Alum Creek State Park
Nature preserve
2,366 acres17.2 mi of trail
Alum Creek Multipurpose TrailAlum Creek Phase 1Whitetail Run TrailStorybook Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Wdzinc · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Orange Township
28% of Orange Township’s land is conserved: 3,744 acres
35 miles of mapped trail cross Orange Township, 1.7 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Alum Creek State Park (17.2 mi), Highbanks Metro Park (8.4 mi), McCammon Creek Park (4.2 mi). 1,289 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #29 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
3,744 acres · of 21.0 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,289 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
78%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
28 mi
28 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Orange Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Orange Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Orange Township is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #29 of 993 in Ohio. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Orange Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land32 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,289 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home78% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 97%
Water is 8% of Orange Township’s area (2 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 26%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Alum Creek State Park, with 17.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Highbanks Metro Park
Park
873 acres8.4 mi of trail
Dripping Rock Trail (2.5 mi)Coyote Run Trail (3.5 mi)Overlook Trail (2.3 mi)Dripping Rock Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McCammon Creek Park
Managed by Preservation Parks
203 acres4.2 mi of trail
Red Fox TrailHarvest TrailAutumn Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Shale Hollow Park
Nature preserve
66 acres1 mi of trail
Great Horned Owl Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Edward F. Hutchins Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
98 acres0.9 mi of trail
Overlook Trail (2.3 mi)Wetland Spur Trail (0.4 mi)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Orange Township Hall Park
Park
23 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 12 parks & preserves
Alum Creek State Park2,366 acres · 17.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHighbanks Metro Park873 acres · 8.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCammon Creek Park203 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · Preservation Parks
DirectionsNorth Orange Park36 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsShale Hollow Park66 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsEdward F. Hutchins Nature Preserve98 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRO Park14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsOrange Township Hall Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGlen Oak Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWalker Wood Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOrange Bridge Park6 acres
DirectionsCentral Park5 acres
Who protects it
3,744 conserved acres
28% of Orange Township’s land. Water is left out: Orange Township has 21.0 square miles of land and 1.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Orange Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Army Corps of Engineers2,954 ac
State natural resources2,244 ac
Regional agency716 ac
County65 ac
Town or city9 ac
Recreation Management Area · 2,954 acState Park · 2,244 acLocal Park · 790 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alum Creek Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 2,954 | Open |
| Alum Creek State Park State Park | State natural resources | 2,244 | Open |
| Highbanks Metropark Local Park | Regional agency | 716 | Open |
| Shale Hollow Park Local Park | County | 65 | Open |
| Olentangy Meadows Parkland Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Olentangy Trail Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
43 places to go in Orange Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Orange Township
Alum Creek BeachIn Alum Creek State Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Orange Township
Walker Wood PlaygroundIn Walker Wood Park
Directions36 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Orange Township
Alum Creek Africa Boat LaunchIn Alum Creek State Park
DirectionsScenic views in Orange Township
Overlook DeckIn Edward F. Hutchins Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Orange Township
Big Meadows Picnic AreaIn Highbanks Metro Park
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
18 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.6 miUnpaved · 21.0 mi
Alum Creek Multipurpose Trail3.6 mi
Dripping Rock Trail (2.5 mi)2.4 mi
Coyote Run Trail (3.5 mi)2.3 mi
Overlook Trail (2.3 mi)1.4 mi
Red Fox Trail1.4 mi
Alum Creek Phase 11.2 mi
Great Horned Owl Trail0.9 mi
Whitetail Run Trail0.8 mi
Harvest Trail0.8 mi
Autumn Trail0.5 mi
8 more trails
Storybook Trail
0.4 miWetland Spur Trail (0.4 mi)
0.4 miDripping Rock Trail
0.2 miPark Office Hollenback Trail
0.1 miBeechnut Trail
0.1 miAlum Creek Beginner Loop
0.1 miLakeview Trail
0.1 miBig Meadows Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
28 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
28 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
28Tennis
24Baseball
17Soccer
10Basketball
9Pickleball
9Football
2Softball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Gooding House and TavernBuilding · listed 2005
About itWhen to get out
August is the best month for walking in Orange 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 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 40 | 50 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Orange Township →
Next door
Orange Township and its neighbors
Orange Township has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Columbus138 miOrange Township35 miLiberty Township34 miBerlin Township33 miGenoa Township16 miBerkshire Township14 miWesterville7.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Township | 28% | 1.7 | 32 | 78% | A |
| Columbus | 9% | 0.6 | 13 | 94% | A− |
| Westerville | 7% | 0.6 | 17 | 99%+ | A− |
| Liberty Township | 6% | 1.0 | 27 | 69% | A− |
| Berlin Township | 33% | 1.5 | 12 | 70% | A |
| Genoa Township | 30% | 0.9 | 43 | 85% | A |
| Berkshire Township | 6% | 0.7 | 42 | 25% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Orange Township
Where can I hike in Orange Township?
The longest trail networks: Alum Creek State Park, 17.2 miles; Highbanks Metro Park, 8.4 miles; McCammon Creek Park, 4.2 miles; North Orange Park, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Orange Township is conserved land?
28% 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 Orange Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Alum Creek State Park (on leash), McCammon Creek Park (on leash) and Shale Hollow Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Orange Township?
28 miles of bike routes are on the map: 28 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Orange Township?
23,452 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Orange Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,106 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Orange Township have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #29 of 993 in Ohio. 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 Orange 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 →