New Favorite Spot: John Bryan State Park

I hit up this Yellow Springs hot spot five or six times this year and found something different during each visit: wildflower walks, perfect picnic spots, beginner mountain-bike trails and some of the most stunning geology in Ohio. It's a great change of pace for those looking to hit something outside the Hocking Hills. Adjacent Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve also was my favorite of the seven or so preserves I discovered in 2009.

Runner-up: Chestnut Ridge Metro Park

Most Pleasant Surprise: Little Miami Scenic Trail

Running flat and straight for 75 miles from Springfield to Newtown, this is an amazing trail for anyone looking to dip a toe in distance touring. It's also one of the best in Ohio for recreational riding, with a lovely section through Yellow Springs. Along the way, you'll pass quaint family farms, vintage bridges, quiet country roads and smooth pavement framed by forest.

Runner-up: Catching bass on the Olentangy River with my own hand-tied flies

Best Outdoor Development: Grange Insurance Audubon Center

For starters, this center is a beautiful place to go to the bathroom when birding the Whittier Peninsula. It's also much more - the crown jewel of remediation along the Scioto River and a hub for the National Audubon Society's mission of conservation, education and recreation. A location just minutes from Downtown only increases the facility's impact on Columbus birders, hikers, students and policymakers.

Runner-up: Hocking Hills Nature Trails, an ATV operation in Logan

Scariest Moment: Climbing trees with EarthJoy

To put it mildly, I'm not a big fan of heights. That was a problem during my three hours in the trees with EarthJoy. I climbed towering oaks, hung from an arborist rope above a looming ravine and sprawled in a hammock 70 feet off the ground. With the expert assistance of founders Bill and Shelly Byrne, I was able to survive without peeing myself.

Runner-up: Hiking a shadeless Zaleski State Forest in April, when temperatures crested 95 degrees

Toughest Trip: Quetico Provincial Park

Driving winds, heavy rains and a cruel wrong turn nearly spelled the end for me and five friends, who undertook a seven-day portage trip through the Canadian outback in August. In the wilderness, you have no other option but to continue. We did so, grew closer and witnessed the untouched beauty of our northern neighbor. An accomplishment? Absolutely. A vacation? Not really.

Runner-up: Mountain biking the hills of Great Seal State Park

Most Enjoyable Time Outside: Surfing Holden Beach

Dreams still come about my time living in a small beach town north of San Diego, where I surfed all day and sat for hours alone on the beach, looking at the ocean. When I vacationed with friends this summer on Holden Beach, North Carolina, I realized why: There's nothing in the world like catching a chest-high swell and feeling your board cut effortlessly through an azure sea.

Runner-up: Sailing Hoover Reservoir with my girlfriend's family

Most important new skill: Starting a community garden

When I helped start the Hope Grows Community Garden in March, the only thing I knew was that I liked tomatoes. All our group had was a piece of land in South Linden. During the next five months, we learned a lot about planting and maintaining numerous veggies and even more about what a small green space can mean to a community.

Runner-up: Hanging an easy-release bear bag

Adventure Links

Community gardening

Web: fpconservatory.org

EarthJoy

Web: climbtreeswithearthjoy.com

Grange Insurance Audubon Center

Web: grange.audubon.org

Holden Beach

Web: holden-beach.com

John Bryan State Park

Web: johnbryan.org

Little Miami Scenic Trail

Web: mvrpc.org

Quetico Provincial Park

Web: queticopark.com