Trail Review: Walnut Woods Metro Park, Groveport, Ohio
Our latest summer trail adventures led us to one of the Columbus Metro Parks that we missed during our tour of parks a couple of years ago: Walnut Woods Metro Park in Groveport.
Walnut Woods Metro Park is a sprawling park, set on 1,458 acres of fields and woodlands. It’s made up of two main areas—the Tall Pines Area and the Buckeye Area—each of which has its own parking lots and restrooms. Both areas also have their own looping paved trails, which are connected by both the paved Monarch Trail and the grass Kestrel Trail. There are so many paved trails here, in fact, that you could go on a seven-mile walk to explore it all.
For our walk, we parked in the Tall Pines Area, which has a small parking lot, a few picnic tables, and basic restroom facilities (without running water). We didn’t check out the Buckeye Area, but if you’re looking for more amenities (like playgrounds and dog parks), you’ll want to go there instead. For us, though, Tall Pines was perfect. We explored the Sweetgum Trail, which took us through shady wooded areas, which were perfect on a warm, sunny morning. It was a peaceful, scenic walk—and, thanks to the park map and markings along the way, we were able to keep track of where we were walking and eventually branch off onto the connected Monarch Trail. This trail wasn’t shaded, like Sweetgum Trail; instead, it ventured through fields and restored wetland areas.
We thoroughly enjoyed our walk through Walnut Woods. It was quiet and scenic—and we’d definitely recommend checking out Sweetgum Trail on a sunny summer day. It makes for a beautiful—and easy—walk. We’ll definitely be back—and, next time, we’ll start at the Buckeye Area and check out the other half of the park.
Pros:
– Scenic trails
– Peaceful (apart from planes—see below)
– Plenty of shade (we highly recommend Sweetgum Trail)
– Miles of paved trails that interconnect for longer walks
– Trails are clearly marked—and maps are easy to read
– Family (and pet) friendly amenities at the Buckeye Area
Cons:
– In the flight path of the airport, so you’ll hear/see planes (could be a pro or a con!)
– Bathrooms are basic (no running water at Tall Pines)
For more on Walnut Woods Metro Park, visit the Metro Parks website.
