Battelle-Darby Creek Metropark
1775 Darby Creek Drive, Galloway, Ohio

Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park encompasses over 3400 acres of varied land areas including oak-hickory and swamp forests, former farmlands, prairie remnants, and the beautiful Big Darby and Little Darby creeks--both State and National Scenic Rivers.

The Darby creeks are well known for their diverse aquatic life, including several species of endangered or threatened fish and freshwater mussels representative of a diverse living community. Some small remnants of the former Darby Plains, a multispecies tallgrass prairie, survive today. The best one for viewing lies along the entrance road to the Indian Ridge picnic area.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

6 miles of nature/hiking trails that can be accessed in the Cedar Ridge and Indian Ridge picnic areas.

Canoe access with restrooms, parking lot, and graveled access path to Big Darby Creek. This access is located south of Alkire Road, east of the Village of Georgesville.

Sledding hill located at the canoeing access area.

3.2-mile cross-country ski trail accessible from the Little Darby picnic area parking lot on Gardner Road.

Playfields.

Playground equipment.

Hunting in the wildlife management area subject to all state regulations.

Fishing on Big Darby and Little Darby creeks along all public access points subject to all state regulations.

Picnicking: See "Picnicking, Including Reservable Shelters, Lodges, and Camps" for more information.

Programs: Regularly scheduled natural and cultural history programs are available to the public.

Group Programs: A naturalist is available to present programs or lead natural and cultural history walks for organized groups at prescheduled times.

Location: Battelle-Darby Creek is 3 miles south of U.S. Rt. 40, near the southwestern corner of Franklin County.

Directions: From I-270 on the west side of Columbus, go west on Broad Street 7 miles to Darby Creek Dr. Turn left. The main entrance to the park and Cedar Ridge picnic area is 3 miles on the right; the entrance to Indian Ridge picnic area is 1 mile south of the main entrance.

Park maps are available at the parks and the District Office.

METRO PARKS PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Metro Parks offers regularly scheduled programs at all of its parks. The topics covered vary depending upon the park and the season. Many programs cover the cultural and natural history of central Ohio. Inniswood offers programs on gardening, horticulture, and the arts, and Slate Run Farm presents programs that acquaint you with farm life in the 1880s. Some programs focus on a particular age group; our Junior Naturalist (ages 9 to 12), Budding Naturalist (ages 6 to 8), Preschoolers in the Park (ages 3 to 5), and seniors programs are park favorites. Metro Parks also presents programs specifically designed for persons with disabilities.

A listing of programs is published every three months. Call 891-0700 (TTY 895-6240) to receive a copy or if you are interested in having this publication sent to your home quarterly.

PICNIC INFORMATION

Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park has two general-use picnic areas.

Cedar Ridge Picnic Area: Situated off the main entrance to the park, this area has picnic tables, grills, a large open playfield, playground equipment, basketball hoop, volleyball posts, and six first-come, first-served shelters. Three shelters are enclosed on three sides, have a grill, and hold approximately 16 people. Two are open shelters with four grills and eight electrical outlets and hold approximately 64 people. The last shelter is an open shelter with two grills and two electrical outlets (at no charge) and holds approximately 24 people.

Indian Ridge Picnic Area: Situated off Darby Creek Drive, 1 mile south of the main entrance, this area has picnic tables, grills, playground equipment, and five first-come, first-served shelters. Four shelters are enclosed on three sides, have a grill, and hold approximately 16 people. The other is an open shelter with four grills and holds approximately 80 people.

Battelle-Darby Creek Park has two shelters and a lodge that are available by reservation only. Call 614/891-0700 (TDD 895-6240) for reservations.

White Oak Shelter: Holds a maximum of 130 people with picnic tables seating 80 inside and 50 outside; parking is limited to 40 cars. Facilities include a separate kitchen shelter with a sink with running water, work tables, counters, and six small charcoal grills; electric lights and 12 outlets (at no charge); swings; small grassy area; horseshoe pits (horseshoe rental is available); volleyball posts; and toilet facilities.

Shagbark Shelter: Holds a maximum of 150 people with picnic tables seating 100 inside and 50 outside; parking is limited to 40 cars. Facilities include a separate kitchen shelter with a sink with running water, work tables, counters, and six small charcoal grills; electric lights and 16 outlets (at no charge); swings; horseshoe pits (horseshoe rental available); and toilet facilities. Everything except the restrooms is accessible for disabled persons.

Cedar Ridge Lodge: Holds a maximum of 120 people; parking is limited to 30 cars. Up to 120 people can be accommodated for lectures or assemblies; up to 96 can be seated at tables (80 can be seated comfortably at tables for serving food and 48 can be seated at tables if you require space for dancing or music). Folding tables and chairs are furnished as required. The Lodge is a one-floor, totally enclosed building which includes a room finished in knotty pine that can be used as an assembly hall or dining room and large windows providing views of the surrounding woodland. The building has an attached deck overlooking Darby Creek. The facilities include a kitchen with a sink with running water, fireplace (firewood provided upon request), small stove, small refrigerator, small counter area, and table. Dishes and table service are not provided. No provision is made for out-of-doors cooking or serving. The building is fully heated in winter. Modern restrooms in the Lodge are not accessible for disabled persons. The rest of the building is accessible.