Open Trail Collective

I can’t believe we’re nearly a month past our 2026 NEO Adventure Fest and I’m just now making an official recap post! I totally thought we were going to slow down but summer is in full swing and things are busyyyyyyy around here.

While the NEOAF was wet AF, it was still soooo good. The rain didn’t stop the community from showing up — we had crowds all day and outdoor vendors said they made tons of good local connections both with other businesses and guests. Truly everything we love to hear!

While I could wallow in the “what if’s” of what it would have been like if we swapped weather with Sunday, something about the rain makes it special. It makes people hunker down together in tents, have longer conversations, not feel as rushed, and the vibes just *hit* at 230PM when the rain stopped enough for the sun to come out and the music to start for a bit ✨

Thanks to everyone who came out!! The event and community wouldn’t be possible without you 🥰

Scroll all the way to the end of the carousel for a survey and pleaseeeee fill it out! You can also find a link over there for the full album of photos from and

Thanks again for a wonderful event!! We’re already scheming for 2027 🤠

I once heard “Everyone wants a village but no one wants to be a villager” and I think about this constantly. I love the idea of community but it takes time, consistency, and showing up in tough times, when you’re tired, when you don’t want to, when you’d rather be doing something else.

What have you done lately to build your community? How have you shown up as a villager? How have you shown up when you’re tired? How do we take community off of the internet and onto the streets?

I challenge you all to be the neighbor you wish you had; be the friend you wish you had. Share kids, share meals, share your left overs.

Adventure needs community and we need each other ✨

Let's let summer roll! We've got so much coming up over the next few months!! In addition to all of these adventures, we also have 4 private adventures for youth and adults —summer camps, employee resource groups, teen programs, etc!

Make sure you always pre-register at the link in our bio or on our website https://www.opentrailcollective.org/adventures

Shoot me an email with any questions [email protected]

PS im a mama with my kids at home all summer working remotely for both OTC and my day job so be patient with me if I don't respond promptly. It's about to get wild over here!

I want to take a moment to give the biggest hug to the OTC team that has come together this year. Over the past ~9 months, we’ve been building a strong team of volunteers and staff to help plan and lead adventures throughout northeast Ohio. I might be a little biased but these people are the bestttt around 💖

This weekend we held our 3rd environmental initiative of 2026 organized and led by Nate Kreis. These initiatives have helped pick up ~300lbs(!!) of trash throughout 2 clean ups in CVNP and one partnership clean up in Cleveland with + Slavic Village Green Team. Check out Nate’s next clean up on 7/10 as we paddle the Cuyahoga and clean up along the way with and

And today we hosted our 3rd birding walk organized and led by . Megan is amazing and also has a certification in accessible birding from .birding — so thankful to have her on our team! Check out her next birding walk coming up on Sunday 6/14 in collab with as we check out and learn about the bank swallows along the clif side of the Cuyahoga River on Overlook Trail.

Together, these adventures plus the other adventures organized and led by our team, we’ve been able to bring out 110+ extra participants over 12 different adventures. This is around 1/3 of our overall participants for 2026 so far!

Head over to www.opentrailcollective.org/team to learn about our wonderful team and come out to some of our upcoming adventures to meet them IRL ❤️❤️

And please register in advance for all adventures! Find the link in our bio or head over to www.opentrailcollective.org/adventures

Xoxoxo

Birding involves being outside, slowing down, moving our bodies, and being with other people — of course it make us happier!

Join OTC Lead Birder, Megan, and University of Akron Field Station Naturalist, Kasey, as they walk the trails of Bath Nature Preserve to spot bobolinks and other birds hanging out along the trails. Binoculars will be provided to those who need them!

We’re especially excited about the bobolinks on this walk. The bobolink is an amazing migratory bird that makes a 9,000 mile journey from South America to nest in NE Ohio 🥰

What is accessible birding? This is a birding certification that considers a number of factors to ensure that this opportunity is available to everybody. Additionally, the UA Field Station has a GRIT Freedom All-Terrain wheelchair so that people with mobility challenges can join as well.

