Great walking loop trails with a variety of trails [gravel, wide path, light hiking trails]. There are a couple different parking lots to park in. Trails are well kept, as well as supplying dog bags for patrons. read more

Excellent stop if you are one a road trip with kids or dogs or both! Everyone can get out of the car and get their wiggles out. We brought snacks and enjoyed them under a shady tree near one of the lakes but could have also chosen a picnic table. The park is incredibly clean as there are no trash cans... you take your trash with you. The park is beautiful and peaceful. Well taken care of. Will return when we pass through Ohio again in the future. read more

Yesterday I decided it was time to get out of the house and explore a new-to-me park in Columbus. I stumbled upon Prairie Oaks and I was totally taken aback by how big it is, seriously this place is huge! Very easy to socially distant here, even the main trail paths are more than six feet wide. Parking is plentiful, trash cans and bathrooms are also available (although currently closed due to COVID-19), the entire place was extremely clean, and there's plenty of signage to help you along the way. I love being able to learn a few tidbits while I explore the outdoors. Biking, boating, fishing, horseback riding, super dog friendly, all the fun stuff can be done here! They have a few playgrounds, a dog swimming area (which is adorable), and I really like that you can take off from the main trails and explore some smaller ones. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Our metro parks are simply wonderful. Prairie oaks is no exception. The only tricky thing is that there are two entrances. My stepson and I Went geocaching and found two located within this park. It is well maintained and clean and beautiful. He was most impressed when I pointed out the thorns on a hickory tree. read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Found a geocache, this pic gives away nothing - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

I visited Prairie Oaks for the CHA 5K. It's another excellent local park with plenty of amenities and really well maintained walkways. The path around the pond area is both dog friendly and a bridle path. Keep an eye out for road apples if you have a scavenger! There were plenty of shelters, etc, and we had a great time. Note that there are multiple entrances, and they may not all connect. I went in on the wrong side of the park and ended up leaving, circling, and making it to the correct entrance right as the race was starting, so make sure you are headed to where you want to be! read more

Over two thousand acres of prairie and grasslands including 500 that have been restored with native seeds and plants. This is a stunning park that deserves more than the brief driveby I was able to give it as I made my way between Dayton and Columbus. Walking trails, playgrounds, picnic shelters, lots of parking and spots to spot local wildlife and a natural habitat. It's stunning. Maybe not a rest area but I stopped by and stretched my legs to enjoy the scenery. [Review 11272 overall, 1049 of 2019.] read more

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I really feel that this metro park is overlooked. It is absolutely beautiful. Between the lakes and the scenic trails, I couldn't recommend this park enough! read more

One of the most important things about writing reviews on Yelp is to inform, inspire and share with others. So I want to start by thanking Ryan S. and Marissa C. for writing some really interesting reviews about our parks and green spaces. Kudos to them. Prairie Oaks Metro Park is one of our largest metro parks with 2,123 acres of restored prairie, woods, streams and lakes. I won't even pretend to tell you I've seen more than a fraction of it so far, so I'm just starting my exploration myself. It stays interesting just because it's so huge that I see something new and interesting each time I go there. On my last visit I actually found a small Indian mound along one of the trails. Like most other metro parks, this one is very dog friendly. While I've never seen that many people there at any time, many of those that do visit the park bring their dogs with them. By the way, if you're furry friend takes to the water like a fish, then there's a dog beach so your canine friend can go off-leash and splash around in the lake. Even thought it's one of our largest metro parks, it's also one of the lesser known in the area. I've only known seen it somewhat busy on one occasion so it tends to be very quiet and relaxing. I'm really OK with that. It's a great place to go to feel the wind blowing over the prairie land, to hear the rustle of the leaves and to sit back and just watch the clouds go by.... read more

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Great trails, if you're quiet enough you'll easily see deer. Playground is good too. I let the kids do a little creeking so bring your boots

I started coming to this park 3 yrs ago because of the wag festival thats held here every year in aug or sept. My dog have a chance to run around with other dogs and bark his little head off. They built a new sitting area and a dock so the dogs can jump off of. Its always a good time coming out here. Its a 30min drive from Columbus but its well worth it. There are tons of trails to walk and plenty of dogs running around. Go early mornings and the sunrise on the lake is beautiful and its so quiet. All the nature surrounding you will make you feel calm. By dog loves coming here and cant stay outta the water lol read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

This is by far my favorite park in Central Ohio. No matter what time of year you go out this place always looks beautiful. My favorite time to go out is the late summer or early fall. They have some amazing trails you can walk around. Most of the trails at this park go around a lake. You can also bring your doogy friends as they have a nice large dog beach for them to swim and they do not have to be on a leash in the dog beach area. They do ask that in the rest of the park that your 4 legged friends be on leashes. They have a lot of different events at this metro park throughout the year. They do events for both kids and adults. It is always a good time. They do have places to do picnics, and other events. I always find myself enjoying the park towards the end of the day. They have several other things, like you can go canoeing here as well kayaking. I love it. Also, they have different trails with different entrances, try to check some of those other ones out. I highly encourage you visit this park. read more

