Trail Review: Lazelle Woods Park, Westerville, Ohio
Whenever I have to run an errand somewhere outside my usual walking zone, I try to plan ahead. I Google “Walking trails near…” and pack my walking gear in the car before I go. So when I had to make a trip to the mall at Polaris, I made sure to check out the nearby trails before I went—and I decided to take my morning walk at Lazelle Woods Park.
Lazelle Woods Park is practically next door to all of the shopping centers in the Polaris area—just a mile or so from the mall. But this neighborhood park doesn’t feel like it’s in the middle of a busy area—and it’s not a bad place for a morning walk.
The park offers a number of family-friendly amenities—like a playground, a small picnic shelter, and a whole lot of courts and fields for playing your favorite sports. So if you’re going with older kids who don’t need constant supervision, there are plenty of places for them to run and play while generally staying within eyesight. There aren’t any restroom facilities, though—just a couple of porta potties, which I try to avoid at all costs. But, if you’re desperate for a flushing toilet, it’s just a short walk through the woods to the Lazelle Woods Community Center.
Though the park’s walking trail isn’t long, there is a walking trail—and it’s better than your average neighborhood park trail. I clocked it at around .7 miles of paved path around the park, but there are paths that cut through the middle, too, so you can alter your path to get your desired miles—or to check out different areas as you walk. There are also plenty of changes in scenery along the way to keep it interesting. It passes a few homes, it loops around the different courts, fields, and playgrounds, and it makes its way through a shady wooded area that connects to the community center and the attached nature preserve—so if you’re feeling like a more rustic adventure, you can venture off to explore the nature preserve, too.
I’ll admit that, after a few loops of the park, I was a little tired of walking around the same path and seeing the same things (and running into the same guy, who was walking the other way and doing a very good job of pretending I didn’t exist). It wouldn’t be a park where I’d be able to walk day after day. Even if I lived in the neighborhood, I’d need to have other options. But for a quick walk after running some errands at the mall, it’s a nice park for a chance of scenery.
Pros:
– Convenient location—close to a major shopping area
– Paved trail
– Plenty of activities for the family
– Longer path than most neighborhood parks
– Different scenery around the park
– Nature preserve and community center nearby
Cons:
– Path isn’t long enough for longer walks
– Porta potties only
You can find out more about Lazelle Woods Park on the Columbus Recreation and Parks website.
