Signum University

The Hidden Way: Paths, Journeys, and the Road Less Traveled

Signum University invites you to join us from 11-13 September for Ranger Moot 2026. This unique, outdoor, hybrid event will take place at Camp Friedlander in Loveland, OH. For our return to camp, we ask that you bring your love of Tolkien and the Great Outdoors and walk with us as we take “The Hidden Way: Paths, Journeys, and the Road Less Traveled”.

Still round the corner there may wait / A new road or a secret gate,
And though we pass them by today, / Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run / Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Register Here for Ranger Moot!

Price Breakdown:

• $150.00 USD for Adult In-Person Attendance – 13 years old and up
• $40.00 USD for Youth In-Person Attendance – under 13 years old (*NOTE – children under two years old are free)
• $35.00 USD for Remote Attendance

Please note we are not offering one-day passes. Your ticket gives you access to all three days of Ranger Moot.

From the Shire to Mordor, from the hidden passes of the Misty Mountains to the sunless ways beneath the Ephel Dúath, J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium is a geography of thresholds. His characters are almost always en route — walking, riding, paddling, stumbling, or deliberately choosing one fork over another. Yet Tolkien’s roads are never mere connectors. They are tests of will, theaters of chance, and mirrors of the soul. The path not taken haunts the narrative as much as the one that is trod.

For Ranger Moot 2026, we invite you to take the journey and walk with us. Come explore the literary, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of journeying in Middle‑earth and beyond. What does it mean to take a path, hidden or otherwise, one that may be well-trod, secret, forbidden, forgotten, or simply unmarked? How do Tolkien’s characters navigate physical, moral, and psychological landscapes where the right way is not obvious? And how do these journeys speak to our own lives, our own decisions, and our own wild places?

Due to our schedule of hands-on, physical activities, we are accepting a limited number of presentation proposals. Topics for presentations may include:

• Hidden passages and secret gates: The Doors of Durin, the Paths of the Dead, Cirith Ungol, the entrance to Rivendell, the Dimholt Road. What is the narrative and symbolic function of thresholds that require a password, a key, foreknowledge of the way through, or an act of courage to open?
• Journeys as transformation: The psychological and spiritual arc of walking away from home. Bilbo’s there‑and‑back‑again, Frodo’s irreversible wound, Aragorn’s long paths to kingship.
• The wild versus the road: The tension between following an established route (the Great East Road) and venturing into trackless wilds (Mirkwood, Ithilien). What does Tolkien valorize or warn against?
• Comparative journeys: Tolkien’s roads in conversation with other mythologies (Odysseus, Dante, Bunyan), with real‑world pilgrimage routes (Camino de Santiago), or with modern fantasy (Le Guin’s Earthsea, Pullman’s worlds).
• The road as community: How fellowship is forged in shared walking (the Company leaving Rivendell) and how isolation on the road (Frodo and Sam in Mordor) redefines companionship.

Submit Your Presentation Proposal Here!

Lodging is available at Camp Friedlander through camp cabins or camping tent sites. Camp cabins sleep up to four people and cost $30 USD for your entire Ranger Moot stay. Camping tent sites cost $20 USD for your full stay. After registering, a lodging link will be emailed to you, allowing you to sign up for the lodging of your choice.

Your In-Person Ranger Moot ticket gives you access to the following:

• Re-enactments of famous scenes from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works
• Complimentary archery lessons
• Complimentary tomahawk throwing lessons
• Complimentary climbing tower activities
• Complimentary guided nature walks around the local woods
• Complimentary meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks (Dinner on Friday, B/L/D on Saturday, B/L on Sunday)
• Access to small fire-pits and large bonfires for lively evening discussions
• And some new, exciting activities for Ranger Moot 2026!

While we will do everything we can to integrate our remote attendees into the camp activities, please note that some activities will be taking place at the camp that remote attendees will logistically be unable to participate in. There are also places on the campsite where Wi-Fi does not exist and an in-person activity or presentation may be inaccessible to remote attendees. We will mark those activities on the published schedule so remote attendees will be made aware ahead of time.

This event is both indoors and outdoors – please be prepared to be outside in the elements, away from Wi-Fi, and know that events may be separated by a distance that will need to be covered with your own two feet. All buildings are wheelchair accessible, and handicapped parking is available but limited. If you have never camped outdoors or in cabins before, here is a link to a recommended packing list. In past years, the weather on this particular weekend hovers around 72F (22.2C); however, please note that, in some recent years the weather has gotten as high as 85F (29.5C) at peak day and as low as 55F (12.7C) overnight. Plan accordingly!

NEW FOR RANGER MOOT 2026 – bedding sets and towel sets are now available for groups to reserve. Each bedding set includes a pillow, sheets, and a blanket. Each towel set includes a towel and a washcloth. Bedding sets cost $5 and towel sets cost $2. Prices are for your entire stay, *not* per night. You will have the opportunity to add either or both sets onto your cabin reservation through the reservation link.

As cabins sleep up to four people, the link to the lodging website will allow you to request cabin roommates, and we will do our best to honor all requests. However, should we have a large attendance you may find yourself with cabin roommates you have never met before. The following attendee types will be grouped together in cabins:

Family members are exempt from this; parents and guardians may lodge with their children if they choose. Married couples may also request a cabin just for themselves. Please mark any and all of these requests in the Roommates section of the lodging site. Camp Friedlander is also a welcoming and inclusive camp for the LGBTQ+ community. If you need special considerations for a cabin, we will work directly with you to make your Ranger Moot as comfortable as possible. Please contact [email protected]g if you need any special considerations. Again, we will do our best to honor all requests.

Should you not wish to stay onsite there are two close hotels you may choose to stay in:

Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati Northeast – 6288 Tri Ridge Blvd, Loveland, OH 45140

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Northeast – Milford – 301 Old Bank Rd, Milford, OH 45150

You will be responsible for transportation to and from your hotel and campsite.

Register Here for Ranger Moot!