Outdoor Recreation & On-Your-Own Adventures

Mar 26, 2022

The weather is warming up and have you been feeling like you have cabin fever? Get outside, breathe in the fresh air, engage in physical activity, and unplug from technology.

Disc Golf

Frisbee Disc Golf

Frisbee Disc golfing has been around for years, and all you need is a Disc for Disc Golfing and you are ready to play! All courses you play at your leisure are FREE!

Walborn Reservoir

Parks & Trails

Beech Creek Gardens: Areas currently available are the hiking trails, Cool Adventures activities, Nature Playce playground, log playground, Amazing Garden Plant Science Center, and picnic areas. Spring hours are Wednesday-Saturday from 10AM-4PM and Sunday 12PM-4PM. Come explore our hiking trails & engage in creative trail scavenger hunts!

Congressman Ralph Regula Towpath Trail: Enjoy 25-miles of the iconic Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Begiin your hiking and biking adventure at one of the 14 trailheads. The shady, flat terrain parallels the Tuscarawas River through deciduous forests and rural and urban landscapes. The Towpath Trail and bordering park lands follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal through the cities of Canal Fulton and Massillon and the Village of Navarre. This Stark County section is part of the 110-mile Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage area, which extends north all the way to Cleveland and south to New Philadelphia.

The Wilderness Center: This 619-acre site has 10 miles of hiking trails with several connecting routes. On the trails you can see old growth forest, meadows, prairie, wetlands, Fox and Sugar Creeks, Wilderness Lake and a pond. You can truly wander through nature for hours.

Petros Lake Park: Entrance located at 3519 Perry Dr. SW. The park is home to a one-mile Mindfulness Walk with ten mental health stations along the route. Perfect for you to explore nature and take a break from everything in the world.

  • Mindfulness Walk | 1.0 Miles Trail Length: Ten stations promote relaxation, focus and awareness, reflection, and embracing the present moment. Examples include a zen sand garden, a musical instrument, stacking stones and a labyrinth.
  • Bluebird Trail | 0.5 Miles Trail Length: This mowed grass trail provides a scenic filed setting dotted with benches and is designated a “no mow” area for wildlife. Nest boxes along the trail are frequented by bluebirds and tree swallows as they feed on insects during flight.
  • Petros Lake Loop Trail | 1.2 Miles Trail Length: This limestone trail loops around the 13-acre Petros Lake. Gold finches and bluebirds fly in the meadow while several wildflower plantings and wildlife food plots attract a variety of butterflies.

Walborn Reservoir: Entrance located at 11324 Price St. NE, Alliance. Natural surface trails take you through pine woods, oak and hickory forests and wildflower areas.

  • The Shoreline Trail | 2.31 Miles Trail Length: This natural surface trail wraps around the quiet and rugged shoreline from Price Street to Reeder Avenue taking you by a spillway and dam. You may see white-tailed deer, wild turkey, osprey, bald eagles and migrating waterfowl.
  • Marina Loop Trail | 0.56 Miles Trail Length: Start behind the Walborn Marina and travel under a canopy of pine trees to a popular fishing peninsula before looping back to the other side of the parking area, or continuing onto The Shoreline Trail.

Quail Hollow Park: Entrance located at 13480 Congress Lake, Ave. Hartville. Quail Hollow Park features over 700 acres of rolling meadows, marshes, pine and deciduous woods surrounding a 40-room house.

  • Mountain Bike Trail | 3.27 Miles Trail Length: A moderate level, Mountain Bike Trail loop passes through forests.
  • Multi-Use Trail | 1.2 Miles Trail Length: This trail is for hikers and equestrians on the southwest side of the park travels through a deciduous forest.
  • Hiking Trails | 5.25 Miles Trail Length: The Nature for All trail is a asphalt paved trail. Other trails are a natural surface and go near vernal pools, wetlands, coniferous and deciduous forests.

Stadium Park & Monument Park: Located near the Pro Football Hall of Fame, from Stadium Park Drive and spanning 12th to 25th Street. Enjoy a 1.5-mile rubberized walking track with exercise stations.

Jackson Township North Park: A beautiful seventy-acre complex located at 7660 Fulton Rd. NW across from Jackson High School. For your walking pleasure, there is a 1.1-mile paved walking track, with markings every one tenth of a mile.

There are MANY more parks & trails in our communities than what is listed above!

Take this time to explore and check off your bucket list one of the many Stark Parks parks & trails using their ParkFinder. Explore one of your community parks (you know, the one right down the road from you that you have driven by hundreds of times), as well!

Bird watching

Birding

There has never been a more exciting time to immerse yourself in a new hobby; birding!

Stark County is host to many wonderful natural areas if you’re a birder or just enjoy being out in nature.

Tips for Beginner Birders

  1. Now is the time to just look around your or invest in a good set of binoculars.
  2. Get a good field guide – either digital bird watching apps (many are FREE) or hard copy for referencing to identify birds and their behaviors.
  3. Start simple, learn birds in your own backyard and at your feeders.
  4. Keep a life list using citizen science websites such as www.ebird.org

Birding Etiquette

  1. Be courteous, birds are found by ear as much as sight. Keep noise to a minimum when birding in a group and while others are birding nearby.
  2. Respect the birds by keeping a comfortable distance for the bird.
  3. Minimize the use of bird calls in the field, particularly during breeding seasons.
  4. Respect the law and the rights of others.

More to Explore

Allison Gromofsky

Author

Allison Gromofsky

Allison Gromofsky is the Community Promotions Manager for Visit Canton. She enjoys shopping, spending time with friends, family, going to concerts, and watching football! Allison can be found trying new restaurants, exploring museums, and hanging out at Canton First Fridays. Allison is a Stark County native and loves to work, play, and live in Canton, with her husband, Andy. Have an update or comment about the blog? Reach out at allisong@visitcanton.com
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