Trail Running
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out trail running events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the trail running events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
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Trail Running Events Today
Join in-person Trail Running events happening right now
Weekly Running Group
Every Tuesday, the group 024 Waalrunners go for a run at a distance of between 7km - 10km depending on the group. Everyone is welcome to join, you just need to turn up at 20:00 on Tuesday in front of Brouwerij De Hemel. There are different routes every time, and the group welcome all new people to join them.
[https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504](https://www.facebook.com/024waalrunners-710731759317504)
SSR web development with Clojure
NOTE: this is an **in-person event** in Amersfoort!
We are a bunch of Clojure enthusiast who meet every month to discuss every thing Clojure.
Today we'll have a presentation around SSR web development, with practical examples and experiments.
Further, we don't have scheduled any special activity for tonight, so here's some ideas of what we would love to hear from you:
* have you started new projects with Clojure(Script)? Tell us all about it!
* did you author or started using cool new libraries? Plug your laptop to the projector and show us!
* ever wanted to learn more about some topics or are you just anewcomer to the Clojure world? Just ask, we're happy to help you out!
See you!
p.s.: food is not offered tonight, make sure to come with a full stomach!
UX Beers Antwerp May @Buffl
**Welcome to our May UX Beers in Mechelen!**
This time, we will host our event on Tuesday the 26th of May at [Buffl](https://buffl.be) in Mechelen.
[Ariad](https://www.ariadgroup.com/) and [Creative Skills](https://www.creativeskills.be/) sponsor our events.
Follow the event online? We stream live via [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqyTDAyQBw)
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\#\#\# UX TALKS
**Talk 1: Research Reinvented**
[Michiel Willekens](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiel-willekens/), Productmanager @ BUFFL and [Seppe Stroo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seppe-stroo-843b82128/), Founding partner @ BUFFL
In this presentation, BUFFL will demonstrate how rethinking research can drive real business results through a pragmatic case study.
You’ll discover how to translate business objectives into the right customer questions and how to act on those insights immediately to accelerate growth and sales.
By bringing the live voice of thousands of (potential) customers into the decision-making process, organizations can ask the right questions at the right time and turn insights into measurable business impact: from increased sales and customer
loyalty/experience to stronger brand awareness and more effective activation strategies.
**Talk 2: Synthetic Personas – real insights or digital illusions?**
[Kate Foszcz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarzyna-foszcz/?locale=en), AI Product designer @ Ebay
Can synthetic personas help us make better business decisions, or are we just interviewing very convincing imaginary friends?
In this talk, Kate will explore where synthetic personas can actually bring value, from testing assumptions to speeding up research, and where they can quietly mislead us with biased, overconfident, or poorly grounded answers. Expect a practical look at how to design these systems responsibly, when to trust them, and when to go back to real humans.
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\#\#\# SCHEDULE
18:00 - Doors open. Drinks & snacks
19.00 - 19.15 - Introduction to UX Belgium Meetup, announcements
19.15 - 19:45 - Talk #1
19:45 -20:15 - BREAK
20:15 - 20:45 - Talk #2
20:45 - 21:30 - Socialize
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\#\#\# SLACK CHANNEL
We have our own UX Belgium slack channel.
[Come join us and say hi!](https://join.slack.com/t/ux-belgium/shared_invite/zt-1bjpnuiog-T4Di4flXYPWgbT9KrZ53CA)
\*\*\*
\#\#\# YOUTUBE CHANNEL
All our livestreams and talks are recorded and available on our [UX Belgium youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno7V18T-EglYXprgrUZQ7A).
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\#\#\# ABOUT UX BELGIUM
UX Belgium is a growing community of User Experience (UX) professionals in and around Belgium.
Look for these types of events:
UX Beers
Periodically, we gather at a different agency or venue to drink beers, network and listen to speakers on various themes in the world of UX and digital design.
UX Antwerp: Each last Tuesday of the month
UX Brussels: Each second Tuesday of the month, 4x per year
UX Workshops
Now and then we organize events to dive deeper into specific skills and techniques in UX. These are smaller, hands-on workshops designed to boost your UX toolbox.
