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2. Blacklick Woods Metro Park
Located in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Blacklick Woods Metro Park is owned and operated by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. Established in 1948, it was the first park in the Metro Park system.
The address is 6975 & 7309 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. Coordinates 39.94595,-82.80999. Blacklick Woods is 643 acres of seasonal swamp ponds, woods, fields, prairie and golf course.
Blacklick Creek flows south along the eastern boundary of the park. The creek and the golf course have sentimental meanings for me. We lived right up the street from Huber Park so it was easy to access the creek without driving anywhere. My father and I would take my dog Holly and I on walks along Blacklick Creek exploring the creek via Huber Park.
We especially searched for rocks in the creek bed and for crawdads. I remember one walk in mid-summer when Holly was overheating and needed some water. We had already walked pretty far from the creek so creek water was not really an option. So my father and I trespassed on the golf course(although nobody saw us) to get some for her.
Canopy Walk
Trailside Zoo and Deer Pen
Blacklick Woods is a multi-use park that Rob and I both visited as children. Blacklick Woods has changed over the years and continues to evolve. During the 50's and the 60's Blacklick Woods had a trailside zoo.
Various animals were displayed and some of the resident animals became famous. Sam the Red Fox was on television several times in the early 1950's and Jerry the Coyote lived at the zoo during the 1960's.
The trailside zoo was phased out during the mid 1970's and a Nature Center was built. I remember being fascinated by the animals, but I also remember how smelly the area was. At its peak, the trailside zoo housed up to 75 animals and 25 different species. Also, though hard to believe, Blacklick Woods had a deer pen. When I was a child, there were very few deer in the area.
This pen had very high fences and usually had 3 or 4 deer inside. The purpose of the deer pen was to showcase deer. Few deer were scene back then but now there are so many deer everywhere. We even have deer in our housing development now.
I wish I could find pictures of the trailside zoo and the deer pen, but I was unable to locate any images on the Internet. If someone has any pictures, please share with me.
Programs and Trails
As with the other Metro Parks, Blacklick Woods offers many programs for both children and adults. There are educational programs both night and day. The upcoming activities are listed on the website. There is also a map of the park and trail maps on the website.
It is definitely a go-to for a quick and easy hike as it is close to home. There are numerous easy trails geared to families and athletes looking to have a no fuss workout. Many of the trails link together so a hike can be customized by distance, ability and time.
Here are the trails listed for Blacklick Woods:
- Beech 0.7 miles easy-hike-gravel | ADA
- Blacklick Creek Greenway 16 miles easy-hike-gravel | ADA
- Maple 0.9 miles easy-hike-gravel | ADA
- Buttonbush 0.5 miles easy-hike-gravel | ADA
- Multipurpose 2.6 miles easy-hike-bike-gravel | ADA
- Walter A Tucker 0.1 miles easy-hike-gravel-boardwalk | ADA
ADA - American Disabilities Act Compliant
We sometimes use Blacklick Woods as a starting place for hikes. The Blacklick Creek Greenway allows connection by trail to Pickerington Ponds and Three Creeks. It is also excellent for bike riding.
Did you know?
Blacklick Woods was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. The National Natural Landmark (NNL), is the only national natural areas program that recognizes and identifies examples of geological and biological features in both private and public ownership.
If you haven't had an opportunity to visit Blacklick Woods, I highly recommend it.
Please feel free to contact us with any information and/or pictures about Blacklick Woods Metro Park.
