News & Updates
5 Year Plan Public Meetings
Our parks and trails exist for citizens to use and enjoy through recreation, conservation, and education. Public input and feedback is compiled into a Five Year Plan that helps guide priority projects and goals. The next Five Year Plan will cover 2019 to 2023. The survey and first round of feedback sessions…
Be Safe and Courteous on the Trails
Warmer weather brings more people around the parks and enjoying hiking and biking trails across Stark County. Stark Parks is the Place to Be this year and the Public Safety Department has compiled this list of etiquette and safety reminders: Be Courteous: Move to the right when stopping on a…
Stark Exploring Features 20 Different Hikes
About the Program Hike at least 10 of the select trails and get rewarded with a cool Stark Exploring decal (stickers for kids). All mileage is based on the honor system. Bring in or mail your completed forms to the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park-North (5712 12th St. NW,…
Trash to Treasure Challenge
The Challenge Another person's trash could be your ticket to a winning art piece! Join Friends of Stark Parks and partners, Stark Parks, Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District, and Habitat for Humanity Project ReStore Canton for our inaugural upcycle art contest in celebration of America Recycles Day! We’re looking…
Towpath Treks
You have seen pictures of tunnels, bridges, a dry dock, and bright red lock tender's house. You have heard about great places to see bald eagles soaring overhead and a chorus of spring peepers. Explore a few miles at a time over 25 miles of Towpath Trail in Stark County…
Walborn Reservoir Eagle Nest Report
In 1979 there were only four eagle pairs in Ohio. The state is now home to over 200 nests and with around 300 known eaglets hatching each year. The eaglets at Walborn Reservoir have never been banded by ODNR for safety reasons: the nesting tree has been struck by lightning several…
Cache4Coins Geotour
Find a series of 20 different caches that have been placed across Stark County for the Cache4Coins GeoTour kicking off on Dec. 31, 2016. Travel to peaceful reservoirs, surround yourself in acres of trees, stop by tasty and artsy attractions, and take in some local history in Stark County, Ohio.…
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…
Exceptional Volunteers Honored
Stark Parks Volunteers and their accomplishments were celebrated at a 1967 retro-themed Recognition Dinner on Nov. 16 at the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park. The theme paid homage to the 50th anniversary of Stark Parks and the dedicated volunteers who have helped to develop and expand the park…
Gunnar the K-9 Receives New Vest
Stark County Park District’s first K-9 ranger, Gunnar, has received his k-9 ballistic vest thanks to non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. and was sponsored by Consultative Insurance Group of Middleburgh Heights, OH. The new vest was custom-made and weighs about 5 lbs. It has a five-year warranty. Gunnar…
Nature Series
Get down and dirty as we explore different park habitats, identify wildlife, and learn about conservation efforts right here in Stark County. Programs, workshops, citizen science projects, and so much more will be offered in our new Nature Series. Between March and October, the first 10 participants to attend 7+…
New Wildlife Center Groundbreaking Held
[caption id="attachment_2743" align="alignleft" width="345"] Bill Bryan, Denise Freeland, Joe Sommer, and Bob Fonte breaking the ground for a new Wildlife Center.[/caption] On April 12th, 2017, Stark Parks officially named the new Wildlife Conservation Building in honor of Joseph J. Sommer. The new building will be located at 800 Genoa Ave…
Public Programming Survey
The survey feedback period had ended. We hope you will join us on a guided program this fall and in 2019. Fall Programs
Quail Hollow Becomes Newest Stark Park
Stark Parks will be ringing in the New Year with a new park. Bob Fonte, park director, received the signed management agreement, confirming the Park District will officially take management of Quail Hollow State Park in Hartville, beginning Jan. 8, 2016. “This has been a long time coming. We’re all…