Olentangy urban gem

Trip Overview

This is a river a mile from home. Convenient, beautiful and easy to navigate, good for a day trip or short evening paddle. I have an Old Town Discovery 158. I like it for it's capacity, don't like to portage /carry it, especially when Mrs. is my paddle partner. I look for sections with no dams. Our most recent trip (5/27/18) was approx. 3 Miles. Dropped at Broadmeadows Blvd. , took out at Northmoor Park. Level at 2.6 based on USGS reading in Worthington, OH. No pools, steering was pretty much it at this water level. Very easy to read, no difficult obstructions. Very pleasant ! Designated a water trail by the State in 2016, it's maintained pretty well. Maps are usually available at all drop points, also easy to pull up on ODNR website. This is the river I grew up around in the '80-90's filled with shopping carts, trash and tires. See deer instead . Red tail hawk flying with a helpless sqiurrel (ugh, nature lol), then scouring the water for jumping fish. Cranes, mallards, etc. You will have to put up with noise from the Olentangy Freeway/ State Route 315 that parallels the river in metro Columbus. The wildlife doesn't seem to mind ! Another great trip is 8-9 miles, again, no portage. Drop at Tuttle Park, just North of OSU campus and pass through the confluence with the Scioto river just northwest of downtown Columbus. Shortly after, you're in a pool with a great view of a beautiful city. The paddle can be somewhat tedious, all dependent on flow. Take out is at Audobon Metro Park, just North of Greenlawn Dam. The park has a nice paved take out ramp, beautiful park as well. Just to add after I wrote this...You will have to carry your craft at Broadmeadows and Tuttle 150 yards or so...if you have a canoe cart, be sure to take it to the drop ! Overall, there are some great options for us city folk. Will report back as we're considering Alum, Big Walnut, Scioto and Darby, etc. Anyone else local, please add your experience in Columbus. Send a message with questions.