\*\*\*
The UX Belgium Meetup Team
Generative AI - New Way Of Working
Hey Everyone! 👋
**Location:**
\- On\-site: INDUSTRIEMUSEUM Minnemeers 10 9000 Gent
\- Online: TBA
**Practicalities for the evening on Tuesday, May 26th:**
\- 18:00: Doors Open\, snacks & drinks
\- 19:00: Speaker Talks
\- 20:30: Networking & Drinks
**Transport:**
* **Parking:** Paid parking at Dok Noord
* **Arriving by Train:** Minnemeers 10 in Gent is an easy **10 minute walk** from Dampoort Gent Station.
**Note:** As this is an invite‑only event, you may be asked to show your calendar invite upon arrival.
**Welcome to edition 15 of the Generative AI Belgium Meetup! 🚀**
This time, we look at how AI is changing the Way We Work.
For a long time, work was built around a simple exchange: time for money. You showed up, spent hours on tasks, and value was measured by effort, output, and expertise.
Generative AI is starting to question that model.
AI agents are no longer just tools for writing better emails. They are entering workflows, taking over tasks, writing code, coordinating information, and becoming part of how teams operate.
Tools like Claude Cowork & Microsoft Copilot are already omnipresent in our daily work and expectations to use them are rising quickly.
At the same time, robotics is making the story physical again. Machines are not only thinking with us behind a screen. They are starting to move through factories, labs, hospitals, warehouses, and most importantly homes.
This raises a new question: what happens when AI becomes both a colleague in your browser and a body in the room?
In this edition, we are inviting:
* Startups building the tools, agents, and workflows that make this future happen
* Researchers exploring human-machine interfaces and robotics
* A broader discussion on what a “union of the future” could look like when work is shared between people, software agents, and machines
Let's see what meaningful work, when intelligence becomes abundant.
Join us on May 26th!
**Line-up:**
\- TBA
\- TBA
\- TBA
Big thanks to Stad Gent for hosting us and to our sponsors: In The Pocket, BruCON, Red Hat, Collibra, Plainsight & Volta Ventures for supporting the community.
3D workshop in Apeldoorn
**3D Workshop**
* **Ontwerpen met Fusion360**
* **Scannen in 3D**
* **Het gebruik van 3D printers**
**Je bent nu welkom in de nieuwe locatie NewTechPark**
Je kunt ook online aan deze fysieke bijeenkomst deelnemen. De bijeenkomst is dan op de locatie te volgen.
Als je [hier](w.j.put@hccnet.nl) vooraf een mailtje stuurt kun je dinsdagavond tussen 19.00 en 20.00 uur inloggen met Jitsi voor vragen, of ter kennismaking met hcc!3D.
Online neem je deel aan de bijeenkomst met [https://wij.hcc.nl/3D](https://wij.hcc.nl/3D)
[(Alleen toegang als je zichtbaar bent met voor- en achternaam. )](https://wij.hcc.nl/3d)
Spreek met impact! Met Gooise Toastmasters Goudenraad!
**Wil jij impact maken als je voor een groep spreekt en tegelijkertijd stappen zetten in je carrière?**
* Dan zijn **spreken in het openbaar, leiderschap en communicatie** dé belangrijkste vaardigheden die je moet beheersen.
* Maar waar kun je deze vaardigheden leren en op een veilige manier oefenen? Bij ons! **Goudenraad Toastmasters van het Gooi**! In het prachtige **Huis van Eemnes**!
*
Verder over ons:
* Met het bewezen en succesvolle **100-jarige Toastmasters-programma** van deze **wereldwijde organisatie** zet je stappen om zelfverzekerd voor een groep te staan en echte impact te maken.
* Goudenraad is de **tweetalige club (Nederlands en Engels)** in het Gooi voor professionals, ondernemers, trainers, managers, docenten, technici en iedereen die op een leuke manier wil groeien en zijn communicatie- en leiderschapstalent verder wil ontwikkelen!
