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Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks

The 20th Metro Park, Quarry Trails, results from a promise made in the 2018 Levy that we would have a Metro Park or Greenway Trail within five miles of every Franklin County resident.
Lori Jordan
Lori Jordan
19 min read
Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks

Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks (Metro Parks) was established in 1945. It is a public agency serving the citizens of central Ohio by providing a regional system of parks. Metro Parks features 20 outstanding natural area parks with more than 230 miles of trails and over 28,700 acres of land in seven central Ohio counties.

www.metroparks.net

This blog describes the origin of the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks and provides an approximate location and description of the hiking trails available at each park. Some parks I have already done a blog for. Some parks I will do in the future.

Origins and Early Development

The idea for a metropolitan park system in Franklin County was proposed in a 1945 study, which highlighted the area's rivers and streams as ideal locations for parks, drawing inspiration from the Cleveland Metroparks system.

On Tuesday August 14, 1945, the park district was created in law by Franklin County Probate Court Judge Cloys P. McClelland, following a public hearing. This law was a state statute, passed in 1917, which provided for “the conservation of natural resources by the creation, development and improvement of park districts,” and which ultimately led to the visionary foresight of local citizens and environmental groups and the formation of plans for a park district in Columbus and Franklin County.

Walter A. Tucker, the first president-secretary of the Metro Parks, negotiated the purchase of the first land parcel in 1947, leading to the creation of Blacklick Woods Metro Park. This park was officially dedicated on October 24, 1948, and became a model for future parks in the system.

How is it Funded

The Metro Parks system operates as an independent political subdivision under Ohio Revised Code Section 1545. It is governed by a Board of Park Commissioners appointed by the Judge of the Probate Court of Franklin County. The primary funding source is a 10-year, 0.95 mill levy approved by Franklin County voters in 2018, which supports operations, improvements, and land acquisitions.

The 20th Metro Park, Quarry Trails, results from a promise made in the 2018 Levy that we would have a Metro Park or Greenway Trail within five miles of every Franklin County resident. Quarry Trails completes that objective, and about 350,000 Franklin County residents live within five miles of the park

In the early days after the park opened, Blacklick Woods was known as Blacklick Woods Reservation.

Note that in the early days, Metro Parks called its parks “reservations”, following the naming convention used by Cleveland Metroparks. By 1959, when Darby Creek opened, the familiar “Metro Park” became the regular name.

n 1971 the Metro Parks Headquarters relocated from East Broad Street in Columbus to its present location, the former Dunn house in Sharon Woods Metro Park.

List of Metro Parks Alphabetically:

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park

  1. Location: Galloway, OH
  2. Opened: 1959
  3. Highlights: Restored tallgrass prairie, American bison herd, nature center, Fort Ancient mound, 13 miles of creek trails. Much of the land was donated by the Battelle Memorial Institute. the largest Metro Park in Ohio, currently standing at 7,093 acres.

Hiking Trails

Ancient-

1.7 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike – Grass and gravel
Runs alongside Big Darby Creek and loops through fields and woods while passing a reconstructed Fort Ancient mound.

Camp Chase

12.5 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved – ADA
West leg of the Ohio to Erie Trail, a multiuse recreation and transportation trail linking Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.

Cobshell

0.9 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Hilly trail that loops through woods and features a scenic deck overlooking Big Darby Creek.

Darby Creek Greenway

5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Gravel – ADA
Flat trail through the prairies and woods that intersects the two bison pastures.

Dyer Mill

3 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike, Cross-country ski – Grass and gravel
Loops through tall grass meadows and a secluded woodlands and dips down to Little Darby Creek.

Edgewood, Lake & Prairie Way

2.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass
Three connected trails that pass through fields and woodlands, around a lake and alongside Big Darby Creek.

Harrier Loop, Rail Way & Teal

2.7 miles
Moderate – Hike – Grass
Three connected trails through prairies and wetlands.

Hawthorn

0.8 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Loop trail in the Cedar Ridge Picnic Area.

Indian Ridge

0.6 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Runs alongside Big Darby Creek, goes through fields and woods and connects the Cobshell and Terrace trails.

Osprey Lake

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Grass and gravel
Loops around Osprey Lake

Riffle Run

0.2 miles
Difficult – Hike – Gravel
Steep trail down to Big Darby Creek.

