I found yet another good park in Columbus called Northmoor Park. It's easily overshadowed by the…read moregreat Whetstone Park so it's not well known except by those who live around it. There are several smaller parks like it around. It sits near the Olentangy River. The park is not easy to find but it's accessible by the bike trail. It may not be that much to see, but it's more laid back and if you want a quiet time. It has a small parking lot so you may have to park on the street if it's crowded, but usually it's not that much people there. The residents in the homes around it are usually good about keeping the park clean. It's not a big park so there isn't much to do here. There are a few tables you can eat a lunch at. It has a good amount of deer around so there's lots of picture opportunities. The Olentangy Trail is by the park so that's where it seems most of the visitors come from on their way to Whetstone Park. I think Northmoor Park is somewhere that needs appreciated more. It may not have the prestige of its neighboring parks but it still is great to spend time at. The area around it is nice and there is beautiful scenery to see there.

This salient of green juts in behind beautiful houses in the back streets of Clintonville. It is a…read moreneighborhood park and fishing spot with old, healthy trees and a scenic ( or what passes for scenic on the Olentangy) view of the river as it comes along a bend just North of N. Broadway. It also has a canoe launch and access to the bike trail which runs through it. The entrance is hidden and seems like a darken drive, but it is there on Olentangy Street. It is a nice place to began a ride, but the parking is few; about nine spaces are available to park on well maintained gravel. Small, the park also has picnic tables. There is much wildlife here. Just north of the park on the trail just before the grass preserve of Whetstone, is a curvature where dear often frolic. These deer are use to people and you can get nice close up pics, or commune with them from as near as 7-feet. There are tall trees here. They are at least 250- year old, and have looked over the Olengangy before Columbus was founded, before Ohio was a state, before the USA was even born. Native American looked at these trees. They are old. It is a combo shot of a pleasure park and rustic naturalness. Though it is small it is shaded and cool in the summer; a place I stop on my rides, runs, and walks to rest. It is also a serene place to read, chill, and take pics.

This park is located near the intersection of Lane Road and Riverside Dr, so you do get a bit of…read moreroad noise, particularly in the sections where the trail is closer to Riverside. Regardless, it's a nice green space located near some neighborhoods. The park trail connects to these, which makes it a very nice space for folks walking their dogs and riding bikes around the area. There is a small parking lot available, as well as several picnic tables. The focal point of the park is the 9 foot tall Bill Moose Memorial. Signage is also available providing history about Bill Moose, who was the last of the Wyandot Indians in Ohio, and about the monument, which contains 39 boulders from the riverbed. A nice little park that is home to an important piece of Ohio history!

This was a cool park and it had all the perks...basketball court, amphitheater, sand volleyball…read morecourt, large open field, cool climbing feature, an outdoor game, and a nearby creek for fishing. It probably had more but that's what we saw with the time we had. We spent over an hour playing and site seeing. This really is a great outdoor space.

I came here for one of the Westerville Community Band concerts in the amphitheater, and the park…read morewas a great venue. There was plenty of seating/places to set up your seat, and plenty of parking, including an overflow lot across the street. There appears to be a kids play area and at least one set of restrooms, seasonally available. The night I went, the weather was perfect, and there was plenty of shade in the amphitheater, but my friend indicated that isn't always the case, so plan accordingly!

This nature preserve has a nice location adjacent to both Big Bear Farms Park and Adventure Park,…read moreand is located behind Scioto Ridge Elementary School. It also connects to a paved greenway trail. Because of this location, there are multiple entrances into this beautiful woods - there are several behind the school, and several that meet up with the greenway trails. The trail itself is nicely mulched, which helped decrease the amount of mud, although there were some muddy spots so keep that in mind for footwear selections. There are several nice basic bridges that get you across a stream and near vernal pools and a small wetland. It's very pretty and relaxing, and your visit to the area can easily be extended by continuing your walk on the greenway trails. Very nice area!

It's a great neighborhood park with nice natural walking areas near the river and nice wide open…read morefields to throw a frisbee or toss a ball. Lots of people bring their dogs here to run off lead which means there can be dog poop in the fields so watch outThe hill is a great place to picnic.

