This is a very cool park! My children tend to gravitate toward parks and playgrounds where there…read moreare open-ended and tactile features available, and this park has that. There are boulders to climb, outdoor musical instruments to play, a treehouse to play pretend in (and is wheelchair accessible!), a merry-go-round, swings, a traditional playground structure with slides, and lots more. The playground area is lined with wood chips. There is also lots of space to run around, and lots of trees. Like the name of the park suggests, this is a very sensory-friendly park, and there are nature stations set up all around where you can use your senses to explore. There is also a short, paved trail that goes around the park, which is wide and smooth enough for strollers and wheelchairs. The trail goes by a creek, which is nice. As of right now, this is the only sensory-friendly park in the state of Ohio! It's definitely worth a visit.

This is a really neat and wonderfully inclusive park. This features a short, paved path that is…read morewheelchair and walker accessible. Along the path are a variety of interactive stations that are also designed to be accessible. If you start near the entry sign, you'll find a Little Free Library, which, on our recent visit, was loaded with a lot of great kids options. Just ahead is a variety of benches and a little music garden, featuring musical instruments that can be played, and you can also interact with the Rough Bark Tactile Display to learn more about different tree barks. A little further down are the cutest animal looking instruments that can also be used. As you continue down the path, you find a swingset with a variety of swings that include both traditional and accessible options. There's a nice little shaded bench area with information about the creek, Fetter's Run, that can be seen from the location. As you proceed along, a very exciting find is the Treehouse, which is built within the forest trees as opposed to up in one, which allows a wheelchair ramp to make it accessible. This overlooks the creek and has things to explore, like neat nature art and a second floor (not accessible) with a fire pole. At the end of the path is a shelter house with picnic tables and nearby grills. Most, if not all, of the signage included Braille translations, as well. There is a large parking lot here, but I do note that this is located behind a school, so I'm not sure how that would affect parking for a visit during a school day.

On our most recent visit to Blues Creek, it looks like everything has reopened for use except for…read morethe water fountains. There is a restroom facility at the main parking lot, and those have reopened. There is a small playground (a few slides, activities, and a little bit of climbing) on the other side of the lot, along with two open-air shelters with picnic tables. This side also features the pretty pond, which offers catch-and-release fishing, and access to the Shagbark Loop trail, which is a gravel path through a meadow and a wooded section that is the longest available one at 1.1 miles, and is pet-friendly. It connects to the short grassy Bluestem Trail in a meadow, or can be looped back around to stay on Shagbark the entire time. This trail also shows the park's roots as farmland, as you can see old farm equipment in the woods along the way, and there is also a wetland area. If you take the Shagbark all the way back towards the front of the park, you will also encounter Blues Creek. There is another small parking lot available here, along with another trailhead for Shagbark. If you head out past the restrooms near the main parking lot, there is a sledding hill and a trailhead for the grassy Fox Run trail. There is currently a storywalk on this side, as well. You can connect to the grassy Meadowlark Trail. Both trails are pet friendly. They are mainly meadow, but there is a short section that winds through the woods. Blues Creek also has a "Be a Star" astronomy activities available right now as you explore the park - even the story walk featured a book about space. Very pretty and relaxing park!

One of my favorite trails in the area, I hadn't been there in awhile but so glad to have went…read moretoday. Great trail system with plenty of mixed terrain and It's beautiful no matter what season that you go. There are horse trails also in the Preserve.

