Outdoor Recreation
Get Outside! Enjoy the fun that awaits you at the parks and on the trails.
You can also join the fun from home!
2021 Pace at the Park
2021 Pace at the Park
(Beginning July 14, awards can be picked up by appointment at the park district office or at upcoming Rocky Fork Headley Hunt paces).
What an incredible day! The weather was perfect and 113 riders and horses were out on the pace course at Infirmary Mound Park!
Thank you to all the volunteers from the Licking Park District and the Rocky Fork Headley Hunt. Your hard work and attention to detail during course preparation and on event day made the 2021 Pace at the Park one of the best ever! The course was beautiful and all aspects of event day went smoothly and efficiently.
The Licking Park District staff thanks you all for your contribution. We truly couldn’t have done it without you. Kudos!
A big thank you also to the Refugee Canyon Fire District for having a unit stationed at the event. Thankfully there were no incidents or injuries but their presence provided a huge piece of mind for participants to know that help was right there if needed.
Contact the Park District office at 740.587.2535 with questions or to schedule a time for awards pick up.
For Pace results, Click here.
Outdoor Adventure Series - Summer Challenges: Hike Bike Paddle and Saddle Up!
Take part in two more Outdoor Adventure Series challenges this summer, June through August!
In partnership with Explore Licking County we are bringing you the ‘Hike, Bike, Paddle’ challenge again and new this year, the Saddle Up Equestrian Challenge!
Saddle Up Equestrian Challenge
Ride your horse on the trails at Licking Park District’s Infirmary Mound Park, Lobdell Reserve or Taft Reserve and accumulate your mileage.
* 25 miles: Commemorative Patch
* 50 miles: Raffle Entry for $100 gift card at local farm store and a commemorative patch
(To estimate your trail mileage using hours, calculate at 4-mph walk/8-mph trot/saddle gait.)
Hike, Bike, Paddle Challenge
Hike, Bike, or Paddle for 30 minutes! Do two activities for a commemorative patch or do all three for an entry into raffle drawing for a $100 gift card at local sporting goods store!
* Hike for 30 minutes at Infirmary Mound Park, Lobdell Reserve, Taft Reserve, or Morris Woods Nature Preserve
*Bike for 30 minutes on the TJ Evans Bike Trails or LPD park trails
*Paddle for 30 minutes by accessing the Licking River from Riverview Reserve, Staddens Landing, or Brownsville Rd. You may also kayak, canoe or SUP on Mirror Lake at Infirmary Mound Park.
So get outside this summer and explore your Licking Park District 1600 acre backyard!
For more information and to submit results, Click here.
Wildflower Fairy Trail
The magic has returned to Infirmary Mound Park. The fairies and other wee folk have migrated back to the Wildflower Trail. Their village will be up from May 1st through the month of September!
To access the trail, park at the Shelter 6 parking area. Visit the sign near the playground and grab a map. Follow the signs and map around Mirror Lake to the start of the Fairy Trail. If Shelter 6 is full, you can park at the Shelter 5/horse gravel lot and follow the signs from there as well.
The start of the Wildflower/Fairy Trail is about 1/4 mile from the parking area at Shelter 6. The actual Fairy Trail is a 1/4 mile loop.
The wee folk wanted us to share some Fairy Directives while visiting:
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Please be kind! Follow all current health guidelines.
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Leave No Trace! Please do not leave any glitter, trash, or plastic. These can hurt the fairy friends.
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Please stay on trail! There are plants like poison ivy and stinging nettle in the woods in this area!
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Please leave houses as you find them! So the next visitors can experience the magic as well.
For a map to the fairy trail Click Here
2021 LPD Park Bingo Challenge
Explore Your Parks! May 8th through July 10th!
Take A Selfie at Each Location
Enter the Raffle!
We upped the challenge this year—many destinations will require a short hike!
Visit nine park and trail locations around the county. Explore the trails, view the wildlife, and have fun!
Once you complete your Bingo Sheet, enter the raffle for the prize worth more than $125.
For the printable directions, game board, and locations click here: CLICK HERE
How to Participate
1.) Travel to each bingo location. At each park find the landmark featured on the Park Bingo Card.
2) Take a selfie with the sign/landmark. The selfie does not have to be of your face…it could feature your hiking boot, your dog, etc . You can get creative!
3) When you have all nine selfies share them. Post to the Licking Park District’s facebook or Instagram page using #LPDbingo AND email them to anne.balogh@lickingparkdistrict.com to enter the raffle. Please submit all nine “pieces” of your game grid at once.
Must be 18 or older to enter the raffle.
Please follow all social distancing and park guidelines.
LPD Garlic Mustard Challenge
It’s as easy as 1,2,3!
The Garlic Mustard Challenge is an effort to prevent the further spread of the invasive plant garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata). YOU can make a difference! The intention is that this will be a collaborative effort where anyone and everyone can help make a difference to our shared green spaces.
When? April and May
Where? Participate by pulling garlic mustard anywhere managed by the Licking Park District where garlic mustard is present. Self serve bag stations will be at Infirmary Mound Park at the Shelter 5 kiosk and at The Lobdell Reserve Mounts Rd entrance kiosk. (A permit is needed at Morris Woods State Nature Preserve)
Who? Anyone can participate!
How? Keep track of how many bags of garlic mustard you’ve pulled and report your bags using the online form!
For more information visit: 1) Garlic Mustard Fact Sheet: Click Here for Fact Sheet
2) Watch the training video on how to pull here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzxqi3Rw69U&t=3s
3) Share your data with us online by filling out the LPD Garlic Mustard Challenge Form: https://tinyurl.com/LPDgarlicmustard
(Adapted from The Great Garlic Mustard Challenge of New England)
At Home With Nature
Below is a list of links to Nature Activities for kids and families:
Explore the Licking Park District Virtually!
