Scioto Audobon...A Running Route Review

I think it was our second or third date when Sam told me he wanted to show me the site of the audobon center that his firm had designed.  I agreed even though it was nearly 10 or 11 at night.  We drove over to the Whittier penisula that was at the time the location of the police impound lot.  After driving past the impound lot we entered a construction zone that was dark, scary and completely isolated.  That was the point where the thought ran past my mind.  "If he were going to kill me this would be the perfect place to dump my body." 

In my defense I had only known him a couple weeks and even though he didn't give the impression of a serial killer I couldn't be sure.  Luckily, I am just super paranoid and Sam gets excited about construction sites, not shallow graves.

This construction site became the location for my favorite park in the Columbus, the Scioto Audobon Metro Park.  I wrote briefly about running through this park in a previous running route review but I feel as though the Audobon deserves a full review. So here goes.



The Good: Where do I begin?  I recommend starting at the docks, just past the park's entrance on the left.  You will run along the river for about 1.5 miles and be able to see a wide range of wildlife.  The last time I ran there I came face to face with two doe, in the city!  There are hundreds of birds that call the Audobon home and if you have a keen eye you are sure to catch a glimpse at several of them.



One of three Blue Heron I saw on my run



The park is impeccably kept by the parks department.  I have yet to see any trash or dumping on the running path.

If you choose to take a short detour from the river you can run through the grassy area that is buzzing with bird life as you run by.  The park also boasts a huge climbing wall, a very cool playground, a lovely view of downtown, a dog park (complete with an obstacle course) and of course the Grange Audobon Center.





The climbing wall



The Bad: The Audobon is a good place for walks or short runs.  If you have a longer run in mind you will need to continue north to downtown.

The Ugly:  While running from the Audobon to downtown you will run under a highway (I-70) and a railroad.  This area is a little nerve wrecking as it would be a perfect place for someone to hide.  I never walk or slow down through there even though I've never seen any sketchy people in the area and there are always other runners, walkers and bikers on the path.



The view of downtown as you head north from the park.



Overall:  A beautiful place to run or just spend an afternoon.  On my last run there I felt my Dad's approval of the scenery, it is exactly the kind of place he would have liked to spend some time outside. Kudos to the Metro Parks for such a fantastic place to play!