A small but absolutely lovely preserve. Quite a bit of it is wooded, making it an especially nice…read morechoice for a hot, sunny day. The trail system is small within the park, and includes two approximately 1/2 mile trails, the Woodland Ridge Trail that stays in the forest, and the Pinegrove Trail, which takes you through more woods and some meadow-like sections. It also offers a wildlife blind to view a blind, with birds, turtles, and more wildlife to see. You can easily combine the two trails by crossing the bridge located over the ravine, which is an extremely popular location for pictures. Near the parking area is a nature center, which has a lovely garden out front. The staff is extremely friendly and will chat and provide information. On our most recent visit, we got a heads-up about a pair of active ospreys viewable from the Alum Creek Osprey Overlook just up the road, which can be hiked/biked from Hogback Ridge if you want to extend your hike/jog/ride. This is normally a very quiet preserve, but we found a big cycling event going on during our most recent visit that seemed to be running out of the park. We still found parking and everyone was very friendly - a couple of the cyclists made sure we knew about the ospreys. Great place to visit!

What a nice and relaxing day at Schnormeier Gardens! We went Friday (6/9/23) and the weather was…read moreperfect, and around 78 degrees. We had the opportunity to visit in 2020 and so happy we took some time off to visit again this year for 2023! Booked tickets online a couple weeks ago, drove up from Columbus, checked in at the gate, and spent the afternoon enjoying the grounds and gardens. Price is $50 per car, there were only 2 of us but we would have been the same for a full car. The experience was simply breathtaking, tranquil, and fun to explore the 9 gardens and art. The gardens consist of: the Waterfalls Garden, Stream Garden, Serenity Garden, Hofstra Garden, Chinese Cup Garden, Japanese Garden, Meadow Garden, Woodland Garden, and the Quarry Garden. My personal favorites are the Quarry, Stream, Serenity, and Woodland Garden and I absolutely love all the art and the various shapes and sizes of the trees and shrubs throughout. The stroll took us about 2 1/2 hours this trip. Open to the public this season from Jun 1st - Jun 25th, 2023. Located in Gambier, Ohio (Knox County) It's about an hour outside of Columbus. Second visit in three years and hope to be able to return again as it is simply a treasure. For more info visit schnormeiergardens.org

fantastic gardens and art, expect a good hike up and down hills, best place gotta see to believeread more

This is a great park. Lots of fun stuff to keep children entertained for a long time. Swings, zip…read moreline types, musical instruments, slides, comfortable seating, large rocks, and even a concession stand (not open today but that's ok.) Lots of ways to engage children to use their minds and their bodies.

christmas run park is one of the two best parks in wooster, imho. (freedlander park on the north…read moreend of town is the other.) at christmas run, you will find a kickass playground, tennis courts, short hiking trails, a stream and pond (some people even go fishing), ducks, and a swimming pool. they hold some really fun community events here like art in the park and the kiwanis strawberry social.

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 small park tucked between a quiet neighborhood and a river, with a short boardwalk to a beautiful…read morewaterfall. The flow of the falls will fluctuate a good bit, depending on the season or rainfall. When the water levels are low, there's not going to be much to see. But after a rain or snow melt, this waterfall becomes pretty impressive! The boardwalk can become slick in shaded areas. Keep in mind that you're directly behind people's homes & yards, so be respectful of the shared space.

This park has a very limited parking area. It is located on the side of the road and has maybe…read moreeight parking spots. Then you climb four steps, cross a small platform area and next it is 48 stairs straight down. The walk from there is a nice boardwalk to a relativity small waterfall.

This small preserve is near me. Lovely trails, several water crossings, lots of up and down. Many…read morelocals come here and often dogs are off-leash. Small picnic area near the parking area

A pretty short, but beautiful hike just outside of Granville. With all the offshoots you will be…read moreabout 4.5-5 miles or so. Great hike for kids!

One of our favorite outdoor spots. A shaded waterfall area, shallow pool and creek and smooth…read moretrails. There is also a path to the top of the waterfall. The kids have fun for hours here. Some nice benches and plenty of large rocks to hang out on. Parking is just across the road and there are a few porta potties by the parking. The waterfall isn't far once you get on the trail. The river is a farther walk but does have a very strong current so no swimming over there.

Neat little stop. Wasn't much water when we stopped tho. Hiking areas in the woods and some neat…read morerock formations.