Terrace

2.1 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Goes along Big Darby Creek for a ways and loops through a forest.

Turkey Foot

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Grass
Loop trail through the prairies and grasslands.

Wagtail

1.9 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike, Pets – Grass
Loops through the prairies.


Note: Experienced backpackers can enjoy 10 miles of primitive backpacking trails along Big and Little Darby creeks. There are four overnight backpacking sites that are available by reservation only. For additional information and to make a reservation visit www.metroparks.net

Blacklick Woods Metro Park and Golf Course

  1. Location: Reynoldsburg, OH
  2. Opened: 1948
  3. Highlights: It is the oldest park in the system, Walter A. Tucker State Nature Preserve, certified Audubon golf course, birdwatching opportunities. In 1967, Stoney Creek Country Club, which ran a 126-acre golf course adjacent to Blacklick Woods, fell into financial trouble and offered its golf course for sale to Metro Parks. A well-run golf course was preferable to housing development, and that’s how Metro Parks entered the golf business.
  4. The Canopy Walk rises 40 feet into the air at Blacklick Woods, this wide boardwalk loops for an eighth-of-a-mile through the canopy of trees, including maples, beech, shagbark hickory and various oaks. An elevator provides easy access to the Canopy Walk, making it ADA accessible for wheelchair users.

Beech

0.7 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel – ADA
Passes through a beech-maple forest with beautiful displays of spring wildflowers, and continues past a swamp forest area.

Blacklick Creek Greenway

16 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved – ADA
Connects three Metro Parks and several small parks from Reynoldsburg to Groveport.

Maple

0.9 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel – ADA
Good for birding, traversing hardwood forest and passing a small wetland.

Buttonbush

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel – ADA
Runs through a hardwood swamp forest.

Multipurpose

2.6 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike – Gravel – ADA
Passes through a forest and a meadow.

Walter A. Tucker

0.1 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel and boardwalk

Blendon Woods Metro Park

    • Location: Northeast Columbus near Westerville, OH
    • Opened: September 3, 1951
    • Highlights: Rolling forested land, Walden Waterfowl Refuge, Thoreau Lake, nature center, disc golf course.

Brookside

0.8 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Passes through woods, crosses Ripple Rock Creek and connects with the Hickory Ridge and Ripple Rock trails.

Goldenrod

1.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass
Passes through meadows that are filled with wildflowers in spring.

Hickory Ridge

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Wooded trail that connects the Brookside, Overlook and Ripple Rock trails.

Lake

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike – Paved
Leads to the Walden Waterfowl Refuge and Thoreau Lake.

Overlook

0.6 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Passes through woods, crosses Ripple Rock Creek and connects with the Hickory Ridge and Ripple Rock trails.

Ripple Rock

0.4 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
A steep trail, goes through woods and connects the Brookside, Hickory and Overlook trails.

Sugarbush

2 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike, Cross-country skiing – Grass
Passes through a wood that opens onto a meadow. Heavily populated with many different species of birds.

Chestnut Ridge Metro Park

    • Location: Near Carroll, OH
    • Opened: 1988-89
    • Highlights: Overlooks with views of downtown Columbus, picnic areas, mountain biking trails.

Homesite

0.4 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Goes through woods and fields, past an orchard and remnant homestead, connects the Ridge and Meadows trails.

Meadows

1 mile
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Follows the edge of a high meadow, crosses a stream and passes through the woods.

Milkweed

0.6 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike, Pets – Natural
Pet trail features a half-mile loop around fields with a short section through the woods.

Ridge

1 mile
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel and boardwalk
Includes a gradual 150-foot ascent through the woods to the top of the ridge.

Mountain Bike

10.5 miles
Mountain biking only – Dirt
Features steep climbs and descents through deep woods. The 12- to 18-inch-wide trail has a narrow creek bridge, banked turns, and a couple of short sections of sandstone cobble. A 5-mile inner loop is the beginner/intermediate trail and the outer loop is the advanced trail.
Virtual Ride: Gravity Track

Clear Creek Metro Park

    • Location: Near Rockbridge, OH
    • Opened: 1996
    • Highlights: A remote park with hemlock stands, deep hollows, wildflowers, designated State Nature Preserve.

Benua

1.9 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike ­– Dirt and gravel
Loop trail through woods and fields leading to Lake Emily.

