Academy Park and Woodside Green Park are connected by a bike path between the parks. The dividing line between the two parks is Big Walnut Creek. When you cross the bridge over Big Walnut Creek, you move from one park to the other. Many birders have found the area on both sides of Big Walnut Creek south of the bridge to be one of the best locations for migrants.

Part of Academy Park was a former dumpsite for the filtering chalk used by the nearby Columbus Cremeans Water Treatment Plant, and these old chalk dumps have created an interesting series of successional meadows between the footbridge and the athletic fields at Academy Park. The habitat change moving north from the bridge at Big Walnut Creek is distinct. The fields are in Academy Park. The east side of Big Walnut Creek south of the bridge is in Academy Park. Big Walnut Creek is on the west side of Woodside Green Park.

This park is the largest in Gahanna with 107 acres including seven baseball diamonds and two basketball courts. Multipurpose nature trails connect this park north through Woodside Green Park, the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course, and to the Olde Gahanna area. Creek fishing, a playground, and heated restrooms are just some of the highlights available.

The Big Walnut Trails follows the Big Walnut Creek from Hoover Reservoir to Inniswoods Metro Gardens, running through various beautiful parks along the way. Several segments also pass by Creekside in Gahanna and the southeast area of Columbus.

Communities: Columbus, Gahanna, Westerville

Points of Interest

• Hoover Reservoir
• Gahanna Creekside Park
• Inniswood Metro Park
• Elk Run Park