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If I had to pick a happy place in Columbus this would be it. We're so lucky to have a park so close to the city that offers everything that Prairie Oaks does. It's been getting more popular so expect to see plenty of people there on the weekends, if you're looking for more seclusion I'd recommend going during the week. While you're there you'll see everyone from runners to dog walkers to horseback riders to kayakers. Prairie Oaks offers something for everyone. I typically take my dog running here. The park is huge, we can pick a different trail to run every time we're here. Although the trails are unfortunately leash only, there is a dog beach where your pet is allowed to be off the leash. During the summer there is a dock installed and there's plenty of room to throw the ball for your dog! read more

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Beautiful trails, lots and lots of space. This park is sprawling and spacious which is nice but the big win for me is how pet friendly the park is. There are lots of pet friendly trails and awesome dog beach. A lot of parks say they are "pet friendly" because they have one trail that's 0.75 miles long. At Prairie Oaks there are about 8 miles of pet friendly trails with multiple access points, doggy clean up stations with bags and trash cans plus the roomy dog beach. There were probably ten plus dogs playing and there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out and not be on top of each other. Looking forward to coming back out and explore the other trails but I do highly recommend the Darby Creek Greenway Trail fr anybody visiting for the first time. read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

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Don't be fooled. This dog park is not off leash and not dog friendly. Staff is incredibly rude.

I have a highly active, seventy pound, four-year-old black lab mix in a two bedroom apartment in Columbus. So, having Prairie Oaks Metro Parks within five miles of my home is a life saver! Prairie Oaks contains nearly four hundred acres of pet friendly terrain. Eight of the ten trails are dog friendly, two are open to horseback riders. Each trail offers a different scenic view including forests, prairies, fields, and meadows. Each trail also offers different terrain including grass, dirt, gravel, curvy, straight, flat, and hilly. Most of the trails butt up against ponds or cross with Darby Creek, so there are plenty of opportunities for your dog to get a drink. One of the most beautiful trails I have been on is Coneflower South (1.7 mi). Note this is one of the two trails that is not dog friendly. You can get to Coneflower South by entering the park via Plan City-Georgesville Road. There are tons of yellow flowers and coneflowers lining the entire expanse. Go at dusk just as the sun turns everything golden. It's gorgeous. The park has many entrances, each being convenient for specific trails. Macey and I frequent the entrance marked Darby Bends, located off Amity Road. Darby bends juts off to several trails including Darby Creek (4.6mi), River Rock (.6mi), and Mound (.3mi). Though Darby Creek is the longest of all the trails in this park system, it offers several exit points that intersect with other trails in case you want to shorten your walk. Another plus, the trails typically loop around, bringing you back to where you started. Darby Bends is our favorite section of the Prairie Oaks system because of the off leash dog pond. At dusk, the pond usually has five to ten dogs romping in the water together. Macey still hasn't proven herself to be trustworthy enough to be off leash yet, but being able to socialize with the dogs and owners we meet there is very positive for her. I love that she can swim most of her energy out so our hike doesn't have to be so long and tiring. Otherwise, I end up not only wearing the dog out, but exhausting myself as well. If your dog doesn't do so well with others, try visiting the pond during the day. Usually you're there by yourself or with one other dog/owner pair. In the winter, you'll notice falling trees in Darby Bends - the result of beaver activity around Beaver Lake. It takes the beavers a long time to gnaw the tree enough to make it topple over, but it's really interesting to keep coming back to check their progress. Macey has a heyday sniffing the trunks where the large rodents have been. There is always some kind of activity going on at Prairie Oaks. I've seen canoeing classes, cross country training, and dog festivals going on there. Some of the trails offer good practice for cyclists. Prairie Oaks is also a great place to have a picnic or to spend a little time fishing. Note that you can only fish in two of the ponds, and children and seniors can fish in one additional pond, all located at Darby Bends. Prairie Oaks provides bio-degradable bags so you can pick up after your dog or clean up after your picnic. But you won't find any trash cans in this park. I find the carry in, carry out rule to be both a blessing and a burden. It keeps the park beautiful and eliminates swarming cans filled with bees or overflowing with trash, but I hate having to carry Macey's poop around in a bag for two hours while we hike and play. It's very tempting to throw the bio-degradable sack into the tall weeds rather than putting it in my car's trunk and carting it back to my apartment's dumpster. Prairie Oaks is a wondrous place to learn, exercise, and unwind. If you have a dog or just love to be outdoors you need to visit this place. And if you've already been to Prairie Oaks and love it as much as I do, you need to vote in 2009 to renew the ten-year-long levy that funds the majority of this system. read more

