Hike the Darby Creek Greenway
9.6 Miles
50 Feet
Photography, Running, Hiking, Fitness
Beginner
Year Round
Out-and-Back
Winding along Big Darby Creek, the Darby Greenway Trail within Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park is the first leg in a future trail that will extend well over 20 miles long, paralleling the State and National Scenic River.
Starting your hike from the Cedar Ridge Picnic Area, head north along the Darby Creek Greenway, a well-maintained gravel path that is a multi-use trail alongside cyclists and trail runners. The trail switches between a number of different settings during the 4.7 mile one-way trek, including forest, oak savannah, and prairie.
About 1.5 miles in, the trail passes the Columbus Metro Parks' Bison pastures, where a herd of bison has been re-established in Central Ohio.
Continuing past the bison farm, within 0.2 of a mile you cross the road and connector trail back to the nature center. From beyond there, the trail winds through open prairie to its current northern terminus at the Darby Dan racetrack, a former horse race facility that is now for humans to run laps on.
Although the course is flat, its time-consuming to hike the whole thing, Prepare for at least 2-3 hrs to hike the entirety of the trail. Also, as you return to the trailhead at Cedar Ridge, take a moment to enjoy the 0.1 mile long spur trail behind the bathrooms that leads to a gorgeous overlook of Big Darby Creek.
For anymore information on the park conditions, hours, and programs, check their website at the following link:http://www.metroparks.net/park...
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
