Growing up, this was my favorite park, and now I love sharing it with my kids…read more It's all wood, and it's huge. It has tons of slides, castles, tunnels, swings, balance beams, and boat to play in, and fun tire stuff. It has ample seating throughout the park for moms and dads. Has play areas for most any age. It's well taken care of with nice touches throughout. A great park to take the kids to in Licking County.

Such a clean and fun park for all ages! Enough seating for parents. Clean bathrooms. Next time we…read morewill be packing a picnic because the shaded areas are so nice. We live in pataskala (about a 20 minute drive) and we will be back. We were use to Dublin's parks and this meet are expectations. Best in licking county.

We took our dog here during the golden hour. There is plenty of conveniently located parking spots…read morethroughout the park. The trails aren't paved which was nice for our dog and we got to see people riding their horses which was pretty unique! Just watch out for horse poop! We explored the park for a while, taking our time walking around the pond, exploring the fairy garden and just generally taking in the beautiful scenery on a December afternoon. Our dog had a great time. There is also a dog park on the premises which was like icing on the cake for our pup! Lots to do and see! Highly recommend!

I think I was here long ago, for a Civil War reenactment? Came today for the Fairy Trail party…read more Didn't realize you had to pre-register, so we just walked past the carriage rides, face-painting, swag bags, and more. Kid K said that didn't bother her, as long as we could do the trail (which is open all summer.) But we couldn't find it. Signage and maps for that are awful. We found the start of the trail, but past that, multiple branches went all over. I will say the main park trail system is well-marked with blazes, and the park map does pretty well with them. But no sign of the fairies. I had hoped we'd at least be able to follow other people since there were so many there for the party, but folks were going to all the other parts of the park too. We passed a mini zip-line area and a forest playground, but the kid wasn't interested, and eventually got worn out and just wanted to leave. So, two stars for the fairy trail portion since it needs more organization. I'm sure if we'd actually found it we'd give it more. But four or five for the park as a whole, which has loads of amenities: shelters, parking, playgrounds, dog park, restrooms (fancy pit ones,) and the mound, which I also didn't see. A big lake and a couple smaller ponds, and wetlands. Oh, well. Maybe we'll try again some other time.

Nice, quiet, shady, and well kept park…read more Lots of parking and BEAUTIFUL tall trees. Lots of grass area for the kids to run and play. Lots parking too. Parking is at the top of the little hill that overlooks the whole park. If you had one sleeping kid you could totally watch the kids from the car. There is a restroom and soda machine.

Needing a place to picnic since not all restaurants are open, I spotted this online. And then had…read moreto find it. Turn in at the main YMCA entrance, then angle back to the left. This is a big park, right next to the Y, and there are plenty of parking areas at each. Large grassy areas, plenty of shade, the pool, courts, etc. A bridge across the highway. A dog corral (or kid corral?) Bike paths. I did not see a playground in the park itself, but there is one at the Y. A lovely, fairly large park in the middle of town, with plenty of activities possible, and, what I needed, a shady spot for lunch. Glad I came.

If you find yourself in Eastern Central Ohio, you must stop and learn about the Great Circle. There…read moreis no charge to visit the park. This amazing structure is one of a complex of mound structures called Earthworks located within the town of Newark. Experts estimated that the mounds were built 2000 years ago by early Hopewell inhabitants of the region. The ingenuity and sophistication of the mound structures are testaments to how brilliant these people were. The mounds served multi purpose use (based on artifacts and features). The large circle at this location was used for ceremonies and was considered sacred. A site further east was where inhabitants lived and farmed. The site north served as an astronomy/calendar, accurately predicting the movement of the sun, moon and stars. Today, the site is preserved and protected. Interesting, the large circle once housed the county fair in the mid 1900's, which protected the area from development. The interpretative center is opened part of the week. A short film and displays describe the mounds. Kerri, the interpretive guide, was friendly, engaging and knowledgeable. She spent a lot of time with us, describing the sites and providing direction to other sites. Our dog was welcomed in the center, which was good because it was too hot to leave him in the car. They had a bowl of treats for dogs near the entrance. Dog walking bags are near the entrance to the park. There is plenty of free parking at the park and a few picnic tables. Paths are paved so strollers and wheel chairs can move easily. While there is no admission fee, donations are accepted.k

Hadn't been for years. The rain let up and I was nearby so I stopped. The grounds are beautiful,…read moreand the mounds are impressive. The small museum was open, and has some nice history and background for these works plus others in the area and the state. Run by Ohio History Connection, these are a nice counterpart to the golf course earthworks and tie in with sites in Chillicothe, etc.

