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Outdoor Galore

Naturally NEO

Does your car wear an "I'd rather be..." bumper sticker? Do friends describe you as outdoorsy and active? In that case, you should feel right at home. The ClevelandPlus region is blessed with great seasonal variations, so even when the snow falls, there's plenty to do, inside and out.

What drives you outdoors?

Footloose

If you've got the stamina, plan on wearing out your running shoes on the Towpath. Once used by pack animals to pull canal boats, today the "Towpath Trail" is a 70-mile recreational running or biking trail that goes from Akron to Cleveland.

Pedal Power

When you'd rather speed things up, strap on your helmet and cycle the annual "Emerald Necklace" tour of Cleveland's Metroparks. Or, oil your chain and tackle the 32-mile Hike & Bike Trail in Summit County. Still game for more? Try the 22-mile path from Kipton through Oberlin to Elyria, eventually to reach all the way to Toledo. Maybe you prefer mountain biking? You'll have to crank pretty hard to keep going on some of the trails at West Branch and Quail Hollow State Parks. Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association members consistently rate these trails among the best. And when winter comes, no need to stow your gear. Come inside and experience the only indoor mountain bike park in the world. Navigate Ray's MTB maze of 88,000 sq. feet(and growing) of trails, jumps, and street parks. End the day hanging out in the lounge comparing notes on your latest feats in Cleveland's indoor stunt ground. Check out the course, fees, and photos at Ray's MTB.

Parks Galore

Stretched like a bumpy green carpet over 33,000 acres between Cleveland and Akron, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a source of pride for Northeast Ohio residents and the third most visited National Park in the U.S. Try geocaching or tossing a boomerang in the annual park tournament.

For the urban park experience, students gravitate to Shaker Lakes, nestled on Cleveland's east side. Why? It's just a short stroll from nature trails to coffee shops to class.

Some days after studying, relaxing in a Summit County Metropark might be just what you need. Each park is unique. From Cascade Locks, you can walk to a downtown Akron eatery or just kick back and enjoy the scenery. From Goodyear Park, you can catch a frisbee or an outdoor concert.

On the Water

When it warms up wade into the great Lake-Erie at Huntington Beach or Mentor Headlands. Or, take a ferry to the islands. You can drop into the caves at Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island, be amazed by the deep glacial grooves at Kelleys Island and camp by the shore in one of five island state parks.

Got a perfect afternoon to play and can't decide whether to spend it on a bike or in a boat? Do both! At Ernie's Bicycle Shop on the Tuscarawas River, you can take a "Pedal & Paddle Tour." No gear? No worries. Tour provisions include kayaks or canoes.





What Can We Say About Winter-Bring it On!

While some people talk about "cabin fever" during the colder months, most Northeast Ohio residents are too busy to catch it. They head downhill on skis, snowboards, or tubes on the 18 trails at Boston Mills/Brandywine ski complex or crosscountry ski (rentals are available at the winter sports complex in the National Park and at Quail Hollow State Park). Others skate at Kendall Lake or on slick city rinks, or shoot down refrigerated toboggan chutes at Mill Stream Run Reservation. The 70-foot vertical drop was designed by the folks who created the venue for the Lake Placid Olympics.



Still others head indoors-to climb the walls. While beginners learn to belay, more experienced climbers can literally walk across the ceiling at Kendall Cliffs or Cleveland Rock Gym's state of-the-art climbing facilities.




So, what's your study break of choice? Whether you choose to dive in, kick back, pedal, paddle, or run away, you can do it-indoors or out, all over Northeast Ohio.














Akron Bicycle Club Akron
akronbike.org
Akron Rugby Football Club Akron
akronrugby.com
Akron Zoological Park Akron
330.375.2550 akronzoo.com
Amish Country Geauga County
330.682.2055 amish-heartland.com
Brandywine & Boston Mills Ski Resorts Peninsula
800.875.4241 bmbw.com
Buckeye Trail Association Worthington
buckeyetrail.org
Cedar Point Amusement Park Sandusky
419.627.2350 cedarpoint.com
Cleve. Area Mountain Bike Assoc. Cleveland
camba.us
Cleveland Botanical Gardens University Circle
216.721.1600 cbgarden.org
Cleveland Disk Association Cleveland
cleveland-disc.org
Cleveland Hiking Club Cleveland
440.449.2588 clevelandhikingclub.org
Cleveland Metroparks Cleveland
216.635.3200 clemetparks.com
Cleveland Zoo and Rainforest Cleveland
216.661.6500 clemetzoo.com
Cleveland Rock Gym Euclid
216.692.3300 clevelandrockgym.com
Cleveland Rowing Foundation Cleveland
216.621.OARS clevelandrows.org
Cleveland Touring Club Mentor
clevelandtouringclub.org
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Brecksville
216.524.1497 dayinthevalley.com
Edgewater State Park Lake Erie
216.881.8141 ohiodnr.com
Esprit Sports Club Cleveland
espritsportsclub.com
Golf (public courses) Cleveland
216.635.3200 clemetparks.com
Headlands Beach State Park Mentor
216.881.8141 dnr.state.oh.us/parks
Holden Arboretum Kirtland
440.946.4400 holdenarb.org
Lorain County Metroparks Lorain
440.458.5121 loraincountymetroparks.com
Metroparks Serving Summit Country Akron
330.867.5511 summitmetroparks.org
Ohio & Erie Canalway Peninsula
330.657.2982 ohioanderiecanalway.com
Portage Lakes State Park Akron
330.644.2220 ohiodnr.com/parks/portage
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Akron
330.836.5533 stanhywet.org
Winter Sports Complex Kendall Lake
216.524.1497 dayinthevalley.com
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