Upcoming Events . . .

Directions to BTA Barn at Tappan Lake (83949 Beall Road, Cadiz OH)

Location: Take I-77 to US-250 east (just south of New Philadelphia). Follow US-250 past Tappan Dam almost to the end of the lake. There is a causeway with a sign that reads "Tappan Lake Park". Turn right (this road would also take you to Deersville). Approximately 3.1 miles from the US-250 turnoff is Beall Rd. on the right. Follow this dead-end road (be sure to take the left leg not the right curve) and go a total of 1.3 mi. to where it ends at the BTA Barn down a long gravel driveway.

Contact: Steve Walker at

Link to Meetup Events


Find even more events on and off the Buckeye Trail hosted by our local chapters and other BTA groups at... http://www.meetup.com/pro/buckeyetrail/

2024 EVENTS

Assorted Dates in 2024

Wilderness First Aid Training - BSA Based

Description: The Wilderness First Aid course provides an intensive 18+ hours of training covering injury assessment, rescuer safety, bleeding, shock, orthopedic injuries, long term patient care, and treatment with materials at hand during practice sessions. When you are participating in outdoor activities that take you more than 1 hour away from medical care, wilderness first aid provides a significant difference in survival and effects of injuries.

Instruction is in a classroom setting with some sections held outdoors, so please plan accordingly and dress for the weather. EACH STUDENT IS REQUIRED TO BRING THEIR BACKPACK PACKED FOR LAND BASE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES. BRING LUNCH, SNACKS, DRINKS, AND BE PREPARED TO BE OUTDOORS (no matter what the weather.)

Certification includes:

  • Wilderness First Aid - 2 year
  • CPR\AED - Adult\Child and Infant - 2 year

Participants MUST be 14 years of age or older in order to participate, at the time of the course! Course is limited to 20 participants (first come first serve).

Registration: Fee: $100.00. Register at https://scoutingevent.com/441-wfattt2024.

Dates with location:

  • Mar 23-24, 2024; Camp Lazarus, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Apr 26-27, 2024; Camp Lazarus, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015
  • May 4-5, 2024; Camp Lazarus Dining Hall, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015
  • June 8-9, 2024; Camp Lazarus, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Aug 24-25, 2024; Camp Lazarus, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Sept 21-22, 2024; Camp Lazarus, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Oct 5-6, 2024; Camp Lazarus, 4422 Columbus Pike, Delaware, OH 43015

NOTE: Camp Oyo on the BSA website does have a date listed for this training, but it is not available to Buckeye Trail members.

April 14, 2024

April Showers Hike - St Marys Section

Description: Join Heritage Trails Park District on Sunday, April 14th for our April Showers hike along the Miami Erie Canal! Bring the whole family! Pets on a leash are welcome as well. Meet at Noble Township Hall, located at 16586 CR 66A, just north of St. Marys from 1pm-3pm. The St. Marys Area Resource Team will be on-hand to greet participants and hand out trail mix to enjoy while you hike! Register for the 'Road to Fitness' program with Grand Lake Health Systems and earn points to win cool prizes! Hope to see you all there!

Contact: For additional information Heritage Trails Park District at

April 20, 2024

BTA Trustee Board Meeting

Saturday, at 9:00 A.M. - Virtual Meeting

Contact: For additional information contact Steve Walker at

April 20, 2024

Women's Trail Maintenance Day at Burr Oak State Park

Location: Tom Jenkins Dam parking lot on Jenkins Dr off of SR 13 north of Glouster, OH.

Description: Joint event by Central Ohio and Little Cities of the Forest Chapters of the BTA. Have you wanted to try Trail Maintenance? Join other women in a day of trail work. If you are new to volunteering, have no fear, we will provide you with tools and on-site training. Safety is our number one concern, followed closely by providing an enjoyable Buckeye Trail Crew experience. This is a great opportunity to learn about basic trail maintenance and meet other like minded women who enjoy the outdoors. This will be a low key, relaxed day in the woods. You will be learning how to blaze the trail, what the trail corridor is, and how to make sure it is clear. We will be using hand tools, but there will also be a gas powered string trimmer if you'd like to learn how to use one.

We will meet at 8:45AM at the dam parking lot. At 9:00AM there will be a short safety meeting, a description of trail tools, and the work plan for the day. At 9:15AM we will hike and maintain the trail from Tom Jenkins Dam to the marina (Boat Dock 1).

Come learn how to give back to the trail we all love. Tools provided. No experience necessary! No registration required - just show up! This is a joint event of the Little Cities of the Forest and Central Ohio chapters.

