Columbus Metro Parks, Chestnut Ridge

Ridge Trail (Photo: Andrew Kennett)

"The ridge might even be said to have a soul, at least a place that is always beautiful, from which beauty radiates...A quiet emerald light plays on the slope in summer, and in autumn the crisp sunbeams that stream through the golden canopy make the grove sparkle like cloisonne.  In winter the trees stand as gracefully against the snow as in those leafless woods through which knights hunt wild boar in a medieval book of hours."  So wrote David Rains Wallace about his experience living on the north slope of Chestnut Ridge in the middle of the 1970s.   One visit to this Metro Park makes it easy to see, even today, that beauty which moved Wallace so.

The two-mile hiking loop created by the Ridge and Meadows Trails takes visitors up to cliff rising 150 feet, through a hardwood forest, and down through fields filled with wildflowers.  The half-mile Home Trail connects between the two junction points of the Ridge and Meadows trails and passes through a mature forest filled with berries and fruit trees.  A small connector trail takes visitors between the parking lots, around a small pond, and to the program area near the sight of an old spring house.

Downtown Columbus on an overcast day. (Photo: A. Kennett)

The Ridge Trail is, hands-down, the best hiking trail in the park.  It begins with a fairly steep ascent to the top of the ridge and is complete with with views off the side of the ridge and overlook decks to enjoy them.  These views include a great view of the downtown Columbus skyline, pictured at right, nearly 20 miles away.  The view is nice even on an overcast day, but on a clear day it rivals any postcard image in quality, especially when framed by greenery in the foreground.  This trail is heavily wooded, keeping the trail cool even in summer.  After following the ridge, the path begins to descend slowly into the fields below.

The Meadows Trail begins near a feature that betrays the park's past as farmland -- a heavy concentration of mature fruit trees.  The loop through the fields is very nice.  Both summer and fall wildflowers give great color, especially played against the tree line.

Turkey Vulture circles the fields. (Photo: Andrew Kennett

In addition to the hiking, Chestnut Ridge also offers a wetland viewing deck with spotting scopes, fishing for children under age 15, several picnic areas and playground equipment.  The park also features a nice, amphitheater-style program area.

Chestnut Ridge Metro Park is located in Carroll, Ohio.  From I-270, take 33 East approximately 11 miles.  Turn right onto Winchester Road and continue for 3 miles.  The park entrance will be on the left.

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