Cemetery Ridge

2.5 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike ­– Dirt and gravel
Begins with a steep zigzag ascent through the woods peaking at about 700 feet. At the top of the ridge the trail alternates between forest and meadows.

Chestnut

2.2 miles
Difficult – Hike – Dirt and gravel
Goes through valleys with sandstone formations and crosses forested ridges.

Creekside Meadows

1.7 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass
Follows the banks of Clear Creek through open fields. A 1-mile section of the trail west of Starner Road is also a pet trail.

Fern

1.7 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Dirt
Goes along a steep ridge and through a forest with pines and hemlocks.

Good Prairie

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike – Dirt and gravel
Loops around a prairie.

Hemlock

1.5 miles
Difficult – Hike – Dirt and gravel
Descends and ascends a steep ravine and goes through shady hemlock groves, sandstone outcroppings, a carpet of ferns and ridges topped with hardwood trees.

Lake

0.9 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Dirt
Winds through the woods to an observation deck overlooking Lake Ramona.

Prairie Warbler

0.6 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike – Dirt
Crosses a rolling hilltop, goes around a meadow and through the woods.

Tulip Tree

0.6 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Dirt
Loops through the woods along a rolling hillside.

Glacier Ridge Metro Park

  1. Location: Northwest of Dublin, OH
  2. Opened: 2002
  3. Highlights: Paved multi-use trail, disc golf course, bridle trail, large wetland area.

Ironweed

2.8 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved – ADA
Goes through woods and fields and leads to Honda Wetland Education Center.

Marsh Hawk

2.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved – ADA
Goes through woods and fields.

Challenge Course

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Encircles the 3-acre challenge course.

Red Oak

0.8 miles
Easy – Hike – Natural
Passes through an old forest.

Savannah

5 miles
Horse riding – Grass and dirt
Loops through woods and fields (cross-country skiing when conditions permit).

The 3-acre obstacle course features 12 challenging stations surrounded by a half-mile paved trail. Visitors can crawl through tunnels, climb poles and ropes and go over logs and more.

Heritage Trail Metro Park

  1. Location: Hilliard, OH
  2. Opened: 1995
  3. Highlights: 7-mile multi-use trail.

Multiuse

6.1 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Stretches from Main Street in Hilliard to Cemetery Pike near Plain City.

Bridle

3.6 miles
Horseback riding only – Sandy
Runs parallel to the Multiuse Trail from Hayden Run Road to Cemetery Pike.

Highbanks Metro Park

    • Location: Lewis Center, OH
    • Opened: 1973
    • Highlights: Shale bluffs, nature center, sledding hill, Adena culture mounds, Edward F. Hutchins State Nature Preserve. Opened in 1973, it is known for its 100-foot shale bluffs and ancient earthworks. Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1980, it offers trails, a nature center, and a sledding hill.

Big Meadows Path

1 mile
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Goes through meadows and playfields.

Coyote Run

3.5 miles
Moderate – Hike, Pets, Cross-country ski – Grass and dirt
Goes through woods and fields. Reserved for cross-country skiing when conditions are suitable.

Dripping Rock

2.5 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Goes through forest and passes steep ravines

Multi-Use

2.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Goes through woods and fields.

Oak Coves Path

0.4 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Passes meadows and playfields.

Overlook

2.3 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Goes through a state nature preserve to an observation deck 100 feet above the Olentangy River.

Scenic River

0.6 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Gravel – ADA
Goes through forest and alongside the Olentangy River.

Sycamore

0.9 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel – ADA
Winds through a forest of sycamore, buckeye and cottonwood and alongside the river.

Wetland Spur

0.4 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike – Grass and dirt
Goes through forest to a wetland with an observation deck.

Homestead Metro Park

    • Location: Hilliard, OH
    • Opened: 2014-2016
    • Highlights: Covered bridge, replica train station, outdoor amphitheater, paved trail connecting to Heritage Trail.

Multiuse Trail

0.8 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Inline skate, Pets – Paved – ADA
Encircles the main activities area and connects to the 6.1-mile Heritage Trail.