What to Bring: Bring water, snacks, and lunch. Wear long sleeved shirts, pants, boots; bring work gloves, insect repellent and sunscreen

Liability: Read the BTA Liability Waiver here.

Camping: Camping is available at Burr Oak Campground.

Contact: For additional information contact Ann Furste at .

April 26-28, 2024

3rd Blue Blaze Academy

Blue Blaze Academy is a series of workshops designed to train and educate the Buckeye Trail Association's volunteers about a variety of topics related to sustainable trail building and maintenace, conservation, and volunteer leadership. Attending is FREE to all current BTA members. There are two programs of workshops available to attendees this year, an Introduction to Trail Building program and the Trail Crew Specialist program.

The BTA strongly recommends that participants complete Introduction to Trail Building before attempting Trail Crew Specialist, as the Trail Crew Specialist program utilizes and builds upon concepts and skills taught in Introduction to Trail Building. Participants will receive a certificate of completion for their programs at the end of the weekend, and participating in Blue Blaze Academy qualifies all attendees to receive their 5-hour volunteer patches!

Core Curriculum: Volunteer safety is central to the BTA's values. All Blue Blaze Academy attendees will participate in a Trail Safety & Risk Management workshop before breaking out into their individual programs. During the workshop, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided to attendees for their use throughout the weekend.

Introduction to Trail Building: The Introduction to Trail Building program is designed to teach volunteers of any experience level the core fundamentals of how trails are designed, built, and maintained. Participants will be introduced to common trail-building tools and learn about work crew best practices and leadership.

Trail Crew Specialist: The Trail Crew Specialist program is designed to provide training for experienced volunteers who are interested in learning advanced trail-bulding and maintenance skills beyond the scope of activities performed by casual hikers and trail adopters. Participants will be introduced to the various gas-powered equipment used by the BTA, gain hands on experience constructing hard trail structures, and learn techniques for sustainable trail-layout and construction.

Location: BTA Century Barn. 83949 Beale Rd, Cadiz, OH

Meals: The Chuckwagon will be there to provide all meals.

Camping: Camping is available at the BTA Barn.

Registration-Sign up: Register Here.

Contact: Morgan Thomas at

May 3-5, 2024

Morelfest

Description: Join us for a weekend of hiking, music, food, camping and of course, Morels! Guided hikes/mushroom hunting will start and finish at the barn. Hikes may be 2-5 hours, and will vary in difficulty and terrain. Hike leaders may take small groups to areas away from the Beall Farmstead to other MWCD Lakes and carpooling is recommended. Our goal is to introduce the Buckeye Trail to our guests as well as hunt Morels while we are hiking the trail.

Location: BTA Century Barn. 83949 Beale Rd, Cadiz, OH

Meals: Bring your own food for Friday evening and lunch on Saturday. Saturday breakfast will be served by Deersville General Store at 8am. Deersville General Store will have food available for order throughout the weekend and delivery may be available for larger orders. There will be a Saturday Potluck at 5:00pm, please bring something to share, refrigerators and electric for crock pots are available.

Camping: This event is held at the BTA Beall Farmstead and there is space in the open field for tent and RV/camper setup. Camping options are included with registration.

Registration-Sign up: Registration is now open at https://tr.ee/FZL588zfub.

Additional Details: For more details Visit our Morelfest page.

Contact: Send an email to:

May 11-15, 2024

Little Cities of the Forest Chapter - Stockport Section

Description: Come join us for heavy vegetation control and trail repair. If you like DR mowing (or want to learn) this is the work party for you. Joint work party with American Hiking Society volunteer vacations. The Trail Crew leaves camp at 8:00am to head out on the trail.

Meals: The Chuckwagon will be there to provide all meals. You must sign up when you register.

What to bring: long sleeved shirts, pants, tools if you have them, and work gloves. BRING your own water!

Camping: Campground K, vault toilets, no running water or hookups.

Registration-Sign up: Register Here.

Contact:

May 20, 2024, 7:00PM

Buckeye Trail Presentation

Description: Randall Roberts will give a presentation that will cover the history and evolution of Ohio's scenic hiking trail with an overview and characteristics of the trail's various unique sections. Also covered, will be basic tips for planning and hiking the trail either by selectively hiking parts, section hikes, or even a through hike, along with the advantages and challenges of each method. Come lea

Location: Euclid Public Library, 631 East 222nd Street Euclid, OH 44123

Contact: For additional information contact Randall Roberts at or call the library at (216) 261-5300

June 1, 2024

Biggest Day Hike

Description: We are encouraging everyone to hike a little bit of the Buckeye Trail to see how much we can hike together in one day. Just think, it will only take 300 people hiking 4.8 miles each to hike and complete the entire trail!

