Get a head start on the 61st annual Fall Hiking Spree at the Fall Hiking Spree Kick-Off, Sunday, August 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Valley View Area of Cascade Valley Metro Park (1134 Cuyahoga St., Akron). Join naturalists for a hike along the new 1.1-mile Missing Link Trail, good for spree credit. Spree forms will be available and Fall Hiking Spree t-shirts will be for sale. To receive your hiking shield, all other hikes must be completed September 1 through November 30, 2024.
This year’s Fall Hiking Spree theme is Honoring Indigenous Culture. The park district will explore stories, past and present, of the Indigenous Peoples who are part of the living landscape of the parks. Beginning September 1, look for signs at the beginning of each Fall Hiking Spree trail to enjoy learning more about the spree themes: Indigenous throughways, cultural currents, living in the landscape and discovering the past. The full list of 2024 spree trails and forms are available at summitmetroparks.org/fall-hiking-spree/.
A first-time participant who completes eight hikes will earn a hiking staff and metal shield (pictured). A returning spree hiker will earn a shield. Hikes can be completed on a person’s own schedule and at their own pace. Fall Hiking Spree rewards are free to Summit County residents. Out-of-county residents pay to receive rewards ($10 for first-year hikers, $5 for veteran hikers). Guided hikes are listed on the park district’s Programs & Events calendar.
Hiking forms are available online, in the September/October issue of Green Islands magazine and at the following locations:
- F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm (1828 Smith Rd., Akron)
- Liberty Park Nature Center (9999 Liberty Rd., Twinsburg)
- Summit Lake Nature Center (411 Ira Ave., Akron).
- In a dropbox outside the park district’s Administrative Offices (975 Treaty Line Rd., Akron)
- Park kiosks
- Acme Fresh Market locations
Every year, an estimated 50,000 people participate in the spree, with an average of about 15,000 finishers.