* Wij komen **twee keer per maand** op een **maandag avond** samen in Het Huis van Eemnes, waar we uiteenlopende speeches in zowel het Nederlands als Engels horen en geven. Daarnaast ontvangen we **opbouwende feedback** die je van collega's misschien niet snel zou krijgen – en dat is **goud waard!**
* Ook hebben wij regelmatig **mini-workshops en improvisaties**
* Als Toastmaster kun je **wereldwijd netwerken** **met een internationale groep professionals,** deelnemen aan het **European Trainer's Network** en meedoen aan **Toastmasters-wedstrijden en conferenties.**
En dat alles voor een **zeer betaalbare prijs!** Aarzel niet en meld je aan om **gratis en vrijblijvend als gast** een van onze bijeenkomsten bij te wonen.
Email: goudenraadtoastmasters@gmail.com
Adres: Huis van Eemnes, Noordersingel 4, 3755 EZ Eemnes
Nimma.codes: Agentic Coding bij Rakoo / Waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft
De 39ᵉ monthly meetup van [Nimma.codes](https://www.nimma.codes/). Elke laatste dinsdag van de maand. Een cross-language user group voor software developers in de regio Arnhem-Nijmegen.
**Locatie**
Arsenaalgas 8C, 6511 PE Nijmegen
**Om 19:00 is de fietsenstalling van de parkeergarage gesloten**
Let op: het eten is er om 17:30. We starten om 18:00 met de opening. *We houden er niet van om eten te verspillen. Ben je verhinderd? Geen probleem, maar meld je uiterlijk een dag voor de meetup af.*
**Programma**
* 17:30 - 18:00 Inloop + food/drinks
* 18:00 - 18:45 **Agentic Coding bij Rakoo: wat werkt, wat niet, en wat nu? - Matthijs Hendriks & Koen Poelhekke**
* 18:45 - 19:00 Pauze
* 19:00 - 19:45 **Vector search is niet genoeg: waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft - Ian FitzPatrick**
* 20:00 - 21:00 Netwerken en gezelligheid
**Agentic Coding bij Rakoo: wat werkt, wat niet, en wat nu? - Matthijs Hendriks & Koen Poelhekke**
AI is alive and AI is here to stay. Ook binnen Rakoo speelt AI een steeds grotere rol. Waar het begon met tekstgeneratie en analyses, gebruiken we AI in steeds meer systemen, en worden LLMs nu ook steeds meer ingezet voor code-generatie. De yolo yolo vibe coding heeft nog een negatieve bijsmaak, maar dit is grotendeels opgelost met het professioneel inzetbare Agentic Coding. Hiermee kunnen agents zelfstandig taken uitvoeren: analyses, planning, én implementatie. Developers hoeven dan alleen nog de hoofdlijnen te bedenken en het resultaat te reviewen.
Maar hoe past agentic coding in je proces? De eerder overzichtelijke situatie van issue -> code -> review -> mergen kan nogal op de schop gegooid te worden. Daarnaast zijn er de bekende security- en privacy risico's, en wil je ook rekening houden met zaken als code quality, code style, en maintainability, en is het veel lastiger om het overzicht te behouden. Hier zijn natuurlijk tools voor, maar welke van de 10001 kies je - en hoe kies je de juiste? En hoe meet je eigenlijk de waarde?
Rakoo zit middenin dit proces en we vertellen je graag wat we hebben gebouwd, ingericht, teruggedraaid, en waar we uiteindelijk (lees: voorlopig) op uit zijn gekomen. We staan ook stil bij hoe je dit secure (sandboxed) houdt, en hoe we dit in het team en in onze sprints hebben geïntegreerd. Als laatste: waar gaan we naar toe? Wat zien wij als verdere mogelijkheden en hoe denken we daar te kunnen komen - of besluiten we dat we een bepaalde richting niet in slaan?
