The Grandma Gatewood (Virtual) Challenge

5 Miles -> 5 Hikes -> 5 Parks -> 5 Weeks 

The 5-week challenge period starts Sunday, April 27 (Grandma Gatewood Day) and ends Saturday, May 31. Hiking is on-your-own at any 76 of Ohio's beautiful state parks! Weekly emails will be sent during the challenges with tips and information about group hikes at various park locations. Everyone that participates gets a Grandma Gatewood t-shirt and a finisher's patch.

Who is Grandma Gatewood?
Grandma Emma Gatewood was from Gallia, Ohio and helped found the Buckeye Trail. She hiked the Appalachian National Scenic Trail three times, becoming the first woman to hike it solo. She also hiked the Oregon Trail and sections of the Buckeye Trail. She started her hiking career at the age of 67! 
To Learn More: Ohio’s Most Famous Hiker––Emma “Grandma” Gatewood - Ohio History Connection

Registration fee:
Price: $35 includes finisher's patch 
Official t-shirt - special $10 add-on

Plan Your Hikes
Make sure you have a plan to complete the challenge, whether that be hiking once a week for 5 weeks, or more often.  Need help planning which parks and which trails to hike? Check out these downloadable maps of all state parks and campgrounds. You can access online maps through the Ohio Trails Community on OuterSpatial.

Trails for All
The Ohio State Parks Foundation funds projects that make our state parks more welcoming to all. ADA trails are listed here. We encourage people of all abilities to participate in this challenge!

Track your Miles
There are several ways you can track your mileage. Many parks have signs that include mileage information at trailheads and along trails. You can also use a GPS tracking program on a smartphone such as AllTrails, or a personal fitness wearable, like Fitbit or Apple Watch.

Who Should Participate?
This challenge is for anyone that likes to spend time at Ohio State Parks. Whether you enjoy hiking or moving at a leisurely pace, this challenge will encourage you to do more of what you enjoy. It's the perfect reason to plan a trip to a favorite or never-before visited Ohio State Park!

If you are participating in the Buckeye Trail's Emma Grandma Gatewood Solstice (EGGS) hike, this is a great opportunity to prepare and make a commitment for this year's event held June 19-22. With 5 hikes under your belt by May 31, you'll be on your way to hiking the 20, 40, 60 or 80-mile options at the EGGS event!

Additional Details:

• Repeat park locations are acceptable, but we encourage you to use this challenge to visit multiple state parks, especially those you've never visited before!
• Each hike should be 5 miles (or more!). If you can't get to 5 miles at first, relax! This challenge is as fun or as serious as you want it to be. You will receive words of encouragement via emails during the challenge to help you stay motivated!

Proceeds and donations will support the Ohio State Parks Foundation's mission which is to make Ohio's state parks more welcoming to more people. We work with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to identify projects such as inclusive playgrounds, accessible trails, kayak launches, ADA benches and picnic tables in the 76 Ohio State Parks. Where the tax money ends, our funding begins.

Important Dates:

• Monday, April 7 - deadline to register to guarantee your t-shirt size. Packets will start mailing out the week of April 7.
• Sunday, April 27 - Grandma Gatewood Day is the deadline to register to give yourself five full weeks to complete the challenge. T-shirts will be mailed out as quickly as possible during the month of May for registrations submitted after April 15.
• Saturday, May 31 is the last date to complete the challenge and submit your tracking data to qualify for a finisher's patch.
• Thursday, June 19 - Attend the EGGS reception at Burr Oak State Park for a photo opp with other participants.