ALUM CREEK TRAIL OVERVIEW

The Alum Creek Greenway is a work in progress. There are several completed sections and others under construction or development. Rather than attempt a detailed description of the connectors, I have just provided some information on how to connect unless it is a short hop. As the trail develops, I will keep updating and, hopefully, in a few years, the trail will extend from Westerville to Three Creeks Metropark in one unbroken stretch.

DESCRIPTION

From the street access or underpass of Schrock Rd, the trail skirts the edge of an office park with the creek on the west side. It passes by a couple of large retention ponds (expect to see a lot of Canadian Geese in season with the attendant mess). The trees and some of the plants have name placards. At the south end of the office park, the trail shoots into the woods and through an underpass of I-270. There is a branching access trail to the east which rises up, goes along the Corna/Kokosing property to Emmrick Rd and where it dead ends a few hundred yards from the intersection with Westerville Rd (the road on the opposite side is Dempsey Rd). I suppose if the Corna/Kokosing folks don't mind, you might be able to use the parking area on weekends for a quick access to the trail south of I-270. I believe that this spur trail is meant to be part of a future connector to a future Big Walnut Trail.

Continuing south, the trail goes from Westerville (white striping) to Columbus (yellow striping) and meanders through the woods eventually crossing the river on a concrete bridge and passing below and behind a housing development. It sweeps right along the development common property and into Cooper Park. The trail wanders along the eastern edge of the park alternating wide opens fields and light wooded areas before coming out in the open southern recreation end. It passes along the play area and parking lot and goes to the park entrance where it turns sharply left (east) and becomes a double-wide concrete walkway and sidewalk to Cooper Rd. You go a few blocks to Westerville Rd where you cross at the light. Staying on the north side, the trail turns back to asphalt and passes through a wooden fence and down and behind another housing development. It passes another retention pond and then through somewhat heavier woods in the north end of Casto Park. It curves a bit and then makes a straight bee-line south to the southern end of the park, passes over a small creek bridge (Spring Run Creek) and this section ends at the south side of the bridge on what was Old Dublin-Granville Rd. The next section Strawberry-Parkridge, starts there with the new underpass of SR 161.

There are no distance marks on the trail. A very rough estimate of the length from Schrock Rd to the trail head in Casto Park would be around 2.5 miles or so. (The Parks Dept measures it at 2.3M)

These are not measured distances:

Schrock Rd to I-270: 0.5M
I-270 to north end of Cooper Park: 0.5M
Cooper Park to entrance: 0.7M
Cooper Park entrance to north Casto Park: 0.5M
North Casto Park to trail head: 0.3M

IMPRESSIONS

Much of this section is, as I understand it, fairly new. As the pictures below demonstrate, much of it is on easements granted, I think, by builders of housing units and businesses. As such, the trail in this section has a few short woodsy remote sections but is mostly and at most times within sight of literally dozens of homes. Certainly, this creates a certain sense of safety which might appeal to some folks. It runs through two named parks, Cooper Park and Casto Park and undeveloped park land. It is a relatively flat, easy section.

Last Updated: 06/02/2008

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