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Prairie Oaks is a very animal friendly park, as there are trails that are dog friendly and trails that are great for horseback riding. There is also a dog swimming area in the Darby Bend Lakes area. The three lakes that comprise this section of the park also provide the opportunity to do some water activities like canoeing, fishing, and kayaking. The trails are mostly gravel, grass or dirt, so you do want to be aware of that to choose your footgear based on the weather. Heavy rain or a lot of melting snow can mean soggy and wet sections - although, they have added some features like bridges in strategic places. For sights, you can choose trails that meander through fields, prairies, woodlands, and lakeviews. There are picnic shelters and a natural play area available too. read more

If I could give this metro park a 3.5 I absolutely would. It's a very nice park with several trails of different lengths and a fairly nice restroom area. The dog poop disposal cylinders are plentiful and the trails are nice and very well kept. I have notes though. The ponds are great but are only for fishing, kayaking, and dog swimming. Why not people swimming, I ask? Blue green algae is highly prevalent in ohio, so perhaps that's it. Or, as a different dog parent informed me it would be a combination of that and the contamination of the ponds. Apparently they used to be significantly dirtier and restoration has helped them get to where they are today. She told me that 3 years ago if you stuck your hand in the water less than a few inches it would disappear. Do I really want my dog swimming in water like this? I will be looking into this and will update with whatever I find. read more

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A great park, nice walking paths, play areas, fishing pond, picnic tables, horse paths - and two areas split by a nice stream you can cross with a pedestrian bridge. read more

Ah how we love this park! We are so thankful of all of the metro parks! Prairie oaks is a bit far from us so we don't come here too often but owning a lab puppy, we go where the water is! There is plenty of parking! The dog beach is not fenced in but it's also not in an overly open area where dogs can run off. But just a word of caution, make sure your pup understands basic recall! There are areas to walk around as well. Our pup enjoys the dock diving as well! And don't forget your camera - there are photo oops all around you! My only suggestion...fence off the dog beach area! Our pup is good but I know of too many people who refuse to go because their dogs would bolt and not come back. read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Hunter jumping off of the dock - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

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I went here a couple years ago on one of the hottest days of the year. We only intended to walk for a little bit and we had a map yet we still got lost because the trail markings were so bad. There was supposed to be a link to a trail that would loop us around back to the car. We never found it and ended up walking for hours in sweltering heat with no water. The trails are really mostly just paths mowed through tall grass. There was one part where there's a creek that was pretty but the rest was just fields. It was a little bit dull. read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

What a nice park! Came here for a Siberian husky event so didnt do as much exploring as I wouldve liked but wow. Clean, well groomed and extensive selection of trails! Downside is there are no trash cans, although they do provide "carry out" trash bags around the park. Nice lakes/ponds and just all around gorgeous open spaces! read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Husky event - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

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This Metropark is about a 15 minute drive from Hilliard. It has several parking lots, but I parked at the one at the restroom...more on that later. I took the alder trail that lead to the Sycamore Plains Trail. The Sycamore Plains Trail was more wooded but has several flooded areas were it was nearly impossible to stay on the trail due to mud. I never passed anyone else on my hike for two hours, around noon on a Friday. I found at least one trail sign that needed to be replaced. My goal is to hike all the metro parks in Columbus, so here is my breakdown of the park: Trails: Mix of sun and shade, woods and plains. Easy walking, except for sycamore plains trail due to mud. Clean trails, only spotted 1 doggie pile, and no trash. Many small trails made by people going off trail, mostly to get to the creeks and lakes. Critters spotted: Various species of dragonflies and butterflies, 2 Deer, Bullfrog Favorite Feature: Abandoned boat and truck off the trail Least favorite feature: Very buggy, constantly swatting at them while on the trail Bathrooms: Fancy version of a porta-potty. Pretty sure there was no water fountain. Very bare bones facilities here. read more

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I am pretty sure I am Morgan's neighbor. I have 2 Golden Retrievers in a 2 bed room apartment. Prairie Oaks is awesome. They have a great section just for dogs to run, play and swim off of the leash. If your a dog owner you know how few places like this exist. There are all kinds of trails, gravel, grass, dirt, wooded, wide open. Its a great place. You can take your pups on most trials, I wish you could take them on all of the trials. You cal also take a bike on most trails, none of the fun ones though. You may also see people riding horses on some of the trials. The fishing isn't bad either, bass and blue gill are the most common. All in all its pretty awesome! read more

