News & Updates
300 Hours Outside Challenge
Tired of sitting behind a computer screen or listening to the kids yell at Fortnite? Take it outside! Stark Parks is challenging you to a 300 Hours Outside Challenge. It can be on-your-own, with some friends, or along with the kids. How it Works? Take the 300 hour challenge from…
Mindfulness Walk Presented with NACPRO Award
Stark Parks is proud to announce that the Mindfulness Walk at Petros Lake Park has been selected as a recipient of a 2020 National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) award in the Park and Rec Facility – Class I category. The annual NACPRO awards honor excellence in…
Ohio Bio Exhibit Now Open
A new natural history timeline exhibit called Ohio Bio is now open to visitors. Located inside the Canalway Center at the Exploration Gateway, the exhibit shows some of the significant events that impacted the state’s native animal populations. The free exhibit is currently open Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to…
Ranger Bass Fishing Series
Spend the day on the water at Stark Parks Ranger Bass Tournaments! All tournaments are $60 per boat (cash only) with proceeds benefitting the Stark Parks Ranger Cadet Program. No pre-registration required; registration begins one hour prior to each tournament. Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and…
Stark Exploring Trail Challenge
Soon enough, the leaves will be turning, the air will be brisk, and fall will be popping up all around. Take the Stark Exploring Challenge and experience autumn with Stark Parks! From September 1 to November 30, hike 10 of the select trails and get rewarded with a hiking stick…
Summer Serenades Returns for 2021 Season
The popular seven concert series that combines the spontaneous sounds of nature and people enjoying a park with the orchestrated sounds of musicians runs through July and August this summer. The free concerts will feature small groups of musicians from the Canton Symphony Orchestra. Everyone is invited to bring your…
Towpath Trail Construction Work in Massillon
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began an ongoing levee project near the Tuscarawas River in August 2020. This is a long term project that will affect this section of the towpath through 2022. As of April. 26, 2021, the Towpath Trail is closed between Cherry Rd. and Lake Ave.…
Walborn Reservoir Eagle Nest Report
In 1979 there were only four eagle pairs in Ohio. The state is now home to around 200 nests with about 300 known eaglets hatching each year. 2018 and 2019 population estimates have been considerably higher. Eaglets at Walborn Reservoir have never been banded by ODNR for safety reasons: the nesting…
Celebrating 50 Years
Humble Beginnings (1960s and 1970s) The year was 1967. Although Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources had been established 18 years before in 1949, it was three years before the establishment of the federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and celebration of the first Earth Day in 1970. It would be another…
Find Me FeLeap
Introducing Find Me FeLeap, another fun scavenger hunt opportunity for you to explore Stark Parks. Ben Weaver, a Jackson High School student and Life Scout with Troop 927-Lake Cable, has designed and placed 12 FeLeap signs hidden across Stark Parks. Along trails, near wildlife observation areas, and of course next to…
Hidden Gems of Stark Parks
Being outside has been and continues to be one of the safest places to enjoy and Stark Parks is full of hidden gems. Switch up your route or discover new areas and experiences with lesser-known locations, we call hidden gems. These locations are typically less crowded and tucked away in…
parkrun, Free 5k Held Saturdays at Sippo Lake Park!
Friends of Stark Parks is proud to offer parkrun USA to Sippo Lake Park! parkrun is a completely free, weekly (held every Saturday morning), timed 5k staged at parks around the world, led by volunteers. These 5k events are open to everyone – including walkers. Participants only need to register…
Scout Project Proposals at Stark Parks
Thank you for your interest in performing your Eagle Scout or Gold Award project with the Stark Parks. We encourage you to visit our parks to generate a project idea to propose. Successful proposals identify an area of need to enhance our mission to acquire, preserve, and develop natural areas…