Innis wood Metro Gardens

  1. Location: Westerville, OH
  2. Opened: 1984
  3. Highlights: Managed botanical garden with theme gardens showcasing various plant communities is the 37-acre estate of sisters Grace and Mary Innis. Mary decided to gift the estate to Metro Parks in 1968, with the stipulation that she be allowed to live out her life in her home, and that the sisters’ beloved gardens and woodlands would be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Now a renowned 121-acre botanical gardens, Inniswood honored the memory of Grace and Mary by creating the 2.8-acre Sisters’ Garden in 2002. Their former home is now Innis House, which provides office space, a library and a meeting room for horticultural groups.

Boardwalk

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Boardwalk and gravel – ADA
Winds through a beech-maple forest.

Brookwood

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Paved – ADA
Crosses Spring Run and passes the Memorial and Sisters’ Gardens.

Chipmunk Chatter

0.6 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved – ADA
A paved multi-use trail located at the end of the parking lot on the exterior of the gardens.

Frog Talk Walk

0.1 miles
Easy – Hike – Boardwalk – ADA
Adjacent to a pond and passes the Rose and Herb gardens.

Sister’s Garden Loop

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike – Paved – ADA
Goes through woods and loops around the Sister’s Garden.

Spring Run

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Runs through an oak-hickory forest

Pickerington Ponds Metro Park

    • Location: Canal Winchester, OH
    • Opened: 1986-89
    • Highlights: 1608 acres, several trails, 5 overlooks for bird and wildlife watching, designated Important Bird Area by Audubon Ohio.

Arrowhead

1.7 miles
Easy – Hike – Grass
Goes through fields and forest and crosses George Creek.

Blacklick Creek Greenway

16 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Connects three Metro Parks and several small parks from Reynoldsburg to Groveport.

Killdeer

1.1 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Goes around Blue Wing Pond and leads to an observation deck overlooking Pintail Marsh.

Meadowlark

1 mile
Easy – Hike – Grass
Follows Pickering Creek and loops around grassland.

Yellowlegs

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel
Crosses Pickering Creek and goes through a wetland.

Burning Lake

1.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Loops through wildflower fields and a small woodland, passes wetlands.

Prairie Oaks Metro Park

    • Location: Franklin and Madison County border, OH
    • Opened: 2000
    • Highlights: Restored Oak Savannah, former quarry area offering boating opportunities, canine swimming area.

Alder

0.6 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass and dirt
Connects Darby Bend Lakes area with Sycamore Plains Trail.

Beaver Lake

0.9 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass and dirt
Loops around Beaver Lake in the natural play area.

Bridle

5.7 miles
Horseback riding, Cross-country ski – Grass and dirt
Crosses Big Darby Creek and goes through woods and prairies.

Coneflower

2.5 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike, Cross-country ski – Grass and dirt
Crosses two steep hills, goes through prairies and runs alongside Big Darby Creek

Darby Creek Greenway

3.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Gravel – ADA
Winds through Darby Bend Lakes area and crosses Big Darby Creek.

Lakeview Trails

0.9 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass, dirt and gravel
Passes a lake at Darby Bend Lakes and circles an Indian Mound. (Includes the Lake and Mound trails

River Rock

0.7 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass and dirt
Loops around a lake in the Darby Bend Lakes area.

Sycamore Plains Trails

2.2 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike, Pets – Grass and dirt
Passes large sycamores and winds through grasslands and along Big Darby Creek. (Includes Sycamore Plains, Osage Orange and Tallgrass trails)

Quarry Trails Metro Park

    • Location: Columbus, OH
    • Opened: November 30, 2021
    • Highlights: Former limestone quarry, 25-foot waterfall, trails, boardwalks, zipline, rock climbing wall, historical significance. A rock-climbing wall utilizing stones from the former Marble Cliff Quarry opened in 2023.

Boardwalk

0.1 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets –Boardwalk – ADA
ADA accessible from Lake Area parking lot.

Connector Trails

0.4 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved
Paved in Lake Area.

Flat Rocks Trail

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved

Lake View Trail

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved

Millikin Falls Lower Trail

0.8 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved

Millikin Falls Upper Trail

0.05 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved

Observation Trail

0.1 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved

Tall Wall Trail

0.8 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved

Rocky Fork Metro Park

    • Location: Westerville, OH
    • Opened: 2014-2016
    • Highlights: Woods and fields, bridle trail, dog park, off-leash dog trail, paved trail, nature trails, picnic shelter, wetlands.

Beech Woodland

1.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Loops through a wooded area with vernal pools and large beech trees.

