Outdoor Recreation in Delaware County

Every year, new students come to OWU filled with a sense of adventure and a passion for outdoor recreation. The problem is: many of them don’t know where to start.

Delaware County and the surrounding area are full of opportunities for this exact purpose. Several students with experience in local outdoor activities around the area gave their recommendations.

Jonathan Munroe, OWU class of ‘24, serves as our resident hiking specialist. Munroe has spent many hours exploring Google Earth to find hiking spots with the most beauty and accessibility.

“I recommend Hogback Ridge Park, Hickory Woods Park, Highbanks Metro Park, and Deer Haven Park. Highbanks is a personal favorite of mine, but I’m not the only one. On a nice day, it can get pretty packed, but Deer Haven is also a great option and is usually less crowded.”

These options are great for day hikes with friends, but for more ambitious hikes, Jacob DeMaggio offers guidance.

DeMaggio, OWU class of ‘26, loves day hikes too, but he is also a backpacker.

“There’s not much for backpacking in the area, although Alum Creek State Park and Delaware State Park have longer trails and camping available.”

His favorite spot is a bit out of the range of OWU.

“If you have the time, I would highly recommend going to Wayne National Forest in Southeastern Ohio. For a cheap nightly camping permit, you can camp wherever you want.”

Wayne National Forest is better known by its more famous sites in Hocking Hills, but the entire forest is beautiful. Another option worth considering is the Clear Fork of the Mohican River; there are long trails and primitive camping in and around the state park.

For those who may be interested in activities other than hiking and camping, there are plenty of other options.

CJ Abahazi, Delaware native and OWU class of ‘27, looks for water.

“I love fishing, and there are some awesome spots around Delaware. You can catch just about anything in Alum Creek Reservoir, and the Scioto River holds huge Smallmouth Bass. A little local secret is that every year in the spring, they stock the pond at Blue Limestone Park with Rainbow Trout.”

Other activities include renting kayaks and paddling the Olentangy River or bird watching at Stratford Ecological Center.

Although Central Ohio isn’t necessarily known for its outdoor recreation, it is never short of it. If you want to get out and enjoy nature around OWU, there are more than enough possibilities to explore.