ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — June 21 is the summer solstice, which is the longest day and shortest night of the year. The Cleveland Metroparks helped celebrate the day by hosting an early morning hike.

What You Need To Know

  • Alyssa Mills, a naturalist for the Metroparks, was the one to lead the hike at the Rocky River Nature Center

  • The hike kicked off at 6 a.m.

  • Richard Moore, a hiker for over 20 years, took part in the hike

Alyssa Mills, a naturalist for the Metroparks, was the one to lead the hike at the Rocky River Nature Center.

“We’re here to get outside, kind of talk about that, recognize some of these celebrations and come together and see what’s flying or crawling or making noise nice and early in the morning," she said.

Mills woke up early to lead the 6 a.m. hike to celebrate the start of summer.

“Summer solstice is a cultural celebration of human beings celebrating the longest day of the year, and it’s also the position of the earth’s tilt away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, creating the longest amount of daylight out of any day of the year," she said.

Richard Moore, a hiker for over 20 years, took part in the hike. He encouraged people to get outside for not only for the summer solstice but also any day of the year.

“It’s not just the summer solstice that’s special; there’s a lot of things to see out here and you’re never going to see it if you don’t come out and look," he said.

Moore expressed his favorite parts of the hike, which included the wildlife he saw.

“I loved seeing the beaver and the hawks and the plants, the amount of growth in the plants. If you came out here a couple months ago, you wouldn’t have seen nearly as much green, but especially the beaver," he said. 

Mills explained she was grateful to have the opportunity to lead the hike and help people celebrate this special day.

“It’s a good chance to get together and kind of commune with nature and spend some time outdoors on the longest day of the year," she said.