Clinton-Como Park is a nice small park by the Olentangy River. I like this because it's also…read morelocated along the bike trail. The park has some athletic fields and a few picnic tablesIt seems to be really dog friendly. This is a nice view of the river from there. I have seen many bikers and runners stop and admire the scenery. It's not as popular as Whetstone but it's a very nice place to play or watch. There's a baseball field and basketball court. It's not that hard to find a parking spot. The lot in the north area is big enough. It also has an area that's connected to the Olentangy Wetlands by a bridge. This is a nice way to get a view of the river. I like these not as well known parks like Clinton-Como Park. It's not crowded like the bigger ones. There are some nice views of the Olentangy River from many areas and there's also good athletic and play equipment to keep kids busy while you hang out there.

I love Glacier Ridge it's such a beautiful gem of a park with so many different sections and things…read moreto do. I mostly come to Glacier Ridge for the dog park. My dog loves running off leash and they have a few pieces of agility equipment to play with as well. Unfortunately this park is just a solid mud pit almost year round. There is some grass and it's trying but I don't think the drainage system is effective at all. The grass that is planted isn't a durable grass, and I would take my dog here so much more often if I didn't have to plan on giving her a bath afterwards. If you come to the park for the hiking trails or for the playgrounds or nature conservation then this is definitely a 5-Star park for you!! But if you have a dog and you're coming for the dog park, I'd suggest the Bark Park in Marysville or the Heritage Trail Dog Park in Hilliard instead!

When you go to Glacier Ridge, make sure you take a non-highway route to get the fun feeling or…read moreleaving urban and entering the country. The section of Glacier Ridge that I visited (the entrance across the street from Glacier Ridge Elementary) is where the disc golf, playground, wind & solar learning center, covered picnic areas, a bathroom, a water fountain, and a tire pump are located. There are also 3 trails in this part of the park: horses only, multi-use, and a short walking trail. The last one was my favorite because even though it was the shortest, it was unpaved and went through a forested area. The other trails were paved, flat, and you are totally exposed-something I don't care for on a hot summer's day. I'd like to come back and check out the 4th trail and the Honda Wetland Center.

An Ohio State property, this area has some interesting constructed wetlands. The indoor education…read morecenter is only for students and there aren't public restrooms available. They call part of the area a constructed "billabong". It does not have any Australian wildlife, but it connects to the larger river greenway trail and it is a nice little area that is free to access.

Columbus is fortunate to have a Ramsar wetland (a wetland of international importance) right here…read morein our own backyard, and it is easily accessible from the Olentangy Greenway Trail, which runs right by it. The grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk daily, but respect the signage because research is underway. There is an observation pavilion, which is unfortunately in need of repairs at this time. When it's open, it gives you a nice view of the wetland area and all of the wildlife that may be about. There's good signage that explains the wildlife, the natural history of the area, and how research is conducted. Regardless, there are several paths that will take you in and around the area so you can enjoy the views, and you can also walk around on the Olentangy Greenway Trail to look around, as well. We saw several deer walking near the trail. There is parking available if you're driving by, otherwise, make it a nice little stop on your greenway trail journey!

Gallant Woods Park is a very nice park that features a wide variety of habitats, including forest,…read moremeadow, prairie, and wetlands. There is a very nice Interpretative Gateway that is a little sheltered area with benches that features a lot of excellent signage, maps, and pictures about what you might see here, including the plants and animals. A reservable shelterhouse with restrooms and water fountains is located next to a green space with a horseshoe set up and a cute little playground and benches. The playground features some climbing and balancing structures, a slide, and a 'treehouse' type structure on top. A sledding hill is also available here when the weather is a bit more appropriate than it was on our recent hot, sunny visit! Signage on the Pheasant Run Trail had a neat mindfulness theme with various activities along the way to help with the process. There are three additional trails available - the Acorn/Gateway, the Tree-Frog, and a Primitive Trail, plus a connector trail to the Gallant Farm, which is a historic Depression-era farm located across the street. There are a couple of parking lots available in Gallant Woods, including one near the shelterhouse/playground area.

What preservation parks of Delaware county is doing is truly great work. The are added new parks…read morearound the county, similar idea as the metro parks in the bigger cities. However I find the Delaware parks to have more charm. They also seem very connected to their community. Several of these parks I prefer to state parks. Gallant farm is especially interesting. You get to go inside an old farm house furnished with items from that era. The gentleman working there was information. He loved the work he was doing there and you could tell. I found the other parks to be clean with modern buildings. Trails clearly marked and easy to follow.