and nature programs offered throughout the year.

According to the American Hiking Society’s web site, “National Trails Day® evolved during the late ‘80s and ‘90s from a popular ethos among trail advocates, outdoor industry leaders, and politicians who wanted to unlock the vast potential in America’s national trails system, transforming it from a collection of local paths into a true network of interconnected trails and vested trail organizations…”  Stark Parks’ planned 300-miles of interconnected trails and greenways has benefited from this national goal.

This 2013 event is Stark Parks’ seventh observance of National Trails Day; others have taken place at the Mahoning Valley Trail north of Alliance, at Lock 4 Park and Bridgeport Quarry Trailheads along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, and at the Hoover Trail in North Canton and the Middle Branch Trail in Plain Township and  Canton. During the 2008 observance of National Trails Day, Stark County’s  Congressman Ralph Regula Towpath Trail received its designation at a National Recreational Trail from the American Hiking Society and the National Park Service.

In addition to providing important habitat for wildlife, hiking trails provide locations for Americans to enjoy healthier, more active lifestyles. Just 30 minutes of physical activity a day brings a range of health benefits, reducing risks for diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and respiratory ailments as well as stress and depression. Whether it is an easy stroll through a wooded area or an energetic hill-climb, these types of activities make your body physically and mentally stronger and more capable of fighting disease.

Other outdoor events scheduled for National Trails Day include the following:

Ohio & Erie Canalway lecture: 'The Rise of the St. Helena II' and 'Ohio's First Canal Park'. 6:30 p.m. at the Canal Fulton Canalway Center. Register at 330.854.6835 or canalway@cityofcanalfulton-oh.gov. Enjoy a hike along the Towpath Trail or Olde Muskingum Trail prior to the lecture.

Pep Tamargo Memorial Children’s Fishing Derby sponsored by the Berkley Fishing Team from 8-11 a.m. at Sippo Lake Park. After the derby you can enjoy a walk on the hilly .59-mile Marina Trail or the flatter 1-mile Sippo Lake Trail. The latter will lead you to the Congressman Ralph Regula Canalway Center, the Lily Pad Gift Shop, the Perry-Sippo Branch Library, and a children’s play area at the Exploration Gateway on the north end of the lake.

On June 19 the Massillon Area Greenways, Inc. (MAGI) will observe National Trails Day from 6- 9 p.m. with a trail clean-up along the Sippo Valley Trail and Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, beginning at the Lake Avenue Trailhead. For more information contact Ernie’s Bike Shop at 330. 832.5111.