**Vector search is niet genoeg: waarom je RAG een graph nodig heeft - Ian FitzPatrick**
De belangrijkste uitdaging voor Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) AI systemen is om de LLM van de juiste context te voorzien om vragen te beantwoorden. Vector databases zijn een veel gebruikt middel om kennis (documenten) op te slaan en te doorzoeken op 'betekenis' en niet alleen letterlijke keyword match. Een groot nadeel hiervan is dat document structuur bij deze opslagmethode vaak verloren gaat. In deze talk laat ik zien dat cl-rdf, een open-core (IAM en HA zijn Enterprise features) database dat vectoropslag kombineert met een triple graph (RDF) een groter palet aan mogelijkheden biedt om kennis op te slaan en te doorzoeken. Trigger warning: in deze presentatie gaan veel haakjes voorkomen...
Trail Running Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Data Thursday
𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 🌱
On **Thursday, May 28**, we are proud to host a special **Data Thursday** edition at **B. Amsterdam**:
**Cloud & Climate Pub Quiz** ☁️🌍
This will not be a classic sit-back-and-listen meetup.
This is a **taste-of-tech game night** where #climate, #cloud, #AI, #CO₂, #costoptimisation and a bit of controlled chaos come together in one big interactive quiz.
At **Data Tribes & EcoVerum,** we believe that climate impact, sustainability reporting and regenerative transformation all start with better data. This evening brings that belief to life in the most Data Thursday way possible: with sharp questions, practical insights, team play, pizza and drinks.
Your personal quiz masters for the evening:
👷♂️ **Henk van der Valk**
Platform & Intelligence Architect
👷♂️ **Marcel van der Kuil**
Data & AI Impact Engineer
Together, Henk and Marcel will join forces as **Buurman & Buurman for Cloud & Climate**, fixing things one quiz round at a time.
Think climate science, cloud optimisation, AI-assisted answers, sharp questions, practical insights and probably a few moments of **“A je to!”** along the way.
The evening includes three rounds:
🌍 **National Climate Quiz**
🌡️ **Climate Interactive EN-ROADS simulator**
☁️ **Cloud optimisation: cost, CO₂ and Scope 3**
Bring your laptop. Teams will compete for points, prizes and eternal Data Thursday glory.
AI is allowed, but beware: some answers need to be explained in your own words.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺
**// 18:00** — Doors open + pizza
**// 18:30 – 19:15** — First round
**// 19:15 – 20:00** — Second round
**// 20:00 – 20:45** — Third round
**// 20:45 – 21:00** — Wrap-up / evaluation
**// 21:00 – 21:30** — Drinks & networking
**// 21:30** — End
📍 **The Henry, B. Amsterdam — B.1**
Johan Huizingalaan 763a, Amsterdam
A big thank you to **B. Amsterdam** for once again supporting the Data Thursday community.
Because without reliable data, there is no reliable climate action.
And this time, we are testing what grows when cloud, climate, AI and community come together.
Greetings,
Data Tribes Inc & EcoVerum
FREE Run: Run VondelPark: Intervals
**Short Intervals run**: one lap, about 40 mins, around Vondelpark.
This is an Intervals session, so we mostly jog, stopping 3-4 times to do different exercises. There are also a few 100m sprints mixed in at various points.
At the end of each sprint, we pause to wait for everyone, so all sprint speeds are accommodated ;)
As the nights are getting darker, if you have armband lights or reflective clothing, bring it along!
This event is hosted by [Dave S, from Dam Runners](https://www.meetup.com/amsterdam-running-group/events/292135150/?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=share-btn_savedevents_share_modal&utm_source=link)
Scalable Data Harvesting for AI
Every AI pipeline starts with one question: where does the data come from?
In this hands-on workshop, we'll answer that question using Scrapy, one of Python's most powerful web scraping frameworks. You'll go from a blank project to a working spider that harvests structured data from the web, ready to feed into your next AI or data science project.
We'll cover:
• Scrapy vs. lighter tools (Requests & Beautiful Soup), and when each makes sense
• Extracting data from HTML using CSS selectors
• Following links and handling pagination at scale
• Writing clean, structured output to a file
• The ethical and legal side of web scraping
Bonus (Gold Star): a chapter on scraping JavaScript-rendered pages for those who want to go further.