Bridle

3 miles
Easy – Horseback riding only – Grass and paved
Bridle Trail passes through woods and open fields.

Dog

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Gravel
An off-leash pet-friendly trail with two loops through a wooded area and past a wetland.

Millstone Connector

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Path runs parallel to the park road and links from Walnut Street to the Millstone Picnic Area. Connects to the Beech Woodland Trail.

North Meadow

1 mile
Easy – Hike – Grass
Passes over a small earthen dam, along a pond and loops around a restored native meadow.

Bevelhymer

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Continues out of park to Bevelhymer Park.

Scioto Audubon Metro Park

    • Location: Brewery District, Downtown Columbus, OH
    • Opened: 2008
    • Highlights: Urban park, major bird migration stopover, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, climbing wall, old water tower with overlook deck.Active recreational features gave Scioto Audubon a slightly different feel to other parks, and include a 35-foot climbing wall, one of the largest outdoor climbing walls in the country, and a 10-stage obstacle course, built in partnership with the Columbus Rotary Club.

Scioto Greenway

10 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Stretches along the Scioto River.

Connector

2.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Links various areas of the park.

Hermit Thrush

0.1 miles 
Easy – Hike, Pets – Mulched
Runs from the Scioto Greenway Trail to the Scioto River.

Scioto Grove Metro Park

  1. Location: Grove City, OH
  2. Opened: 2016
  3. Highlights: Backpacking sites, trails through woods and along the river.

For additional information and to make a reservation visit www.metroparks.net

Arrowhead

0.7 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Natural
Goes through woods and connects to the REI River Trail

Connector

0.2 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Natural
Connects the Overlook and Multipurpose trails.

Mingo

2.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Natural
Loops around the southern section of the park and runs alongside the Scioto River.

Multipurpose

2 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Passes through fields and prairies.

Overlook

1.2 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Natural
Traverses woods and fields.

REI River

1.8 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Natural
Runs alongside the Scioto River, with stepping stones across a creek and an adjacent swinging bridge.

Ridge Top Course

0.3 miles
Easy – Through 3D Archery Course – Natural
(For use by archers only) Runs through the Ridge Top portion of the 3D archery course, with six difficult targets.

Woodland Course

0.3 miles
Easy – Through 3D Archery Course – Natural
(For use by archers only) Runs through the Woodland portion of the 3D archery course, with six targets starting easy and becoming progressively more difficult.

Sharon Woods Metro Park

  1. Location: Westerville, OH
  2. Opened: 1968
  3. Highlights: Sharon Lake, nature center, picnic areas, trails.

Edward S Thomas

1.1 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel – ADA
Winds through a state nature preserve and past large burr oaks and an observation deck.

Spring Creek

1.8 miles
Easy to moderate – Hike, Pets – Gravel
Crosses two steep hills, runs alongside Spring Creek and goes through a forest.

Multipurpose

3.8 miles
Moderate – Hike, Bike – Paved – ADA
Loops around the park and passes through woods and fields.

Lake

0.4 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved
Runs around the southern half of Schrock Lake. Connects Spring Creek and Edward S Thomas trails.

Oak Openings

0.2 miles
Easy – Hike – Gravel – ADA
Goes through a forest and fields and connects with the Edward S Thomas Trail.

Connector

0.3 miles
Moderate – Hike – Grass
Connects the Spring Creek and Edward S Thomas trails.

Slate Run Metro Park and Slate Run Farm

  1. Location: Canal Winchester, Ohio
  2. Opened: 1981
  3. Highlights: In the early 1960s, a 300-acre farmland in Pickaway County closed down. The farm had been cultivated continuously since 1805, and included a farmhouse, built in 1856, and a barn built in 1881. Metro Parks planners were eager to preserve the agricultural heritage of greater Columbus and purchased the site in 1964. It would take 17 years of restoration and hard work before the concept of a Living Historical Farm could be made a reality.
  4. The restored farmhouse and barn were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, eight years before the Living Historical Farm was opened to the public.

Bobolink Grassland

1.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Grass – ADA
Winds through grassland and leads to an observation deck overlooking the wetlands.

Camp Starview

1.7 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Grass, dirt and gravel
Goes through ravines and over steep hills. Open only to groups renting the Youth Camp.

Covered Bridge

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Gravel
Goes through a covered bridge and connects with the Shagbark Trail.

