Outdoor Resources
Our goal at the Adventure Center is to give you the skills, experience and confidence you need to begin planning your own outdoor adventures. We would love to have you attend all of our trips and clinics, but if you're ready to get out there "On Your Own," check out these great resources below. Please help us keep our list up to date. If you know of another resource to add to this list, please email Chris Lukas, Assistant Director, Outdoor Adventure at clukas@kent.edu.
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Home and Virtual Adventures
Simple training plan with videos to train for rock climbing during COVID.
Keep your body healthy and improve your rock climbing skills with this descriptive tutorial.
Check out these short videos on inspiring rock climbers.
A resource for the most recent information, news, and community regarding rock climbing.
Simple training video to help with hip and leg movements for rock climbing.
A series of short and engaging virtual tours of the main attractions at Yellowstone National Park
A list of engaging books, movies, and other media to help you get your climbing fix during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Simple training guide for climbing during COVID-19.
An encyclopedia of techniques and tips for rock climbers of all skill levels.
A video showing the manufacturing process for different pieces of climbing equipment.
A beautiful Interactive documentary showing off the hidden world that is our national park system.
A list of zoo and aquarium live streams that let at home viewers see animals.
7 free virtual travel experiences that lets viewers a home experience wonders of the world.
These virtual tours are a good representation of what New Zealand has to offer, whether you’re a Kiwi or a tourist interested in visiting the country. With these interactive experiences, you can learn about the culture, history, and legacy of the country.
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Biking & Cycling
A list of engaging and scenic multipurpose trails to explore in Northeast Ohio.
A local recreational bicycle touring club in Akron, Ohio.
Informational resources for biking in the state of Ohio.
Local bike shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Informational resources for biking in the Cleveland Metroparks.
Local bike shop in Kent, Ohio.- KSU Biking on Campus website
Informational resources for biking at 5XÉçÇø.
Local bike shop in Stow, Ohio.
Informative resource to locate mountain biking trails in your area.
Scenic 326 mile multipurpose trail connecting the Ohio River to the shores of Lake Erie.
A scenic, 7.7-mile, multipurpose trail from Ravenna to Kent and beyond.
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Climbing - Indoors
Bouldering gym in Youngstown Ohio
A free form boulder wall located in Claridon Woodlands park.
A rock climbing and yoga gym in Cleveland, Ohio. The gym features lead climbing, top rope, auto-belays walls and a spacious bouldering area.
A rock climbing, bouldering, and yoga gym in Cleveland Ohio.
Outfitting service and rock climbing gym in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
A bouldering and community gym with two locations in the Cleveland, OH area.
Rock climbing gym in Elyria Ohio.
A bouldering, fitness, and yoga gym in Akron Ohio.
A climbing, fitness, and yoga gym located in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
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Climbing - Outdoors
Bouldering and climbing area near Beach City, OH.
An old quarry that has been repurposed into a recreational climbing area. Logtown is located in Lisbon, Ohio and features 45 classic sport & traditional climb routes.
A resource to track down and provide information for climbing spots and routes all over.
Two climbing and rappelling areas at McConnells Mill State Park in Pennsylvania.
A metropark in Youngstown, OH that allows bouldering within a permitted area of the park.
An informational resource to help you locate climbing areas and communities across Ohio.
An old quarry that has been repurposed into a recreational climbing area. Sawyer quarry is located near Perrysburg, Ohio and offers climbing and rappelling opportunities.
High quality sandstone ledges in Hinckley, OH that offer various traditional and top roping routes.
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Disc Golf
An informative resource that lets users find, play, review and share disc golf courses.
An online community for disc golfers.- KSU Disc Golf Course
A source for information for disc golfing at 5XÉçÇø.
A resource to find and locate disc golf courses nearest to you.
A source of information about a local disc golf course in Hudson, Ohio.
A source of information about a local disc course in the West Branch State Park.
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Hiking & Walking
7 routes ranging from 1/4-mile track to 3-mile walking routes
Top 10 list of beautiful hikes to experience in the state of Ohio.
An informative list about the 10 greatest hiking trails in Cleveland, Ohio.
Top 10 things for outdoor hiking for beginners.
A resource to let you explore with confidence. AllTrails lets you view trails and routes in detail and read feedback so that you adventure anywhere.
A local park and recreation system for the city of Kent, Ohio. They maintain 17 areas for recreation, which include parks, athletic fields and recreation complexes.
A local park system for Cuyahoga County and the city of Cleveland. They maintain 18 lake, forest and river areas for conservation and recreation.
A park near to the city of Kent, Ohio, containing the living relics from the last ice age.