🐍 Python basics assumed — no prior scraping experience needed
**Agenda**
\- 18:00 Doors Open
\- 18:30 Start of the Workshop
\- 20:15 Workshop Closing & Announcements
\- 20:30 Networking
\- 21:00 Event Closing
**GitHub Repo**
[Scalable Data Harvesting for AI](https://github.com/pyladiesams/scalable-data-harvesting-for-ai-may2026)
**Stream**
[YouTube Stream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqXbShaAvU)
**📧 Contact**
Are you interested in speaking at one of our events? Have a good idea for a Meetup? Get in touch with us at [amsterdam@pyladies.com](mailto:amsterdam@pyladies.com)
💬 Find us on the PyLadies Global workspace:
1. [https://slackin.pyladies.com](https://slackin.pyladies.com/) enter your email address.
Accept the email invitation
2. Go to workspace [https://pyladies.slack.com](https://pyladies.slack.com/)
3. Join channel #city-amsterdam
4. **Scalable**
Painting & Drawing Cafe in Amersfoort ( For Expats and English Speakers )
## 🎨**Activity for EXPATS & English Speakers** ☕
Are you an art enthusiast living in or around **Amersfoort, Hilversum, Utrecht, Nieuwegein, IJsseltein, De Bilt and the rest of cities of the Utrecht's province** who love painting or drawing? Maybe you've felt the joy of creating but struggled to find others who share your passion and speak **ENGLISH**? **You're not alone! 😉**
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
## 🖌️**About this event**
You will meet other Art Lovers like you to Draw, Paint and have some drinks Together ! Our events are not just about sketching or creating art—they’re about building connections. Every two weeks, we meet at a café to have a relaxing time drawing a painting.
Please keep on mind that **ENGLISH i**s the official language we will use to integrate everyone in our conversations.
⭕⭕⭕➡️ **IMPORTANT ⬅️** ⭕⭕⭕⭕
### 👩🏻🎨**Book formally your Seat 🪑via [WHATSAPP](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)**
**If you want to confirm officially your attendance and separate your seat🪑. Book your seat in meet-up, and contact us via [WHATSAPP HERE](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f) to receive more information on the address of our activities.**
**Thanks a lot for your understanding!** 💐🥰
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
### 👩🏻🎨**How Does It Work?**
This event is simple, this initiative takes 2 Hours. Most of the participants use pencils, water pencils or watercolours. Main aim is to socialize while we draw. There will be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. We have to mention that this event is suitable for all levels. Many have started to draw in our event actually.
Also it is very important that you **[JOIN US AT OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f),** to stay up to date on our upcoming events and participate in our Drawing and Painting Contests!
**👉: [https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f](https://bit.ly/3BXXE0f)** 🍀
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
### ☕**Where?**
We will meet in different cafes mainly in the *center of Amersfoort ( and some occasions in other cities around)*. I will inform you of the exact place some days in advance this event. The place will depend on the number of attendees.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
### **🎟️ What is included?**
🟢 **2 HOURS TO HAVE FUN!**
🟢 **15 mins warming-up creative activity and paper material**🖌️🎨
🟢 New friendships and **conversations in ENGLISH** in a relaxed atmosphere
🟢 **Souvenir picture** with you and the rest of Art Lovers 📷
🟢 Exclusive **access to our Art Lovers Community** on which you will receive:
***\~\~\~ Drawing challenges,***
***\~\~\~ Training content,***
***\~\~\~ FREE Entries only to members***
***\~\~\~ Drawing Competitions***
🟢 Time to **create alongside fellow artists and amateurs**
🟢 The freedom to **work at your own pace** 💃🕺🎈
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
### 🖼️**Art Materials?**
Bring your own practical art materials to be adaptable to sketch on a coffee table. Like your sketchbook, pencils, watercolor, markets, pencils, your Tablet..etc
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
## **See you to Paint, Draw, and drink together!🌟☕🍷🍪🍰**
The Mother of all Chapter Meetings: The Hidden Agenda of Testing
🎟️ **[REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT HERE](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/chapters/mot-netherlands/events/mot-netherlands-280526)** 🎟️
**The MoaCM ... which sounds a bit like Mokum (nickname for Amsterdam).**
Every tester knows there’s always more going on beneath the surface: the unspoken questions, the unexpected discoveries, the “wait… what just happened?” moments that shape our craft. Our next chapter meeting leans right into that spirit. We’re pulling back the curtain on the things we don’t always talk about, the stories that don’t make the slides, and the hidden agendas that quietly steer our testing journeys.
