Glen Echo Park

This was an overall okay experience. The park itself is not huge. I did enjoy the trail which is paved. There seems to be a lot of trash along the creek bed. That said there is lots of floura to see in the spring so it is worth a look if you have the time.

Stairs were closed for winter and the alternate entrance (a paved walkway on a hill) was so iced over it was nearly impossible to walk. I think there is a trail going up the hill but it splits so many ways it might not have been legitimate (connecting to neighbors or homeless hangouts?) also the paved walkway just ends at the bird bridge. It was surprisingly nice though overall

This is a beautiful park. I went here and was immensely satisfied with my experience. I walked into this park expecting to find a small canyon, but I was stunned to find that this park is a deep ravine with a stream winding through it. The stream carved out an approximately 30 ft tall cliff face i hiked up the side of, where I witnessed a beautiful view of the ravine and it’s autumn colors. The stream flows down the ravine westwards, until it gets diverted through a tunnel under Summit St before spouting out on the other side, which is a nice area to walk down towards because the stream has a large pool that resembles a calm, small pond. Summit St crosses over this park atop an arch bridge, the bottom of which is covered in artistic and interesting graffiti with paintings, which I think is much better than pure writing. After exploring this park I left, immensely satisfied with my experience. I gave this park because it has a beautiful ravine, graffiti work, and because it’s an amazing hidden gem of nature in the middle of Columbus.

I feel guilty writing this review... This park is a little bit of a local secret, hidden in plain sight. The Glen Echo Ravine is a restoration park from a previous industrial complex, service road, and a water run off. I don't know the full history, but I do know the results are a hybrid aesthetic of fairy tale and dystopian future, that results in some unique sights. There are some shallow lazy streams, small waterfalls, and wild life from squirrels to deer. There's shale everywhere and you can see a ton of layers from eons of sediment. Ancient, cracked roads and dirt paths wind through this forested area, with multiple landscaped gathering areas, and crumbling industrial structures in the process of returning to nature. This place is probably most known for its Bird Tunnel, a giant tunnel from a bridge that the local art council worked with a local artist to paint a giant bird mural, that has subsequently been accented by years of graffiti. While we passed plenty of people, we often had space to ourselves. We came across lots of kids running around, people walking their dogs, and retired locals taking in the wild life. It's not the largest park, but there are some steep trails because it is in a deep ravine in the middle of a neighborhood that provides decent exercise. You can park for free on the streets, one of the few places in Columbus, and there are multiple entrances into the park. There was some trash that had found it's way from the roads above. Near the train tracks there were tents that looked like someone may have been living there. And, there are houses overlooking the entire place.

Truly a fascinating city park in the middle of a densely populated area of Columbus. Glen Echo Park is a deep ravine with a creek running through it. There are a few picnic tables, some open grassy areas and scenery that you would not associate with Columbus. There aren't any restrooms, playground equipment, and no parking area that I know of. With that being said, I think it's one of Columbus's most unique parks and definitely worth the effort to spend some time at.