Buzzard's Roost
Managed by Ross County Park District
817 acres6.8 mi of trail
Hoggard TrailSouthpoint Lookout TrailSlate Mills Spur TrailChilo Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainA−Outdoors
Outdoors in Scioto Township
Scioto Township has 41 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
1,193 acres are parks and preserves, 43 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Buzzard's Roost (6.8 mi), Junction Earthworks (3.7 mi), Adena State Memorial (3.1 mi). 5% of Scioto Township’s land is conserved, about 1,337 acres.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns · #173 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
1,337 acres · of 39.8 sq mi of land
Trails
41 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,193 ac
43 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
64%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.4 mi
4.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
26 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Scioto Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Scioto Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Scioto Township is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns, #173 of 993 in Ohio. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Scioto Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (41 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land43 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,193 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home64% 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 78%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 83%
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 Buzzard's Roost, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Junction Earthworks
Managed by Arc of Appalachia
261 acres3.7 mi of trail
Tippecanoe Darter TrailStar Brook TrailEarthworks TrailTippiecanoe Darter Trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Adena State Memorial
Park
287 acres3.1 mi of trail
Worthington Cemetery TrailAdena TrailConnector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Coppel Athletic Complex
Managed by Ross County Parks District
45 acres0.8 mi of trail
North Fork Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Buzzard's Roost817 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · Ross County Park District
DirectionsJunction Earthworks261 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Arc of Appalachia
Adena State Memorial287 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYoctangee Park146 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCoppel Athletic Complex45 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Ross County Parks District
DirectionsPoland Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMary Lou Patton Park21 acres
DirectionsMead Park17 acres
Southern Playground2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,337 conserved acres
5% of Scioto Township’s land. Who manages Scioto Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources630 ac
Other state land271 ac
Private owners241 ac
Town or city182 ac
County13 ac
State Recreation Area · 629 acState Park · 271 acPrivate Park · 241 acLocal Park · 170 acLocal Recreation Area · 25 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scioto Trail State Forest State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 629 | Open |
| Adena State Memorial State Park | Other state land | 270 | Open |
| Running Fox Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 167 | Open |
| Yoctangee Park Local Park | Town or city | 150 | Open |
| Chillicothe Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 75 | Open |
| Mary Lou Patton Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Camp Sherman Memorial Park Local Park | County | 13 | Open |
| Poland Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Manor Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Southern Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
49 places to go in Scioto Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Scioto Township
26 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Scioto Township
15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Scioto Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Scioto Township
3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Scioto Township
Buzzard's Roost LookoutIn Buzzard's Roost
DirectionsCarlisle Hill Overlook
DirectionsSeal OverlookIn Adena State Memorial
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
18 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.1 miHorses · 1.1 miUnpaved · 15.1 mi
Hoggard Trail2.3 mi
Southpoint Lookout Trail2.1 mi
Tippecanoe Darter Trail1.8 mi
Goldie Gunlock Trail1.4 mi
Worthington Cemetery Trail1.1 mi
Star Brook Trail0.9 mi
North Fork Creek Trail0.8 mi
Bridle 16-180.8 mi
Slate Mills Spur Trail0.8 mi
Chilo Trail0.5 mi
8 more trails
Kid's Nature Zone Trail
0.3 miBridle 15-16
0.2 miEarthworks Trail
0.2 miBlueberry Trail
0.2 miAdena Trail
0.2 miTippiecanoe Darter Trail
0.1 miBridle 18-19
0.1 miConnector
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
33Baseball
25Basketball
11Tennis
5Football
3Soccer
1Skate park
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Scioto 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) | 39 | 43 | 53 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 79 | 67 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
November is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Scioto Township →
Next door
Scioto Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Franklin Township53 miSpringfield Township45 miScioto Township41 miLiberty Township16 miUnion Township16 miChillicothe15 miHuntington Township12 miTwin Township6.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scioto Township | 5% | 1.0 | 43 | 64% | A− |
| Springfield Township | 14% | 1.5 | 685 | 54% | A |
| Huntington Township | 1% | 0.2 | 23 | 13% | C |
| Liberty Township | 1% | 0.5 | 74 | 1% | C+ |
| Franklin Township | 39% | 1.5 | 8,117 | 64% | A+ |
| Union Township | 6% | 0.2 | 168 | 57% | B+ |
| Twin Township | 1% | 0.1 | 7 | 21% | C− |
| Chillicothe | 10% | 1.4 | 25 | 71% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Scioto Township
Where can I hike in Scioto Township?
The longest trail networks: Buzzard's Roost, 6.8 miles; Junction Earthworks, 3.7 miles; Adena State Memorial, 3.1 miles; Yoctangee Park, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Scioto Township is conserved land?
5% 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 Scioto Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Junction Earthworks (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Scioto Township?
4.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Scioto Township?
29,778 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Scioto Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,193 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Scioto Township have?
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #173 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 Scioto 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 →