Big Darby Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve

Visit

• What to See

  Flora and fauna surveys of the headwaters region that supports Big Darby Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve have found such species as central mottled sculpin, southern redbelly dace and least brook lamprey, which are indicators of good stream health.
  

  Wetlands in the area support such plant species as marsh marigold, skunk cabbage, trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit and cottonwood and, along with the surrounding forests, sustain wild turkey, eastern screech-owls and great crested flycatchers.

• Activities

  At just 45 minutes west of Columbus, this preserve is easy to get to but feels far into the country away from the busyness of the city.

  Explore the 2.6-mile round-trip Gary J. Jainshig Trail and enjoy interpretive signage that showcases the importance of the headwaters to people and wildlife.
  

  There is a 0.3-mile wheelchair-accessible trail from the parking lot to the first observation deck. Another 1-mile primitive trail leads to a second observation deck.

  A natural play area was installed in 2019 to allow kids a space to really enjoy and get familiar with nature. Follow the trail into the preserve, and the play area will be on the left. Studies show that frequent, unstructured play in nature can help make kids healthier and happier. It’s also the single most common influence on adult conservation values. The natural play area provides young visitors with an opportunity for the kind of outdoors, imaginative play that is important for children—and the planet. Visitors to the preserve will find a space “furnished” with elements such as various-sized sticks and logs, tree cookies, rocks and boulders, and a rudimentary mud kitchen with old cast-iron skillets. Through its simplicity, and by keeping the area as true to nature’s design as possible, the natural play area provides kids with an unstructured experience.

  Visit often and enjoy what each season brings to the preserve. From spring peepers and skunk cabbage in spring, to wildflowers and pollinators in summer, to fall color, and finally to the quiet solitude in winter, the preserve offers important mental and physical attributes for nature and people.

• Preserve Guidelines

  Our vision is of a world where people and nature thrive together. The Nature Conservancy encourages people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, gender expressions, and abilities to visit our preserves and has a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination.

  The following activities are NOT permitted at Big Darby Creek Headwaters Preserve:

  • Biking and mountain biking
    
  • Camping
  • Driving an ATV or off-road vehicle
  • Cooking or campfires
  • Horseback riding 
  • Hunting
  • Picking flowers, berries, nuts or mushrooms
    
  • Removing any part of the natural landscape 
  • Snowmobiling

  Big Darby Creek Headwaters Preserve is pet-friendly. Leashed pets (leash no longer than 6 feet) are welcome on the trail.

  Use of other power-driven mobility devices (OPDMDs) is permitted only when the preserve is open to the public and only on the gravel trail (not on boardwalk or earthen trail), speed cannot exceed 8 miles per hour and width cannot exceed 36 inches. For more information about the use of other power-driven mobility devices (OPDMDs) at our open preserves, please visit our OPDMD guidelines.