We offer you an evening full of curiosity, connection, and a few delightful surprises. Two awesome speakers will take the stage with talks crafted especially for this event.
Sorry, no spoilers, but trust me, you will want to be in the room when they drop their insights. Add great food, lightning talks, stroopwafels, and the kind of hallway conversations that only happen at Ministry of Testing gatherings, and you’ve got yourself a night worth marking in bold on your calendar.
**PROGRAM:**
**17:00 – Arrival & Grabbing a Seat**
Ease in, find your spot, and enjoy your complimentary stroopwafel. Consider it the warm‑up round for your brain.
**17:20 – Opening Remarks**
A quick kickoff to set the tone and spark your curiosity.
**17:30 – Talk 1: Sanne Visser**
The wheel is spinning but the hamster is stuck.
(Knowing Sanne, expect something sharp, thoughtful, and delightfully unexpected).
**18:30 – Dinner**
Fuel up with good food, because even testers need to keep their internal combustion engines running smoothly.
**19:30 – Talk 2: Veerle Verhagen**
tba… (And yes, Veerle will absolutely bring her ever-present energy, brilliant insight, and probably a twist we will not see coming).
**20:30 – Closing & Lightning Talks**
A few final thoughts from your chapter lead, followed by the community taking the mic. Share an idea, pitch a question, or drop a testing gem … lightning‑style.
**Followed by – Networking Drinks**
Stay, chat, unwind, and connect. No fixed end time; we leave when the energy fades or the building politely tells us it’s time to go.
🎟️ **[REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT HERE](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/chapters/mot-netherlands/events/mot-netherlands-280526)** 🎟️
Trail Running Events Near You
Connect with your local Trail Running community
Trails & Ales! Chestnut Ridge Metro Park / BrewDog DogTap
**History**
[Chestnut Ridge Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/chestnut-ridge/) is historically significant because it sits on a 300-million-year-old outcropping of Blackhand sandstone. Geographically recognized as the very first foothill of the Appalachian Mountains, the ridge rises 1,116 feet above sea level. Long before European settlement, the land served as a sacred site for ancient civilizations. The park contains the Old Maid's Orchard Mound, an eight-foot-tall burial mound constructed by the Adena culture between 1000 B.C. and 100 B.C. This ancient landmark has remained largely intact and is now protected on the National Register of Historic Places.
The documented modern history of the land began with an official survey conducted by Ebenezer Buckingham in 1801. Original land deeds of sale from this period notably bear the signatures of United States Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. In the 1830s, Irish laborers arrived at the ridge to quarry its rich Blackhand sandstone. The blocks they hewed were used to build the crucial locks for the nearby Ohio and Erie Canal. Remnants of this early sandstone quarrying operation can still be spotted by sharp-eyed hikers along the modern trails.
Agricultural transformation defined the ridge throughout the mid-to-late 19th century. Settlers discovered that the high elevation created a natural air flow that prevented late-season frost damage to crops. Extensive fruit orchards were planted across the slopes between 1860 and 1880. One notable orchard was established by John Wagner, a Spanish-American War veteran who chose the ridge specifically for its proximity to the bustling Columbus market. The park's current name pays homage to the massive American chestnut trees that once dominated the ridgeline before a devastating ecological blight wiped them out in the early 20th century.
