Open registration for the fall semester at OU is ongoing until Sept. 6. But if you’re in Athens right now in June and July, chances are you’re enrolled in the summer session. While summer classes can be intense, packing so much instruction into such an abbreviated session, you pretty much have to stay focused and keep your mind on the books.
Nevertheless, all work and no play will not do much for your mental well-being, so if you need a break, don’t forget about all the beautiful outdoor venues nearby where you can walk, bike, ride a horse or ATV (check the rules out first!), run or just lounge around in the shade. Hit the local trails at these premiere sites:
- Sells Park – Near campus, Sells Park is 22.5 aces, and offers opportunities for hiking and biking. Plus, the trails connect to the state park trail system.
- Strouds Run State Park – Just a little over 6 miles from the OU campus, this state park of 2600 acres features rugged terrain in the foothills of Appalachia for horseback riding, hiking and biking, plus a lake for boating, fishing and swimming.
- Dale and Jackie Riddle State Nature Preserve – 106 acres in the Allegheny Plateau region, featuring old growth forest and some phenomenal and massive trees (tulip poplar, oak, hickory) and a number of bird species.
Athens also has a number of city parks for picnicking, dog walking, kids playground and just being outdoors in a natural setting. Ohio winters can be long and brutal so get out of your Athens Ohio apartments and smell the flowers.