Scioto Audubon Metro Park — Attraction in Columbus

Went here for my first paddle board trip. Big mistake. While hand pumping my board a ranger truck drove up. One ranger gets out and starts small talk while we are pumping our boards. (Let me add, hand pumping to 15 PSI is a lot of work.) She's asking where we got our board and such. Then after a few minutes of small talk she asks if we have our life jackets. We did not. Mind you 2 people just got in the water with paddleboards and no life jackets but they chose to focus on us. One ranger was gonna let us go since we had it pumped up and two girls just paddled away with no life jackets. But the other ranger went on a huge tangent about rules are rules. And also this is "all she is paid to do". We argue the board is inflatable and floats but she stresses we need life jackets to "keep our heads above water". So we start letting the air out of the board. They get in the truck, turn around, and the rude ranger sticks her head out the window and yells that we don't have to wear the life jacket, just have it with us. 🙄 I said thanks, that's even more annoying to know. Not sure how a life jacket Im not wearing is gonna keep my head above water, but ok. Then she went off about she doesn't make the law. After they drive off, some dude jumped off the observation deck, went under it and I believe took a dump. He was squatting in the water in some weeds. A ground hog ran out and hid under a car in the parking lot because dude was pooping in his home. Then after the dump, he's trying/struggling to climb the observation deck back to the top. Curious to where "this is all I do" was for all that indecent exposure and a poop...

Pretty cool place my brother took me too when I came to Columbus to visit. Had a cool obstacle course. So many little children out there, like there were tiny little humans everywhere. Some were with parents, but others seemed like they were with a preschool or something, but it was a weekend so I'm not quite certain what it was. It was cute watching them do the obstacle course. We tried to stay ahead of them so we wouldn't be in their way, but we always had a small group tagging along with us, so we just cheered them on and made sure they didn't hurt themselves lol. It's a pretty big place, when you walk a little ways around there is also a rock wall that you have to bring your own safety equipment for, which was...(I still don't know how I feel about this), kind of dangerous, I saw lots of smaller kids try to climb up there. We rock climb, but had I known this was there I still don't think I would've brought my equipment to do it. There is also a water tower next to it that kids were playing tag on lol which was weird. It reminded me of visiting family down south and kids playing on the water tower because that's all there was to do in their tiny towns lol. All in all it is a cool place to workout at or take a walk or just hang out. Oh and you can bring your pets, lots of people walking...

This is now one my favorite parks in Columbus! I remember this used to be the police impound lot, looks nothing like that now! It's a Beautiful park and an awesome location. The views of the downtown skyline are superb especially at night! Then being right along the banks of the Scioto River is nice to, the river is dirty but Columbus has been doing a good job of cleaning it up the last few years. Now the trail connects though downtown over to Grandview area so you can hike, walk, or bike all around Columbus. Their are great places to stop and picnic, take a few minutes to relax, or even do some fishing. Surprisingly for being inner city there is a lot wildlife in the area to see as well (Nice to see a few deer running though the park!). The park has basketball, volleyball, and a nice play ground for the kids. Also you can walk up the stairs of the water tower and get a great view of downtown! I hope someday the Scioto trail connects all the way south to the new park on 104 south...