OHIO — As the warm temperatures return to the Buckeye State, so does the urge to get outside and enjoy Ohio’s state parks. But there’s one Ohio man who hits the trails no matter the season.
Monday through Friday, and sometimes on Saturday, Terry Staley hikes the trails at Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville.
“My home is my home away from home,” said Staley. “This trail is more like my home because I spend so much time here.”
Staley treats volunteering like a full-time job. In 2020, he logged 1,163 volunteer hours while working to clear and maintain more than 20 miles worth of trail in the 50 springs area.
“It gives me something to do,” said Staley. “I need to stay busy, I don’t need to stay home and get older.”
During his time walking a .09 mile stretch, Staley said he discovered the perfect spot for a paved trail for Americans with Disabilities (ADA). He’s now working to collect the funds to pave the trail as well as a scenic overlook that he cleared near the halfway point.
“The overlook would be a 12-by-16 paved areas with radius corners,” said Staley. “It would also include a railing at the edge for safety.”
Staley said his goal was inspired, in part, by his time in the Air Force where he served as a flight engineer for 20 years
“I did a lot of evacuations, bringing our men and women back from very hostile areas,” said Staley. “A lot of them ended up in wheelchairs and now I just want to give back to those who have given so much for our country.”
Staley’s plan also calls for modifying picnic tables at the trail to make them ADA accessible and painting an orange strip down the middle of the trail to create the “perfect” space for wheelchair races.
Staley has submitted his pitch to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources which has committed to updating the bathrooms in the area.
Details on Staley’s proposal can be found on his GoFundMe.