I love Columbus Metro Parks!!! We came to Prairie Oaks on a Saturday morning to hike some of the trails. We came across no more than 2 people in the couple hours we were out. We started on the Coneflower trail and ended up on the Alder trail, so decided to do the Sycamore Plains loops too. Even though we were only 20 min from the city, there were times we were so secluded and walking by the river on the Alder trail was pretty cool. It was muddy when we went, but not terrible - I'm glad I wore my hiking boots instead of running shoes! We will be back to see the rest of the trails! There are a few picnic shelter areas, charcoal grills, playgrounds, and restrooms, but we did not use any of these facilities. Everything looked pretty new actually. read more

The park should put up a fence? Why? o_O It's a *park,* not a private reserve. Not sure why anyone's enjoyment of a public facility should be dependent on a fence. I wish, I wish, I WISH I had a horse so I could come out here and ride. Alas, all my horse-owning friends live in other states, so I'm out of luck there. However, the rest of the trails are fantastic and if you're a birder, you'll love the chance to spot American kestrels, eastern meadowlarks, grebes, and several other birds. Photo opportunities are everywhere. read more

What a GREAT Park!! Our dog grew up going to the Dog Only Pond there. It is so beautiful there and it is never crowded besides in the dog area at some times but that dogs not people. You can let the dogs play and then walk around one of the beautiful lakes to get back up to your car. They do have restrooms and 2 pretty big shelters. This park is amazing and even though it is kind of out there a ways it really is worth the drive when you get there. 5 Stars!! read more

This park is so beautiful. I didn't know it's as big as it is. On a nice it's fun to walk/bike around. Amazing place to bring your dog. Pretty stone structures arranged well. Lots of greenery. We saw people even fishing here! So I guess that's another way you can pass time here. Cute little ponds. Must visit ! read more

Prairie Oaks Metro Park - Hiking Near Me - Hilliard, Ohio

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Excellent park as it is off the beaten path, so less busy. Very large, so you can get great exercise while taking in the natural beauty and quiet. This is the way a park should be; a place to truly get away. read more

15 minute drive on country roads from the Tuttle Mall area. Designated off leash area for dogs where they can go swimming in the lake. Tons of parking but fills up on nice weathered weekends. Hiking trails of various lengths that I have not yet ventured on. They could use more poop bag dispensers and trash cans at more locations. read more

Great place for some calm paddle boarding (also a good place for a walk, run or ride a bike on the gravel trail). The lake farthest back in the parking lot is the best one for paddle board and you can cross under the bridge to another lake and watch the dogs play in the water. Wildlife in abundant. I regularly see tons of turtle, ranging from 1.5 or 2" shells to monsters (couldn't even guess their size). Lots of fish, some rather large (probably 20 lbs). Plenty of birds, heron, ducks and geese. I usually see a beaver swimming around as well. Lots of fishermen and fisherwomen. It's a quiet and peaceful place for those on the shore and those on the lakes. Lakes are very deep (former quarries) and pretty cold, so having a PFD is a must. Several rangers regularly patrol the place - follow the rules and everyone stays happy. The only downside are the ticks. The place is literally crawling with ticks. I've pulled both a dog tick and a deer tick off my equipment on separate visits so far this year. Make sure to guard against those little suckers. read more

Nice clean park with lots of trails to walk or bike in. Also they have a nice area for kids to play in.

We love taking our dog hiking at Prairie Oaks and she loves to swim, but can't take her to the dog beach because they don't have a fence in the dog park! Every time we hike there, we see dogs running out of the dog park. The last time we visited we took her and she ran off hunting in the high grass and all the other dogs followed her. It was a nightmare getting them all back. A fence would solve the problem. PLEASE fence it in. The dog park & beach at Alum Creek is so much nicer, but much farther away from us. read more

This is the metropark for dogs. It hosts WAG fest, and the people who frequent there are animal lovers. My dogs are fine off-leash and I kind of abuse that fact. The rangers only ever give me a sigh, and "do you have a leash" and go on their way. Batelle Darby Creek is more impressive from a nature standpoint, but I have found the people there tend to be less friendly (more runners and athletes who seem to forget about the nature aspect of zoning out and staring at tree bark is cathartic for some) and the rangers are not nearly as nice. I rarely meet anyone at Prairie Oaks who didn't have a smile on their face and "oh, your dogs are fine" when I leash them as they approach. This is by far my favorite metropark in the city. (Clear Creek beats them all, but that is not really a Columbus attraction, despite the park's stewardship.) read more

This is our favorite place to take our dog baby for a swim. This park has a designated dog swimming area so (hopefully) there are no fishing hooks, etc. laying around and you don't have to sneak around and make sure no one is looking when you let your dog off-leash and into the lake :) I drive 35 minutes to get here happily as we can spend a couple of hours easily without getting bored. Bonus: by the time we get home, my dog is dry if I leave the windows down! read more