The conservation story of the modern 486-acre park began in March 1962. The Metro Parks board announced land acquisition plans to block developers from building a residential housing development called Chestnut Heights. Director-Secretary Walter A. Tucker advocated heavily for the purchase, citing the ridge's immense value as a scenic overlook for central Ohio. The district systematically purchased multiple agricultural parcels over the next two decades. After operating strictly as undeveloped farmland through the 1970s, Chestnut Ridge Metro Park officially opened to the public on December 18, 1988.
In recent decades, the park has evolved from a quiet hiking spot into a premier regional destination for outdoor sports. A major turning point occurred in 2010 when the Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization (COMBO) partnered with the park district to develop new infrastructure. Volunteers worked extensively to construct a single-track mountain bike trail, which officially opened in October 2011. An expert gravity and flow trail featuring advanced jumps was later integrated into the loop in 2016. Today, the park successfully balances its deep ancient, industrial, and agricultural history with active recreation.
**Map of the Park**
Here is a [map of Chestnut Ridge](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/CHR_map_1980px_2026.jpg).
**Summary**
For this event, we will hike the Ridge, Meadows, and Homesite Trails, and Law's Lane, which is unmarked on some maps. None of these trails is individually very long, so we will hike a few permutations and loops until we get in 4-5 miles. The hike will be moderately strenuous.
**Where We'll Meet**
Drive to the rearmost picnic area at the back of the park. There's a latrine here, but there's no water fountain here or anywhere else at Chestnut Ridge. I strongly recommend you bring some water of your own, at least for after the hike.
Cell service at the park is spotty, although your GPS will get you there just fine. The map pin I've provided here is exactly where we'll be meeting and should be able to be used directly in Google Maps, although Chestnut Ridge isn't big and you're unlikely to get lost here.
**After the Hike**
Afterward, we'll head over to [BrewDog DogTap](https://drink.brewdog.com/usa/brewdog-dogtap-columbus) for [drinks](https://usa.brewdog.com/pages/brewdog-lineup) and [food](https://usa.brewdog.com/cdn/shop/files/DogTap_Menu_2025_65e1ff8b-97d4-4f26-80f1-68321d482025.pdf?v=17356939232910340498). They also have an outdoor area that's extremely popular.
I've had their burgers and their pizza, and I think they're both very good. I also really like their [Cold Beer](https://usa.brewdog.com/products/cold-beer-2024) (that's its actual name), which is their American light lager.
BrewDog's actual address is [96 Gender Rd, Canal Winchester, OH 43110](https://www.google.com/maps/place/96+Gender+Rd,+Canal+Winchester,+OH+43110/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88387c06afa21a85:0x804c611d373d8c54?sa=X&ved=1t:242&ictx=111), and they have a large, free parking lot. We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.
Three Creeks Metro Park
We'll get in around 4 miles at Three Creeks Metro Parks, primarily natural trails. 17-18 minute miles, no one left behind, and faster walkers are free to lead out.
Optional lunch after!
If you're joining for hiking all the metro parks, this is the sixth one!
Hike Blendon Woods Metro Park
Hi ladies. We will meet in front of the Nature Center and head to the two Observation decks. We will then hike Hickory Ridge, Ripple Rock, Overlook and Sugarbush trails to get approximately four miles total distance. We will walk approximately a 18 minute mile pace. Please wear appropriate hiking shoes.
Blendon Woods Metro Park
Hi Ladies , Let's Hike Blendon Woods Metro Park .
We will meet at the nature center parking lot.
Hiking about 4 miles completing the blendon woods loop and the sugarbush trail .
Wear appropriate footwear and bring water for hydration .
Rays Of Light Spiritualist Church Service
Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel.
Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger.
Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life.
Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.
Sharon Woods HIKE
Hi ladies. Let's hike the edward thomas trail, lake trail , spring creek and a short walk on the multi purpose trail. This is one large loop . Wear your shoe of choice.
Meet in the Maple Grove Picnic area. 4.2 miles in length .





















