This is a smallish municipal park with a player area, but what was really important to us is that…read moreit's an excellent place for a put-in for kayaking the Big Walnut Creek. Just north of here there is a low-head dam currently situated on the Creek. so we needed to avoid that structure, and selected this park as a starting point. there is a nice boat ramp, and although there have been quite a bit of rain the water level had receded overnight, so we had to walk the boats out to the center of the creek. After a little scooting around we were on our way. This is a great launching point, and it made for a great float of about 1-1/2 to 2 hours into downtown Gahanna. Our kayak takeout was Friendship Park, just south of the Creekside area, but you can read all about that and another one of my reviews.

Searching for parks on a hot day, for Baby K to play at, we went to half a dozen. We needed one…read morethat was not busy (at least, not crowded with kids at the playground), that had some shade on the playground so she didn't burn her legs on the slides, and where Dada didn't have to walk far from the parking lot. We got all that here, and so much more. There is a fair-sized playground with several slides, climbing areas, swings, etc. And: an obstacle course with logs, tunnels, little houses to play in, and more. Wow. Plus it's a great park otherwise: shade, plus green space, a shelter with bathrooms, tables, a rain garden, places to fish by a big pond, paths, basketball courts and playing fields, and more. Beautifully laid out, full of fun, we will definitely be back.

I really like this "planned" town square, nature path, park... whatever you decide to call it!! I…read moretook my sister here recently before her late afternoon flight back home. What a GREAT hidden gem, so close to the airport and the burbs of Columbus, but yet so far!! I think more downtowns should have a woodsy area to wander and "escape" a bit from the suburban "grind." Plenty of shops, restaurants, and even a brewery to check out, also apparently lots of fun festivals, but make sure you also wander the winding, wooded walkways, a WONDERFUL way to "get away from it all, right in your own backyard!!

Great food, great service, at great prices. I love the old timey restaurants like this one…read more After breakfast, I went down to the creek and let out some farts.

This is a really pretty area. We had so much fun exploring the boardwalks through the wetlands - we…read morespotted tiny turtles, frogs and tadpoles, egrets and herons, ducks, and so much more! You can get a nice walk in with the looping combo of paved trail and boardwalk/bridges. There are a few shelters and trees around to help with the sun a bit. On the far end is a playground, with a very nice large shelterhouse with picnic tables. The playground is a lot of wood, metal, and climbing nets, and has sections for ages 2-5 and 5-12. By far the biggest draw appeared to be the very tall, fast slide, accessible via climbing net. There are benches available, and play shades available in one section. A nice sized parking lot is available too.

Looks new. It's like the parks and rec teamed up with NIN and said let's create a Goth Industrial…read moreplayground. No color. Just steel and rope. Huge space to roam, hike, see natural habitats and also let the kiddos climb, slide and swing, etc. -- I did not see restrooms. But didn't get to see all the trails. The paths are mostly gravel and natural elements with a touch of modern engineering here and there. Covered shelter picnic area available. (See pics) Cannot see park from the parking lot. So littles with necessary diaper changes and meltdowns may pose a difficult space to take a break in the car. Parking is a trek from the actual playground. Plan accordingly.

A nice little park! This is partly a Gahanna city park and partially a state nature preserve. We…read moretook a peek at both sections and found it to be very pretty. When you first pull in, there is a gravel parking area, a port-a-potty, and a few picnic tables in a grassy area overlooking a newly added pond/waterfall set-up. In addition to the pond area looking very nice, it was designed by an environmental agency to safely bring the stormwater into the natural stream flowing through the area, so it's very functional too. One trailhead takes you into the state preserve area. No dogs are allowed on this trail, so you'll want to stick to the city park side if you bring your four-legged friends. During the spring, this preserve becomes full of vernal pools and spring wildflowers - so dress for mud and boots will come in handy! There are some nice boardwalks to get you over the worst of the areas. It's very pretty and peaceful, and there are tons of spring peepers (little frogs) singing during the spring too. It's a short loop trail that is pretty easy to do. Across the parking lot, there is a trailhead for the city park trail system, which seemed to be a little more convoluted then the more direct loop set-up in the state preserve, but it made for some nice, low-key exploration. Part of the trail follows along the stream. I really loved how they used their old wooden street signs to line the trail - great recycling! This section of the park is open to dogs. A great park - we easily did both sections in about an hour, even given that we were slowing down in places to get through the worst of the muddy/slick areas.

I love this place. I frequently head here at lunch for a little decompression walk with my Puppeh,…read moreGwen. There is one specific trail that is dog friendly and it's either a half-mile loop or a whole mile depending on the direction you go. I very infrequently run into other people out here which is what makes it so nice. It does tend to be very muddy so I actually keep a specific pair of trail walking shoes in the car to change into. It's also quite mosquito-y, especially really early in the morning, so be sure to wear your bug spray. But the calmness of the forest and sounds of the cicadas in the late summer is my most favorite thing in the world. I'm so please to have this little bit of paradise so close to home and work. Whoever is in charge of maintenance does a really nice job keeping the trails clear and mulched. There is also very little trash and for the most part, other dog owners seem to do a pretty good job of keeping their dog's poops picked up. Although, I have bagged a few piles that were not Gwen's. I just can't, in good conscience, leave turds in the middle of the trail. Come on people, be responsible!

This is an excellent place for a takeout when you're kayaking the Big Walnut Creek. There's an…read moreeasily identifiable location on River Left And when we visited it was well manicured with gravel, which made it easy to get up the small hill where we load the boats onto our car. After some time on the river, you might be hungry, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby with a variety of different foods available. Urban kayaking can be fun - And this is a great space to wind up your day on the river.

