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DELAWARE — Delaware County is home to two state parks, 13 Preservation Parks sites and five nature preserves.
Most of those feature miles of paved and/or unpaved trails perfect for hiking.
But perhaps you’re new to the area and don’t want to hike alone, or just want to meet other Delaware County residents with similar interests.
You are in luck; there are several groups in the area and beyond.
Preservation Parks group hikes
Preservation Parks of Delaware County hosts regular hikes at its park, all with unique themes. For example, there is a thrice-monthly hike for those age 55 and above and a once-monthly summer night-hike.
Find all dates and themed hikes at Preservation Parks’ website.
Central Ohio Hiking Club
Central Ohio Hiking Club is an older adult hiking club that participates in two or more hikes a month around central Ohio, including in Delaware County.
According to COHC’s website, newcomers should “just show up— no notice needed.” After that, members must pay an annual due of $20.
Fleet Feet Hiking Club
Fleet Feet group hikes take place year-round and you can join any time via a free Hiking Club Seasonal Membership.
The group hosts two organized workouts per week: Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Highbanks Metro Park and Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. at a different Central Ohio park each week.
Find more information here and register here.
Meetup.com
Meetup is not a specific hiking group, but rather a conglomerate of all kinds of events, and you can filter for upcoming hikes in and around Columbus.
HikeOhio, GOhio! Adventures Around Columbus and Women 55+ Hiking Group frequently post hikes on the site.
Metro Parks hikes
Franklin County and Columbus Metro Parks also hosts several hikes a month, including an adult mindfulness walk July 13 and a mushroom hike on July 26.
There are also several walks for families and children.
Olentangy River Brewing Run Club
Although touted as a run club, the Olentangy River Brewing Run Club is for walkers too.
The club meets every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the brewery and then runs a few miles together to Highbanks Metropark and back.
Then they enjoy a few beers together to celebrate the run.
There is a one-time setup fee of $10, which earns you an ORBC Run Club T-Shirt on your 10th run and access to runner’s only beer specials on Tuesday nights.
Girls Who Hike Ohio
This Facebook group spans all of Ohio, but there are often meet ups surrounding the Columbus area. As the name suggests, the group is for women looking to hike with other women.
In the group, there is an events tab that allows you to search for upcoming hikes in your area or beyond. Join the group and search events, or create your own post suggesting a place you want to hike with a date and time and invite others to join.