You are welcome to bike the portions where bikes are allowed, horseback where horses are allowed, and even kayak where rivers are parallel to the trail. Not only are we building a better trail, we are also building a better community.

Buckeye Trail’s Biggest Day Hike is a completely free event. So get out there and have some fun!

Information / Registration: : Visit the Biggest Day Hike web page for all the information and links to everything you need to successfully hike the Biggest Day Hike.

Contact: : For more information or if you have any questions, please email us at:

June 1-5, 2024

Crooked River Chapter - Mogadore Section

Description: Come be a part of the finishing touches on the West Branch Destination project with the Crooked River Chapter. Sign installation, deblazing old trails and blazing new trails are just a few of the things needed to close the book. DR mowing, weed trimming, and downfall removal are also on the agenda, with possible bridge construction pending ODNR approval. Grab your paint kits and dust off the cobwebs to help us open this awesome project and celebrate the years of effort it has taken our incredible volunteers to complete. The Trail Crew leaves camp at 8:00am to head out on the trail.

Meals: The BTA Chuckwagon will be parked at camp. Breakfast and Dinner will be provided, along with plenty of choices to pack yourself a trail lunch.

Camping: West Branch State Park - Horseman's Camp

Registration: Register Here.

Contact:

June 20-23, 2024

15th Annual E.G.G.S. Hike at Burr Oak State Park and Wayne National Forest

The E.G.G.S. Hike honors Emma Grandma Gatewood, a founding member of the Buckeye Trail Association. The event consists of hiking challenges of either 20, 40, 60, or 80 miles.

Information: Visit our E.G.G.S. page for additional information.

Meals: Cost includes Breakfast and Cookout Friday, Breakfast Saturday and Sunday, and Dinner Saturday night.

Registration: Registration is now open at this link.

Contact:

July 13-17, 2024

Wilderness Chapter - Road Fork & Whipple Sections

Description: Come get dirty and join the Buckeye Trail Crew and the Wilderness Chapter in reestablishing a forgotten portion of the Buckeye Trail that used to lead to the Knowlton Covered Bridge. The Crew will also be moving a severely degraded portion of trail slightly upslope to stabilize the trail tread. And don’t forget about the trusty DR Mower. There'll be plenty of brush maintenance available so be sure to bring your weed eaters. This will also be a great opportunity for our corp of volunteer USFS certified sawyers to get their bars dirty by clearing downfalls. The Trail Crew departs from the campsite at 8:00am to head out on trail, see you all there!

Meals: This is a BTA Chuckwagon event. Breakfast and Dinner will be provided, along with plenty of choices to pack yourself a trail lunch.

Camping: Little Muskingum Watershed Assoc., OH 26, New Matamoras, Ohio

Registration: Register Here.

Contact:

July 27-28, 2024

Ohio River Chapter - Williamsburg Section Work weekend (No chuckwagon)

Description: Bring your favorite digging implement; working between points 9 and 11 north of Twin Bridges Rd. Our primary focus is correcting drainage issues along the trail. Even if it is dry, you will get muddy. Secondary tasks include correcting blazing and clearing the East Fork State Park trail corridor.

What to Bring: Wear closed-toe shoes and work gloves, and bring a shovel and/or line trimmer. Power tools must be operated with safety equipment (face shields, hearing protection, etc.). Pack a lunch and water. Dress for the weather.

Meals: Bring your own food and water for the event.

Camping: TBD

Contact:

July 27-31, 2024

Crooked River Chapter - Burton Section
Rapids Rd. Reroute in Burton, Ohio

Description: We plan to finish minor pruning work along the farm fields on the east side of Rapids Rd to SR 422. Then we progress to the West side of Rapids Rd to cut, prune and grub the trail so that the trail can be open to hikers this fall to SR 422.

What to Bring: PLEASE bring your own tools if you are inclined to do so. Wear sturdy footwear and bring heavy work gloves if you plan to do any grubbing (Pulling Flora Rosa) on the trail. Please DON'T Forget your BUG SPRAY!

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner will be supplied by the BTA Chuck wagon. Please bring your own lunch, snacks and water as needed. Extra water will be available.

Meeting Location: Eldon Russell Park - 16315 Rapids Rd., Burton, Ohio 44021 @ 8:00 am each day

Camping: Punderson State Park - 11755 Kinsman Rd. 44065 in Newbury Twp.

Registration: Register Here.