Five Oaks

1.5 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Goes through a steep ravine with black shale outcrops.

Kokomo

1.5 miles
Easy – Hike – Grass, dirt and boardwalk
Winds through the wetlands with numerous observation decks for watching wildlife.

Lake

0.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Paved
Leads to Buzzard’s Roost Lake

Sassafras

2.1 miles
Horseback riding only – Grass, dirt and gravel
Goes through forest and meadows.

Shagbark

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Gravel
A loop trail at the end of the Covered Bridge Trail. Goes through forest and meadows.

Sugar Maple

1.3 miles
Moderate to difficult – Hike – Gravel
Crosses Slate Run Creek and several steep hills.

Three Creeks Metro Park

  1. Location: Columbus, OH
  2. Opened: 1998
  3. Highlights: Confluence of Big Walnut, Alum, and Blacklick Creeks, trails, fishing opportunities.

Alum Creek Greenway

24.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved – ADA
Runs alongside Alum Creek and crosses a 300-foot bridge below the confluence of the Alum, Big Walnut and Blacklick creeks. Continues north to Westerville.

Blacklick Creek Greenway

16 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Connects three Metro Parks and several small parks from Reynoldsburg to Groveport.

Bluebell

1 mile
Moderate – Hike – Dirt
Runs alongside Blacklick Creek with a view of the confluence of Blacklick, Big Walnut and Alum creeks.

Confluence

1 mile
Moderate – Hike – Dirt
Runs alongside Alum Creek with a view of the confluence, passing giant sycamores, cottonwoods and American elms.

Evergreen

0.5 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass, dirt and boardwalk
Goes through a white pine tree grove and loops around the natural play area.

Heron Pond

0.6 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Loops around Heron Pond.

Madison Mills

0.2 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Short loop around a play area for kids.

Sycamore Fields and Smith Farm

1.2 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Loops around athletic fields, with a spur that crosses the Alum Creek Greenway and leads to Smith Farm.

Turtle Pond

0.4 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Gravel
Loops around Turtle Pond.

Walnut Woods

  1. Location: Reynoldsburg, OH
  2. Opened: 2011
  3. Highlights: features 1,458 acres of woodlands and fields, bordered by Walnut Creek to the north. The Tall Pines area features dramatic stands of pines and sweetgum trees, and the Buckeye area has long rows of old nursery trees such as serviceberry, crab apple and red maples. The park also features restored wetlands and vernal pools.

Buckeye

2 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Runs alongside Walnut Creek and loops through stands of old nursery trees.

Kestrel

1.3 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass and dirt
Runs through wetlands and joins the Monarch Trail

Monarch

1.4 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved
Runs alongside Walnut Creek and connects with the Sweetgum Trail.

Pin Oak

0.4 miles
Easy – Hike, Pets – Grass
Runs through a stand of sweetgum trees. Connects two sections of the Sweetgum Trail.

Sweetgum

2.6 miles
Easy – Hike, Bike, Pets – Paved and gravel
Loops around the Tall Pines Area and goes through stands of sweetgum, pine and oak trees.

Opening soon

  • Great Southern Metro Park: A 50-acre site offering water recreation and trail connections to nearby parks and downtown Columbus. Metro Parks also plans on opening another park in the southeast sector of Franklin County, formerly known as Hoover YMCA Park (Hoover Y-Park).
  • Bank Run Metro Park: Located near Rickenbacker Airport, this park features a renovated lodge and event venue, with trails open to the public.

State Nature Preserves Associated with Metro Parks

Part of Clear Creek Metro Park, Allen F. Beck State Nature Preserve, which, at 4,729 acres, is the largest state nature preserve in Ohio. It is one of five state nature preserves within the park district. The other state nature preserves in Metro Parks are the 54-acre Walter A. Tucker State Nature Preserve at Blacklick Woods, the 206-acre Edward F. Hutchins State Nature Preserve in Highbanks Metro Park (named in honor of a former Director of Metro Parks), the 418-acre Pickerington Ponds (Metro Park) State Nature Preserve, and the 320-acre Edward S. Thomas State Nature Preserve in Sharon Woods Metro Park (named after one of the first Metro Parks board commissioners and a leading Ohio naturalist).

Conclusion

The Metro Parks system has a lot to offer. There are hiking trails at every park. No excuses, get out and enjoy the Metro Parks.

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