Get Out

From bike trails to boat sails, here’s your guide to outdoor recreation in Westerville

Now that the warmer months have finally arrived, why not spend some time out in the warm Westerville sun? Luckily for you, the city has no shortage of options for fun and engaging outdoor recreation. Here are our top picks. →

Parks And Greenways

Home to a USA BMX sanctioned track, street hockey rink and skateboard park Alum Creek Park South is a centerpiece spot in Westerville. If music and events are more your thing, Alum Creek Park North offers an amphitheater complete with the city’s Summer Concert Series. Boyer Nature Preserve is a wildlife haven with trails, a pond, a wetland and more. If you’re looking for a spot for your four-legged freinds to run around, try Brooksedge Dog Park. If it’s more traditional sports you’re after like baseball or basketball, Metzger Park offers courts for both, while Johnston McVay Park is the perfect spot for littles, with a storybook trail and a nature-inspired play area. If you're looking to get in on the pickle ball craze, you can do so at Hoff Woods Park, which has multiple courts of its own.

Additionally, situated in Westerville, are many Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, including Blendon Woods Metro Park, Inniswood Metro

Gardens, Rocky Fork Metro Park, and Sharon Woods Metro Park. The massive Hoover Reservoir Park, which is owned by the City of Columbus and partially located in Westerville, provides unrivaled access to watersports (including sailing and crew events), and Char Mar Ridge, part of the preservation Parks of Delaware County, features glacial remnants and an idyllic ravine trail.

Golf And Disc Golf

Whether you prefer your golfing traditional or of the disc variety, Westerville has what you need to up your game while you’re here. For practice, or just for fun, the Westerville Golf Center offers an 18-hole minigolf course and a full driving range (including indoor tees if it’s raining).

Lakes Golf & Country Club, designed by Ed Sneed, features water hazards on 13 of 18 holes, in addition to toptier racquet courts and an aquatics program. Situated along Big Walnut Creek is the Golf Club at Little Turtle. With 200 acres of greenery, this recently redesigned course features 18 holes and a par 3, tee-to-green shot entirely over water. Looking to get into some disc golf? Blendon Woods Metro Park offers its own deluxe course with elevation changes, streams and more. One last spot to hone your game is the nearby Topgolf facility. Just outside of Westerville, this popular golf chain features fun games for all ages and skill levels alongside a full-service restaurant and more.

POOLS & WATER ACTIVITIES

With multiple bodies of water–including the massive Hoover Reservoir, located either in or near Westerville, the city offers plenty of opportunities to get in the water this summer. In fact, the city has its veryown rowing team, the Westerville Crew, which has existed since 1990. You can check out two of Westerville’s annual Regatta competitions each year, Hoover Sprints in the spring, and the Hoover Fall Classic in the fall.

As the Hoover Reservoir is the largest body of water in the Westerville area, it’s the site of multiple different outdoor recreation opportunities. Hoover Adventures Tours & Rentals provides kayaks and canoes for rent for both guided and self-guided tours on the Reservoir. Aloha SUP Paddles provides paddle board rentals and lessons. Hoover Sailing Club offers adult and kid-friendly classes that teach you everything you need to know about setting out on a sailboat. Additionally, a pair of public pools offer opportunities for recreational swimming, waterslides and more.

Biking

The Ohio to Erie Trail, which runs through Westerville on its 326-mile course from Cincinnati to Cleveland offers a truly unique way to experience Ohio.

Westerville’s is also emerging as a bike-friendly hub of central Ohio with eight bike racks in Uptown alone.

Did you know the Westerville area offers 50-plus miles of biking trails, and even offers multiple public art tours throughout the city? There are two biking trails (one is 4.5 miles, the other is 8.7 miles) and a walking tour (2.5 miles). You can find a map with information about the public art trails here.

Highlands Aquatic Center features a slide tower, lazy river and a 25-meter diving pool, in addition to pools for toddlers, all situated adjacent to a wetland ecosystem. The Westerville Community Center is a 145,000 square foot facility that offers an indoor waterpark for kids, a warm water pool and a lap lane pool, gym, fitness center, climbing wall, esports room, indoor playground, child care and more.

To learn more, go to visitwesterville.org/play/parksrecreation/