Contact:

August 3-4, 2024

BTA Trustee Board and Staff Retreat

Saturday and Sunday at the BTA Barn

Contact: For additional information contact Steve Walker at

August 10-14, 2024

Little Cities of the Forest Chapter - New Straitsville Section

Description: If you like to build trails or want to learn how there will be lots of great mentors to learn from as you help build a 0.8 mile trail by Tom Jenkins Dam. Tools provided. This is a joint project with the Wayne National Forest as part of the Amler grant project and a Forest Service grant. Additional trail building opportunities will be on a newly acquired easement from Buckingham Coal to move the BT off of Antle Orchard Road. The Trail Crew leaves camp at 8:00am to head out on the trail.

What to Bring: Long sleeved shirts, pants, tools if you have them, gloves

Meals: This is a BTA chuckwagon event.

Camping: Burr Oak Cove Campground.

Registration: Register Here.

Contact:

August 17-21, 2024

Crooked River Chapter - Akron Section
Blue Blaze Project Description

Description: The project starts with an on-the-trail scout and planning event for five to ten volunteers. We will provide up to six of these one-day events leading up to the main five-day event/work party in August. These lead-up events will train volunteers and develop a more in-depth stewardship for our current trail adopters. Research will be done, and data will be collected. We plan to use trail counters and in-person surveys. This information will guide us to rehab the Buckeye Trail and ensure it is classed correctly. The BTA strives to create a world-class experience for all users.
We will focus on two areas of the CVNP, about eight miles of trail, "The Flat Land segment" and the "Boston Mills segment". The Flat Land segment is where we previously moved 0.75 of a mile off the plateau to the edge and provided a superior user experience. We must build three bridges and a raised boardwalk in a bottle-neck area. This will provide beter drainage for the environment and a fantastic overlook. In the Boston Mills segment, there is a three-year NEPA backlog in the CVNP, so we will harden the trail in the very muddy areas, complete a tread update, and rehab a 16ft bridge. The BT in this area was constructed over fifty years ago, so it is very narrow for today’s use.

What to Bring: Wear sturdy boots and work gloves—your favorite trail tools. Do not bring Gas Powered equipment. Bring water and lunch in a small pack. Dress for the weather. The project is rain or shine. Training and equipment will be provided.

Meals: We will provide two dinners: one BBQ and one Pizza. The days are TBD. The rest of your meals are on your own. Lunch will be on the trail, so please be prepared to pack a lunch. We will provide water, Gatorade, and snacks for the event.

Work Party Headquarters: BSA Camp Manatoc - Eagle Lodge. Here is the location of Eagle Lodge.

Camping: We will be staying at BSA Camp Manatoc - Eagle Lodge: amenities include Showers, bunks, a full kitchen, air conditioning, ample parking, a fire pit, and outdoor grills. Co-ed if need be. You may tent camp if desired. No Pets allowed. When you register, please indicate whether you will be camping.

Registration: Register Here.

Contact:

September 12-15, 2024

Central Ohio Chapter
Save the Date for TrailFest 2024

The Central Ohio Chapter is proud to announce that the 11th Annual Buckeye TrailFest will take place on September 12th-15th 2024
in Columbus, Ohio at Camp Mary Orton.

We would like to know what sort of topics that you, the hikers and volunteers who love the Buckeye Trail, are interested in.

If you would like to take some time to complete an interest survey for TrailFest, you can find it here.

September 15, 2024

BTA Trustee Board Meeting at TrailFest

Sunday at about 10:30 A.M. after BTA Annual Meeting

Contact: For additional information contact Steve Walker at

September 21-25, 2024

Crooked River Chapter - Burton Section

Description: Finish any work that needs to be completed on the West side of Rapids Rd. to open the trail in the Fall. The work may include painting blazes on the West side of Rapids Rd. Putting up Carsonite markers, and small bridges on the East & West sides of the trail on Rapids Rd. If this work gets completed, we will advance to the South side of SR 422 and continue the trail work that parallels Tilden Rd.

What to Bring: PLEASE bring your own tools if you are inclined to do so. Some tools will be available. Wear sturdy footwear and bring heavy work gloves if you plan to do any grubbing (Pulling Flora Rosa) on the trail. Please DON'T Forget your BUG SPRAY!

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner will be supplied by the BTA Chuck wagon. Please bring your own lunch, snacks and water as needed. Extra water will be available.

Meeting Location: Eldon Russell Park - 16315 Rapids Rd., Burton, Ohio 44021 @ 8:00 am each day

Camping: Punderson State Park - 11755 Kinsman Rd. 44065 in Newbury Twp.

Registration: Register Here.

Contact:

October 26, 2024

BTA Trustee Board Meeting

Saturday at 9:00 A.M. - Virtual

Contact: For additional information contact Steve Walker at

 

Page last updated March 14, 2024