CLEVELAND — From cross-country skiing to snowshoeing to hiking, Cleveland Metroparks has the cure for anyone suffering from cabin fever during the pandemic, said Rachel Nagle, the park outdoor recreation manager.
“There’s a park within about 15 minutes of everybody’s house in Cuyahoga County, Medina Township. (There’s) so, so much fun to be had,” Nagle said.
Metroparks has 18 reservations across 24,000 acres to explore, she said.
“The goal and the mission of Cleveland Metroparks is really to help everybody … connect with nature, become good stewards of the environment,” Nagle said.
Cleveland Metroparks wants to find ways to get people outside safely because many are stuck indoors due to the pandemic.
“A lot of people feel like they’re trapped in their house but you can take refuge in the parks where you can get out and move. And so, get that energy flowing. You can also come out and just take a deep breath. Sometimes we don’t do that enough in our lives,” Nagle said.
And if you need some extra motivation, Cleveland Metroparks has a challenge for you.
“We just launched our 2021 trail challenge presented by Cigna. We have selected 30 new trails this year. You have the entire calendar year. We started in January. (You have) through the end of December to do and log your trails. Our trails vary in length from 0.3 miles to up to 10 miles,” said Mary Rouse, director of outdoor experiences at Cleveland Metroparks.
Rouse said over 1,000 people signed up for the trail challenge in 2020, and this year they’re hoping more people sign up for the challenge.
“If you complete 10 of the 30 hikes, you get the really cool 2021 trail challenge sticker, and I’ve been collecting them. They’re on a water bottle. They’re great. But the really cool prize is if you hit 20 of the 30 trail challenge hikes, you get this really cool stainless steel pint glass with our logo on it,” Rouse said.
Nagle said people have all year to complete the challenge, but why wait?
“People think, oh, it’s snowing. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. But if you dress appropriately, use the layering system of the three W’s. You want a wicking, a warmth and a weather layer. So just like I have today, and then you can unzip or zip it up to help you stay warmer or colder. So if you dress appropriately, you should be able to get out and explore the parks every single day so that you can stay active, stay fit, stay healthy,” Nagle said