Please pre-register at the link in our bio or www.opentrailcollective.org/adventures and shoot me an email [email protected] with any questions. Please let us know in advance if you need any special accommodations.

PS here are more details on why birding makes us happier—

According to Psychology Today:

- Novel fascinating and pleasant environments can reduce stress and restore our attentional capacity.
-Experiences of awe and social connection can help us feel more open, collaborative, and interconnected.
-An experimental study found that looking for birds improves well-being and reduces distress.

Happy June! Happy Pride! Let's get outside!!

We have two super fun adventures this weekend — a roadside clean up and a birding walk. Check them out and be sure to pre-register on our website at the link in our bio or www.opentrailcollective.org/adventures

6/6 - CVNP Litter Clean Up
6/7 - BOBOLINK BIRDING HIKE at
6/12 - Playground Playdate + Picnic at Brecksville Res
6/14 - Bank Swallow Stroll with
6/20 - Climbing at Whipps Ledges with (SOLD OUT)
6/27 - 2mi Family Kayak with
7/10 - River Clean Up with
7/11 - 6mi kayak with
7/12 - Paddle Board with
7/21 - Playground Playdate + Picnic at Huntington Beach
8/7 - Wildlife Conservation Center Tour + Family-Friendly Hike

PS check out our June newsletter —
https://opentrailcollective.org/so/18PvZpUs-?languageTag=en&cid=3b25105b-18e7-45bb-a2e1-fa44f23926b1 and link in our bio ✨

Somehow nearly 200 of yall liked this post but we’ve had zero registrations — I’m envious that you have better social lives than I do 🤣🤣🤣So I’m going to go ahead and cancel it since it’s unlikely we’ll get enough people to run it in just 5 days.

Remember that our beloved river outfitters only stay afloat if we use them. It’s been a rainy month and the river has been high meaning their sales have been low. Thankfully, it looks like we’ll start having more sun and better flows soon. So let’s get in the river and show them some love soon!

What times and days work best for you??? Do you want to kayak rivers, inland lakes/reservoirs, or Lake Erie?

Im looking forward to getting on the water with yall this summer!! 🫶🏻

Dont forget that our *badass* raffle ends Sunday night!! All raffle ticket purchases are tax deductible and help us fund our mission of promoting adventure in northeast Ohio while advocating for a more inclusive, accessible, and collaborative outdoor industry.

Check out full descriptions of the baskets through the QR code or the link in our bio 💞

Basket 1:
- 3-person walleye fishing trip on Lake Erie with Cast It Forward Fishing

Basket 2:
- Northern Ohio Mountain Bike Series Season Pass

Basket 3:
- Outdoor Identity Team Headshot Session from

Basket 4:
- New River Gorge Multisport Getaway - CLIMB with New River Mountain Guides, RAFT with ACE Mountain Adventures, and CAMP and Mountain Bike at Arrowhead Bike Farm!! This basket also includes gift cards to Secret Sandwich Society and The Take Out for your pre- or post- adventure snacks!

Basket 5:
- Cleveland Guardians Tickets- Front Row, Third Baseline; Mon May 25 at 6:10 PM—Memorial Day; Cleveland Guardians vs. Washington Nationals; Plush Blanket Giveaway Night; Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH

Basket 6:
- Self-Care Basket
- Enjoy a basket of locally made goodies to help you relax and recharge. The items in this basket were graciously donated by several local businesses. Thank you to YouBloom LLC, Morgan Hughes, Portal West Coffee, Diane Stressing, The Ash House, Rust Modern Home, and Woven Word Book Shop.

Basket 7:
- The Staycation Basket
- Enjoy the beauty of Northeast Ohio with this “Staycation Basket”! Kayak, hike, sip, and represent Ohio’s only national park. Enjoy a Sunset Kayak Tour for two people with 41 North Coastal Adventures, a 60 Hikes within 60 miles of Cleveland Guidebook, 2 bags of Coffee from Portal West, 2 handmade ceramic mugs from Morgan Hughes, and loads of swag from the Conservancy for the CVNP!