Meadowlarks, Savannah and Henslow’s Sparrows, and ducks.

This area sits along a narrow road south of the Indian Ridge/Trail of Ancients area (see Battelle Darby map in the lower left area of the map). 

It accesses several large fields along the road, and has two old dirt/grass roads heading west, through the fields and down into the riparian forest. The fields here are mowed, so they are short and often quite good for field birds like Meadowlarks, Savannah and Henslow’s Sparrows. The road heading west at the parking lot follows a powerline right-of-way and the road also passes an old farm pond hidden in the trees to the south (about a quarter of a mile in). The road heading north from the parking area, before heading west into the riparian area, loops past a constructed wetland that can be good for ducks. 

Battelle Darby Creek is the largest Metro Park with more than 7,000 acres of prairies, fields and forests, and more than 20 miles of riparian forest along the Big and Little Darby Creeks. The Darby creeks are noted nationally for their tremendous diversity and abundance of both aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals.

Designated state and national scenic rivers, the creeks are home to around 100 species of fish, five of which are endangered in Ohio. Forty-four species of freshwater mussels live in these waters, eight of which are on the Ohio endangered list.

Metro Parks has restored about 500 acres of wetlands, 500 acres of wet prairies and more than 500 acres of lush flowering prairies using only seeds native to the Darby Plains. The entrance road to the Indian Ridge Picnic Area is a great place to enjoy the splendor of such beauties as purple coneflower, royal catchfly, prairie dock, big bluestem and other wildflowers and grasses.

The park features more than 18 miles of trails and several scenic areas for picnicking.