AWESOME park, had no idea this place existed until I happened to visit Newark and find it on the…read moremap. Was not prepared for such a steep drive up the hill. This place is a mountain biking haven; most trails are off-limits to hikers, but there is a trail for hiking. Wear good shoes if you're walking a lot- Converse won't cut it. Can't wait to return with better shoes. Great views. Shelter houses, a playground, and monuments. Surely this place is packed with history- a great place to explore. Another thing- when driving to the top, there's a sign saying No Motor Vehicles, so I tried to turn the car around. DON'T do this- it's too narrow and dangerous- plus the road is one way. I kept going and was relieved to see other cars on top. There's one road up the mountain and another down, and one-way signs once you get to the top. The No Motor Vehicle signs are for the mountain bike trails.

There is a premier mountain bike trail system built into the hillside of this Newark city park. The…read moretrails here are not for the faint of heart, but are sure to guarantee plenty of opportunities to advance your skills. There are steep downhill trails at the front of the park, from the main parking lot at the top toward the road. Then from the playground in the back of the park are flow trails with some jump lines. There are multiple trail maps posted throughout the park. There is also a crew of riders here almost every day that could point you in the right direction if you happen to need help. 10/10 trail system.

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!

This disc golf course is situated on Lobdell Reserve, sharing some areas with the hiking paths…read more Very serene, though I've found that Sunday mornings we do not seem to be the only people that want to spend our family time there! Trash receptacles and benches at every other hole, with pro and regular tees for most. Some long shots with gorgeous views of open grass/prairie and short technical shots in the woods. Users of the course seem to be good about using the honor system to pay $2/round and picking up their own trash. VERY nice and clean portapotty at the lot - course is mowed regularly. Help keep it that way and pay :) We call this course "church" because it is the most peaceful/inspiring way I can imagine to spend our Sunday mornings. We've met nothing but good people out there!

From the owner: Licking County park systemread more

We were just here for the playgrounds. And there are several- one little one by the beach…read morevolleyball court, and a set of three or four over by the shelters. Baby K loved them all. Lots of different things to do, for kids of all ages. Also, many playing fields, some shelters, bathrooms, paths, etc. It's a nice big park. Plenty of parking, although oddly not really where you need it- not right next to the playgrounds, or next to the shelters so you can carry things over, or the playing fields. Not far, mind you, but I wish they were closer. But then, I'm old and have bad knees...

So I heard rumors about a dog park possibly coming to Gellar park for years now.And I have 2 dogs I…read morewould love for a dog park to come to gellar for one to bring more of the community out .For 2 I have to travel 40 minutes to go to a dog park that has a pond for dogs to swim in or 20 mins to infirmary mounds .It would be really nice to have a dog park in gellar so the dogs can enjoy a fenced in dog park and swimming pond for the dogs instead of a 20 or 40 minutes car ride it can be 10 .It would be great if we get a dog park to gellar sometime in the next year or two!And with exercise and agility courses and a pond like I said .

Our first experience with the hatchery has come through my son being awarded a mentored youth…read morewaterfowl hunt in the marsh area of the hatchery through the annual controlled hunts lottery that takes place every June-July by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The hunting and marsh area of the hatchery is a very beautiful place full of wildlife there is also a archery range that is available to the public. If your looking for a chill place to go for a walk and explore this would be a neat place to check out. Be aware that during hunting seasons there could be deer or waterfowl lottery hunts taking place.

I was looking for things to do near the Dawes Arboretum, and wandering through the Internet led me…read moreto the Hebron Fish Hatchery. The facility is just off the 70 near Buckeye Lake, though presently some road construction requires you to drive a large loop to get there. If you're curious about the hatchery, the education center is a good place to start. There are displays about hatchery operations and some brochures that guide you around the rest of the buildings. The Hebron Fish Hatchery raises walleyes, saugeyes, striped bass, bluegills, and channel catfish. There are sixty-three open in-ground ponds, where you can hike and birdwatch. The fish holding and distribution center has large tanks of fish and the incubation area, where you can see tubes of fish eggs that will make you a little reluctant to eat tapioca in the future. It was an open house event when I visited, so there were several activities for kids including a fishing pond and an archery range. The staff was friendly and happy to talk about the hatchery. I grew up visiting the Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River in CA, which collects and raises Pacific salmon and steelhead, but this is a far more modest operation. It's certainly worth a look around, but don't make a special trip from Columbus just to see the place.