Mill Race Park
Park
81 acres2.4 mi of trail
Columbus People Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Columbus Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Columbus Township
The biggest trail networks: Mill Race Park (2.4 mi), Pauline Crump Nature Preserve (1.1 mi), Clifty Creek Park (0.9 mi). 1% of Columbus Township’s land is conserved, about 453 acres. 456 acres are parks and preserves, 8.8 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
1%
453 acres · of 55.0 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
456 ac
8.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
55%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
45 mi
10 mi lanes · 28 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
3 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Mill Race Park, with 2.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pauline Crump Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
43 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Mill Race Park81 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPauline Crump Nature Preserve43 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsClifty Creek Park65 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBlackwell Park43 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDonner Park31 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Courthouse Square2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNoblitt Park68 acres
DirectionsLincoln Park32 acres
DirectionsRichards School Park8 acres · Columbus Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsHarrison Ridge Park4 acres
DirectionsMead Village Park2 acres
Morningside Park1 acres · Columbus Parks and Rec
9th Street Park1 acres
Who protects it
453 conserved acres
1% of Columbus Township’s land. Who manages Columbus Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city430 ac
Private owners20 ac
County2 ac
State fish & wildlife1 ac
Local Park · 343 acLocal Recreation Area · 88 acConservation Easement · 20 acState Recreation Area · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 20 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 19 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Race Park Local Park | Town or city | 94 | Open |
| Clifty Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 91 | Open |
| Blackwell Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 57 | Open |
| Noblitt Park Local Park | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| Lincoln Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Donner Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Mccolloughs Run Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Everroad Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Eigth St Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Tipton Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Columbus Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Columbus Township
Freedom Field Park
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Columbus Township
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Columbus Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Columbus Township
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.4 miUnpaved · 0.8 mi
Columbus People Trail0.8 mi
County Road North 150 West0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
45 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
10 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
28 mi
off-road bike paths
7.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
43Tennis
28Baseball
23Basketball
10Pickleball
6Football
3Soccer
2Softball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 places on the National Register, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
James Marr House and FarmBuilding · listed 1980
About itD.W. Heagy FarmBuilding · listed 1998
About itDavid Aikens HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Columbus Township
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 43 | 53 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 67 | 54 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Columbus Township →
Next door
Columbus Township and its neighbors
Columbus Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Columbus Township22 miColumbus21 miHarrison Township8.2 miWayne Township7.3 miSand Creek Township2.9 miGerman Township2.5 miFlat Rock Township1.0 miRock Creek Township0.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Harrison Township | 1% | 0.4 | 30 | 37% | C+ |
| Sand Creek Township | 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 3% | D |
| Wayne Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 1 | under 1% | D |
| Columbus | 2% | 0.7 | 9 | 57% | B− |
| German Township | 1% | 0.1 | 17 | 25% | C |
| Rock Creek Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 195 | 14% | C− |
| Flat Rock Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 10 | 16% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Columbus Township
Where can I hike in Columbus Township?
The longest trail networks: Mill Race Park, 2.4 miles; Pauline Crump Nature Preserve, 1.1 miles; Clifty Creek Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Columbus Township’s trails?
Mill Race Park and Pauline Crump Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Columbus Township?
45 miles of bike routes are on the map: 10 of painted or protected lanes, 28 of off-road paths and 7.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Columbus Township?
6,085 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Columbus Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 456 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Columbus Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →