Slate Run Metro Park
Managed by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks
1,684 acres7.9 mi of trail
Five Oaks TrailBobolink Grassland TrailKokomo Wetland TrailSugar Maple Trail+1
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Ɱ · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Madison Township
Madison Township has 1,704 acres of parks, 1,021 for every 1,000 residents
12% of Madison Township’s land is conserved, about 1,838 acres. The biggest trail networks: Slate Run Metro Park (7.9 mi). 19% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,838 acres · of 24.3 sq mi of land
Trails
8.6 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,704 ac
1,021 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
19%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
0.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Madison Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Madison Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Madison Township is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Madison Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land1,021 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,704 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home19% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 70%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Slate Run Metro Park, with 7.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,838 conserved acres
12% of Madison Township’s land. Who manages Madison Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,661 ac
Private owners178 ac
Local Park · 1,661 acPrivate Park · 178 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slate Run Metropark Local Park | Regional agency | 1,661 | Open |
| Landings at Rickenbacker Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 178 | Open |
Things to do
8 places to go in Madison Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Madison Township
Natural Play AreaIn Slate Run Metro Park
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Madison Township
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Madison Township
Shady Grove Picnic AreaIn Slate Run Metro Park
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.3 mi
Five Oaks Trail1.5 mi
Bobolink Grassland Trail1.5 mi
Kokomo Wetland Trail1.3 mi
Sugar Maple Trail1.2 mi
Covered Bridge Trail0.5 mi
Shagbark Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Madison 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 41 | 52 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 86 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Madison Township →
Next door
Madison Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Township | 12% | 0.4 | 1,021 | 19% | B+ |
| Harrison Township | 5% | 0.4 | 4 | 59% | B− |
| Bloom Township | 2% | 0.4 | 47 | 28% | B− |
| Walnut Township | 2% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Madison Township
Where can I hike in Madison Township?
The longest trail networks: Slate Run Metro Park, 7.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Madison Township is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Ohio town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Madison Township’s trails?
Slate Run Metro Park and Equestrian Day Use don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Madison Township?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Madison Township?
10,989 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Madison Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,704 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Madison Township have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Madison 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 →