Ohio's very own national park, consisting of 50 square miles of beautiful river and forest nestled between the cities of Cleveland and Akron.
Eagle Creek Wildlife are is a 2,341-acre state wildlife area located 5 miles east of the village of Ripley, Ohio, which is situated along the Ohio River.
Informative resource to locate hiking trails around your area.- Jennings Woods
74-acre property owned by 5XÉçÇø for habitat study. Habitats include mature second-growth oak/maple forests, meadows, flood plain and depressional wetlands. - Kent State Food Insecurity Garden
A volunteer community garden that plants vegetables to provide to food-insecure children with a meal through the Mighty Pack Program. - Kent State Pollinator Habitat
A sustainable, restorative feature on the Kent Campus. It provides spaces for native species to thrive and includes interpretive elements for viewers. - 5XÉçÇø DeWeese Health Center Community Garden
A community garden focused on growing fresh produce, learning best-practice gardening techniques and managing stress through connection with nature.
Local park system for Lake County. They maintain 35 lakefront, forest and river areas for conservation and recreation.
A map showing the geographic location of Ohio's various nature preserves and the various regions they may be located in.
State park system for the state of Ohio. They maintain an incredibly diverse 75 state parks, 21 state forests and 280 nature preserves and wildlife areas for conservation and recreation.
Scenic, 326-mile multipurpose trail connecting the Ohio River to the shores of Lake Erie.
List of the individual parks located in the Portage County Park District.
A scenic, 7.7-mile multipurpose trail from Ravenna to Kent and beyond.
Local park system for Portage County. They maintain 13 lake, forest and river areas for conservation and recreation. 5XÉçÇø's Kent Campus is located inside of Portage County.
Local park system for Summit County and the city of Akron. They maintain 16 lake, forest and river areas for conservation and recreation.
An 87-mile multipurpose trail that lets visitors experience regional history at their own pace.
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Paddling
Designated as a protected water trail, the Cuyahoga River has over 90 miles of traversable river that the public can access and enjoy.
Located in Portage County, Wingfoot Lake is a 444-acre lake that offers plenty of on- and off-water recreational activities.
Lake Rockwell Reservoir, Lake Pippen, LaDue Reservoir, East Branch Reservoir, Mogadore Reservoir and Rockwell South Canoe Launch
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Places to Visit
A local orchard in Kent Ohio offering fresh fruit and baked goods in a scenic setting.
The mission of Crown Point is to demonstrate the practical applications of ecology and to connect spirituality, social justice and environmental protection.
A non-profit organization focused on the promotion, beautification, and revitalization of downtown Kent.
A non-profit organization focused on the promotion, beautification, and revitalization of downtown Kent.
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes conserves a natural area, connects people with nature and inspires environmental stewardship.
An education center to educate our community on issues related to our natural world, preserve and protect our natural lands, and inspires others to action.
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Running
A resource for the most recent information, news, and events regarding running.
A resource for finding long distance running races and community.
Scenic 326 mile multipurpose trail connecting the Ohio river to the shores of Lake Erie.
Informative resource to locate running trails around your area.
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Skiing & Snowboarding
Informative resource to locate ski trails around your area.
Boston Mills and Brandywine are two separate ski areas owned and operated by Vail Resorts.
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Useful Organizations and Information
A volunteer organization formed to give the 100-mile length of the Cuyahoga River a voice. They work to protect and care for our local river and its ecosystem.
Gohio helps commuters all across the state explore their commute options.
An informative application that allows users to become more familiar about their natural environment through recording their observations and interacting with their community.- Kent State Office of Sustainability
A resource for information about our local habitats, and descriptions about the environments that 5XÉçÇø manages on its grounds. - Kent State Regional Campus - The Great Outdoors
Celebrate the natural wonder and outdoor spirit of America by reconnecting with nature. Use our lists of recreation areas and events to get started today.
With pioneering Science, hands-on training and simple guidelines, Leave No Trace helps you explore the outdoors sustainably every time you get outside.
Government agency tasked with managing Ohio's natural resources.
Government agency tasked with enforcing environmental laws and regulations.
A go-to source for all the information you need to learn new skills, choose and maintain gear, prep for your trips and have amazing adventures.- Stark Campus Recreation & Wellness Center
The Recreation & Wellness Center at Kent State Stark promotes physical, social and mental well-being. Students can also take for-credit classes in Physical Activity, Wellness & Sport (PWS) and Dance (DAN).
A nonprofit nature conservancy based in Cleveland working to make our city spaces cleaner and greener.
A nonprofit nature conservancy working to provide the people of our region with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration.