Check out our NEW Adventure Directory! Learn about adventures right here in Northeast Ohio. Learn more here.
Kara Lapso
Just because September is here doesn't mean summer is over!
I've had some awesome bike rides, trail runs, and paddles lately with even more on their way. Now that my oldest is in school full time, we have to be more intentional with our outside time which seems like it's making us do bigger adventures MORE since we can't just be outside alll the time. She's asking us to go on "trail runs" and take our kid kayak out on lakes around town. Indigo Lake in the CVNP was such a nice paddle and it was so close to home! PRO TIP: if you're going to Nimsila Resevoir to see the purple martins, do extensive research first. We somehow missed the 1000s of migratory birds making a bird tornado because we posted up in the wrong corner 😅.  My family is also so excited to start our second year of doing the Summit Metroparks Fall Hiking Spree!!!  In August, OTC hosted two awesome family programs, one at Stark Parks Wildlife Conservation Center and one at Allardale Park in Medina Parks in collaboration with Mom Walk Co. We also collaborated with Queer Birders of Cuyahoga County for a great program at Crown Point Ecology Center. Board member, Nicki Almes, and I went to a great networking event with Akron Summit County Conventions and Visitor's Bureau at the Akron Zoo where we made some really awesome connections.  Later this week, I have a business meeting on the water at Cuyahoga Valley Adventures (CVA) with a fun potential sponsor (PRO TIP #2: Convince potential business partners to take meetings on the water—it's wayyy better than a coffee shop, though I do love my coffee shops). Did you know CVA continues running river trips until the weather gets cooler, often until mid to late October?! They also just launched a new 4-mile section of river in the CVNP under the iconic Station Road Bridge. Book your own adventures here.  COLLAB REQUESTS For the rest 2026 and moving forward, we really want to put a huge emphasis on collaborations. We already do this but want to make it more obvious that we prefer to collab on any and all adventures with other outdoor businesses, groups, clubs, meet ups, etc. Our goal is to showcase the amazing outdoor opportunities we have here in NEO and that is best done through collaborative programming.  SO, if you are an outdoor business or outdoor adjacent business (restaurant, coffee shop, book store, art studio, etc), please reach out! We'd love to plan something together. We truly believe that a rising tide lifts all ships.  Please reach out to kara@opentrailcollective.org to share your idea!  SURVEY PLEASE As always, I have been very bad at sending post-event emails. I love yall and appreciate yall so much. If you've attended an adventure lately/ever, please take a few moments to fill out this survey so we can get some funding and learn from your experiences! THANK YOU! |
Photo credit: Elizabeth Tipton/Conservancy for CVNP |
NEO ADVENTURE DIRECTORY! We'd love to get the NEO Adventure Directory into schools, scouts, and HR departments this fall! Do you work with a large group of people? Reach out! We'd love to get you hooked up with NEO Adventure Directory flyers, magnets, etc. to help get your people outside.  Alsoo please reach out to kara@opentrailcollective.org if you want to join the directory, sponsor the directory, or if you have a group with whom you want to share the directory! |
Photo credit: Mallory Riley |
Upcoming OTC Adventures — JOIN US!
Stay tuned for additional adventures! Got an adventure idea? Let us know! Adventure updates are posted on our Instagram, Facebook, and event page on our website. Please remember to register in advance. |
JOB POSTINGS
 Community Highlights (in ABC order) Cuyahoga Valley Fall Festival (10/10) —Vendor applications are open! It's officially time to start preparing for the 2nd Annual Cuyahoga Valley Fall Festival at Cuyahoga Valley Adventures. Are you a business or organization that would like to participate? Send Nikki a message if you're interested nikki.alden04@gmail.com. Spots fill fast, deadline to sign up is Sept 25!  Crown Point Ecology Center — Fun on the Farm: All Abilities Fall Fest (10/3) Built specifically with the special needs community in mind — individuals and families navigating autism, sensory processing differences, physical disabilities, and other support needs. A day designed around you, not one you have to adapt yourself to fit into. Learn more here.  Cuyahoga Valley Farmers Market — Visit this farmers market year round, rain or shine, every Saturday located in the Scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park. With loads of vendors selling fresh and local fruits, veggies, meats, breads, desserts and more, it's the perfect place to stock up on everything you need for the week. And being that it's located in the middle of our national park, it is the perfect place to fuel up before a morning adventure or grab a snack afterwards. They constantly have live music, cultural events, food demos and more! Check out their robust list of vendors and programs here.  HAPI Fresh Farmers' Market — HAPI Fresh is an opportunity for neighbors, especially from refugee and immigrant backgrounds, to gain entrepreneurial opportunities with their farming skill sets. Many of the crops sold at the market are popular, culturally significant vegetables that are challenging to find in mainstream grocery stores, such as bitter melon, water spinach, Thai eggplant, and more. The market accepts SNAP EBT, cash, and credit card.  Have a job posting or community event you'd like to share? Submit it here!  |
As always, if you want to support more adventure in our amazing community, you can make a tax deductible donation here. We appreciate your support SO MUCH!  Thanks for being a member of our awesome community! Seriously so thankful for each and every one of you.  |