Nice little park in the heart of Gahanna. Some green space, a shelter, some tennis and basketball…read morecourts. But we were here for the playground, and it was great. Big, with many areas for different ages. Baby K loved the slides and climbing wall. There's a swing you can ride with them. Drums to beat on, many other interesting play items.

As usual, this is mainly for the playground. But the park is nice, with lots of open, pleasant…read moregreen space, a huge shelter, ball fields and courts, plenty of parking, etc. The playground is great. Several areas, for all ages. One of those dance game machines, a toddler area, swings, areas for bigger kids, etc. It was a barely-warm late fall day so we couldn't stay long, but we will definitely be back.

It was really fun. There was a bathroom, but for that benches you need to reserve it's for like a…read moreparty and wedding. There's like a wedding happening. There's people fishing there with the 779 people.

YE Gurl Says: Franklin Park Lit Up My Night (Literally)…read more Date: September 6, 2025 Place: Franklin Park - Water Lantern Festival (Yelp Contest Winner!) I've been to Franklin Park before for the African Festival, but little did I know there was a gorgeous man-made lake and walking area tucked behind the amphitheatre. Honestly, Columbus needs more events out here--imagine summer concerts lakeside. Come on, Cbus, don't sleep on this! Thanks to a Yelp contest win, I got two tickets to the Water Lantern Festival and was excited to experience it for the first time. I brought the beau, packed a sweater (because yes, sweater-and-jacket weather arrived), and we found a spot to settle in. The experience started with decorating our lanterns--super thoughtful packages that came with a deck of cards and conversation prompts to keep the evening flowing. The event itself was well organized: shuttles helped us avoid the parking madness, there were plenty of food trucks (though I ate beforehand), and the staff kept things moving. The only hiccup was the AV system--it was a little hard to hear, and the lantern launch was delayed due to the chill. But when those lanterns finally floated onto the water, the view was worth it. Beautiful, reflective, and something I can now check off my list as an artistic and soulful evening. YE Gurl checked the box and lit the night!

We love Franklin Park and love doing our family walk time with our doggie Ellie. Absolutely would…read morerecommend taking a stroll on a pretty day, or you could even have a picnic. It's a huge park with an amphitheater, cascade waterfalls, a community garden, an Asian-inspired garden, a playground, a picnic shelter, and ponds stocked for fishing. The park is also the home of the annual Columbus Asian Festival, the Franklin Park Adventure Center, and the amazing Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

If you really want to escape to the forest and wander some natural paths, this nature preserve…read moreoffers intertwined trails, natural slopes, and a couple of spots to stop and rest your feet. From a nature preserve perspective, this is good as it gets! I chose this spot for a 32° Tuesday sunset walk and had the place to myself. There is a limited amount of gravel paths leading to a small pavilion where you can sit and overlook the winding creek below. Otherwise, bring the appropriate shoes to walk the trails as they will likely be soft after rain or snow. I found a couple of benches along the trails, a few bridges that cross the creek, and even a throne carved from a large fallen tree trunk. Although my walk took me less than a mile, I spotted many squirrels and birds, three does, some fungi, and a (suspected) great horned owl. I am happy I stopped at this sweet little spot to immerse my soul in nature. If the forest is beckoning you to stop, pause, and refresh, won't you come by and stop for a while?

This is a smallish, but charming, nature preserve with a nice variety of areas to explore. There is…read morea small parking lot when you first enter, then you head past a yellow gate on foot to access the trails. There was no apparent map available, but it ended up being a loop. There's a nice looking picnic shelter near the trailheads, and several bridges to cross a creek in the park. There's also a pond that was full of wildlife including birds and frogs, a small meadow, and a nice forest. This is a "wilder" feeling park. There was a significant quantity of mud throughout the trail, so boots are handy... and possibly a change of clothes, as we saw some other visitors who had wiped out in it. A fun place to explore!

This is a nice little park, featuring a small lake where you can look for wildlife - we spotted…read moresome turtles sunning themselves - as well as participate in some catch and release fishing. There are a few short trails around that let you explore the woods a bit. The trails are nicely mulched, although the mulch level was a bit high at the time of our visit, making it a bit challenging for the pint-sized members to wade through. We accessed the trails via the grassy area to the right when facing the lake from the parking lot near the entrance (there is a second parking lot further back, located between the restrooms and a shelterhouse with picnic tables). The trail comes to a fork, and taking the one to the right took us out to a nice viewing area for the nearby creek. We then backtracked to the fork and headed to the left, which took us along the back edge of the lake through the woods, which helped with the heat and let us look for some animals. This trail brought us to the shelterhouse and we followed the paved drive back to the front parking area. Enjoyable place for a visit!

I went to this park and me and my grand daughter had a good time and the park is a good place to go…read morefishing

Great park very vague. There's a creek walking path, kids, kids swingsets fresh air outdoorsread more

The park is very impressive. It's huge, and pretty new I think, or at least seriously revamped…read more They still seem to be building things. There are several playground areas, fairly far apart but in the same part of the park. Baby K liked them. No benches nearby for us old parents. No drinking fountains or anything, that I saw, or picnic tables, etc. Looks like they might be building a bathroom between the YMCA and the playground. There's a large parking lot in front of the YMCA, and then there's a smaller one down on the lower level. The lower level is mostly walking trails and flowers. There are shelters in both areas.