The Madison-Franklin county line runs through Prairie Oaks Metro Park, following the course of Big Darby Creek. Madison County is on the west side of the creek and Franklin County is on the east. If you carefully keep your bird records by county, be sure to use the specific hotspots in this park so that the birds will be assigned to the proper county.

Prairie Oaks features nearly 500 acres of lush prairies and grasslands. In late summer and early fall, visitors can see fields of beautifully flowering ashy sunflower, royal catchfly, and purple coneflower against a backdrop of big and little bluestem and Indian grasses.

The spectacular and lush scenery of the Big Darby State and National Scenic River, which flows through the park, provides a beautiful backdrop for outdoor adventure.

The Sycamore Plains Trail system offers a spectacular trek along Big Darby Creek through a mature wooded floodplain.

Prairie Oaks Metro Park Trails
There are 8 trails at Prairie Oaks Metro Park.
Alder – 0.6 miles – easy
Beaver Lake – 0.9 miles – easy
Bridle – 5.7 miles – horseback riding/cross-country ski
Coneflower – 2.5 miles – moderate to difficult
Darby Creek Greenway – 8.3 miles – easy
Lakeview Trails – 0.9 miles – easy
River Rock – 0.7 miles – easy
Sycamore Plains Trails – 2.2 miles – moderate to difficult

The Darby Creek Greenway crosses Big Darby Creek. The north section of this trail on the east side of the creek is in Franklin County. The south section on the west side of the creek is in Madison County.

The AllTrails website has descriptions with maps of hikes in the Prairie Oaks Metro Park.