The Clark County Park District, in partnership with the Ohio Climbers Coalition and Access Fund will have a large stewardship event at the Mad River Gorge& Nature Preserve in Springfield, Ohio, May 20 – 21, 2017. Thanks to a Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission, the Park District is purchasing over 70 acres of property containing choice climbing cliffs, woodland, and access to the Mad River, which will open close to 100 acres of valuable natural land for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy. This purchase will make the Mad River Gorge the largest climbing area in the state!
On May 20, 2017, volunteer for a day of trail-building, building of natural steps, general cleanup, and the removal of invasive plants. This is a huge undertaking to get the park ready for the public, so volunteer help is a tremendous boost to the park.Food trucks will be available for lunch, and outdoor vendors, raffles, silent auctions and fun outdoor competitions will also take place.
Saturday dinner will be a Mexican food buffet provided by Los Mariachis at Rock City Resort. Beer will be provided by Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co. along with live bluegrass music and more fun.The meal and beer is only $10 and tickets can be purchased at the Clark County Park District tent during the day; cash or check will be accepted. It will be the perfect way to celebrate all the hard work completed during the day on Saturday!
Sunday morning the Solid Rock Climbers for Christ will provide a free pancake breakfast for volunteers at Rock City Resort. Activities at the Mad River Gorge including climbing demonstrations and guided nature hikes will take place from 10 am to 4 pm. And the Grand Opening Ceremony begins at 12:00 noon, with a call to gather by the First Mad River Light Artillery cannon.
The main camping area available for volunteers is at the local Rock City Resort, LLC (former Bass Lake)- please contact us for more info. This camping spot is within walking distance to the Mad River Gorge, and will have restrooms and porta johns on site.
Other local camping options include Buck Creek State Park or John Bryan State Park. Spots can be reserved online via Reserve America.
The park acquisition and cleanup is the result of over 60 groups partnering with the Park District. Thanks to the generous support of our many sponsors including: Access Fund, A.G. Samuelsson Company, American Alpine Club, American Alpine Institute, Black Diamond, Butora Climbing, CamelBak, C.A.M.P., Capstone Wilderness Guides, Clark County Combined Health District, Clark County Sheriff’s Department PRIDE program, Clark County Solid Waste District, Clif, Clintonville Outfitters, Entre-Prises Climbing Walls, Evolv, Friends of the Clark County Park District, Great Miami Outfitters, Greater Springfield Chamber & CVB, GSI Outdoors, Hertzler House Advisory Committee, Home City Tent and Awning, Huffman Tree Company LLC, Jeep, La Sportiva, Madden Building, Mad River Township Fire Department, Metolius Climbing, Misty Mountain, Moja Gear, Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company, Mountain Hardware, Nate and Bear Chalk Bags, National Trail Parks & Recreation District, Ohio Climbers Coalition, Ohio Public Works Commission, Osprey Packs, Panera, Patagonia, Red Bull, REI, Rock Candy Holds, Rock City Resort, Rock Mill Climbing, Scarpa, Scholl Surveying, LLC, Sender One Films, Solid Rock Climbers for Christ, Smith’s Roll Off Containers, Springfield Conservancy District, Springfield Fire Department,Storts Sanitation,Thermarest, Trango Extraordinary Climbing, Trek Network, 22 Days Nutrition, Urban Krag Climbing Center, Vertical Adventures, Walter S. Quinlan Foundation, The Wright Cup, and Yakima.
Volunteer waivers can be found here:
http://www.ohioclimberscoalition.org/get-involved/
For more information please contact the Clark County Park District at info@clarkcountyparks.org, www.clarkcountyparks.org, phone (937) 882-6000 or follow us on Facebook. You can also contact the Ohio Climbers Coalition at info@ohioclimberscoalition.org.