This is a 22-mile, maintained, beautiful trail that connects to the Olentangy trail…read more It's a paved surface and wide enough for cyclists and pedestrians, similar to the Scioto or Olentangy trails. It's surrounded by trees and flows along Alum Creek. There are quite a few bridges you go over. We saw quite a few cyclists out in the morning. Colorful leaves were abundant along the trail, and it was peaceful - even on a Saturday morning.

We checked out the section near Ohio Dominican University, and it was really nice. It follows along…read moreAlum Creek and several areas have a good view of it. There were also small wetland/bog areas along the way, which were very pretty (home to some bugs though). It was also quite clear that the deer in the area were quite used to all of the passersby, whether on foot or pedaling, as they gave very little notice as we walked along. The trail is nicely paved, and there is good signage and trail markings where appropriate.

The Heritage Rail Trail is a nicely paved multi-use trail. We saw cyclists, dog walkers, and other…read morehikers when we headed out. In total, it runs 6.1 miles from Main Street in Old Hilliard to Plain City, though we did not go the full length on our most recent visit. Its path winds along some nice stops if you want or need them, such as the Heritage Trail Dog Park (parking and port-a-potty available, in addition to the dog park of the name in case you've got a four-legged friend with you that wants some extra play) and Homestead Metro Park (parking and restrooms available, plus playgrounds and a train to explore, if you've got a kiddo with you that wants some extra play). A very nice trail!

Flat, straight and easy rail trail. Ran 8 miles on an early Sunday morning and thoroughly enjoyed…read moreit.

Small park crammed between apartments and the river. Easy access to the trail. Parking available,…read moredepending on what time of day you're here. Construction going on right now so a lot of the streets headed to the river are blocked. I was here to ride my bike, so I just parked a little farther back and rode down to the trail. Be careful, because you will need to ride on the streets part of the time, and there are steel plates currently. Anyway, nice little strip of a neighborhood park, with sculptures and benches up and down the river in all the parks. And easy access to neighborhoods.

This park is tucked away near the entrance of the Harrison West neighborhood. The trail actually…read moreruns right through it and you'd likely miss it if you didn't catch the sign near the street. It has a few benches, a couple trash cans, and two structural art installations. It's always kept really clean too. I've never noticed lighting in the area though. So, I tend to avoid it when it gets dark, similar to the trail. It's a great area to stop and catch your breath if you've been exercising. While it's near the street, it definitely gives off a peaceful vibe.

I found out about this trail in a geocaching expedition. This is a nice trail, a mostly easy hike…read more The trail is wide, easy to see, mostly flat, a dirt trail. It's great for everyone, not just hikers. There's a nice little brook running through it. You don't really need to bring much supplies because it doesn't go terribly far into the woods. If you had an emergency, it wouldn't take you long to get back out to get help. It's sometimes muddy though because there's a lot of tree cover and not much sun gets though. This also means you're always in the shade in the summer time but you should wear good shoes. Don't wear sandals or anything like that. http://gowalla.com/spots/1167954 There's a geocache on this trail: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=276f36ea-7c10-4093-ade2-2812e3df5b53

A nice little trail that provides a great place for a walk or run. It ambles through the woods near…read morea small creek. It looks like a good area for the nearby neighborhoods too, as you don't have to go far from civilization to get a breath of nature. There are some amenities such as benches and picnic tables along the way, as well. Very enjoyable place to explore.

Yet another place I drive by all the time but never went before. The trails are finally completed,…read morethough, connecting downtown to Westerville, so I stopped by for a bike ride. The main feature of this facility is the playing fields. Every weekend they are packed. There are about 20 fields, with the numbers starting in the south. There are two parking lots; if your game is at roughly 1-10 you should park in the south one, above that try the smaller north lot. There are a few portapotties scattered around. Other than the nets, etc., that's about it for amenities. It'd be nice to have some benches, and cutouts in the lots so you could ride a bike or push a wheelchair in without climbing a curb. I'm not sure who owns and operates this- it's not a city park, CESA plays there but it doesn't look like they own it, and though it is sometimes referred to as "Value City Fields" I don't think it's theirs either. Whoever it is takes care of it pretty well. It is clean and well-maintained. My reason for being here is the bike trail, which just skirts the edge along Sunbury Road. However it is an important part of the Alum Creek Trail, which is finally fully connected. From the south parking lot you ride through woods and along a stream, and past a country club, to Innis Park and beyond. To the north, there is a tunnel under Morse which leads to more trails up into Westerville. The paths here are in decent shape, though some sections need a little TLC- patching, striping. It's handy to Easton for a meal after a game, etc. Be careful turning left out of the lots- Sunbury Rd. is narrow and there's a lot of traffic sometimes. Might be better to turn right and find a place to turn around.

This used to be a small city park called Heer Park, but it is now going to be Great Southern Metro…read morePark. It is open, but I think the grand opening is in April, and there will still be improvements coming after that for awhile. Currently there is a nice trail, a bathroom building, several workout stations, and a river overlook at the southern end. Soon there will be a playground, more trails (eventually connecting to the trails and parks north along the river) and more. I had a nice walk on the first day that we've been above freezing in weeks. Still plenty of snow on the ground. Parking lot and trails were well cleared. A nice place to walk, walk your dog, ride your bike. When the trails open farther north, you will be able to ride all the way up to downtown and to the other end of Columbus. It is a fairly narrow strip of land between the mall and the quarry, with water and trees to the west. Turn in at Walgreen's, go to the end of the road and turn left at the sewage pumping station. That doesn't sound pretty, but the park itself is actually pretty nice and a great addition to the south side.

Very nice wide open spaces with a cool wooded path near an old canal. No water but the path does…read morelead to a lake overlook with benches and swings to sit and enjoy the scenery!

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 a beautiful area along the Olentangy River. The Olentangy Trail passes through here making…read moreit easy to access via foot, bike, or the like. There is also a mulch trail that accompanies the bikepath through this area, so there's also the choice of paved or mulch surfaces to use. There is a lot of greenspace and fields for activities. The wooded sections are lovely and bring some great shade to the area. There are a variety of fields/courts along the way, including tennis courts, soccer fields, and a skate park. Two playgrounds are adjacent - Highgate and Whitney, named for their nearby street access points from the Worthington Estates neighborhood. River access is also available. Benches and picnic tables are also available at various points. This is a great place either as a stop during your journey along the Olentangy Trail or as a place to visit and enjoy.