Battelle Darby Creek Backpack Trail

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks (Columbus area)

Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, part of the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks system, follows Big and Little Darby creeks. Metro Parks says “experienced backpackers can enjoy 10 miles of primitive backpacking trails” there, with four overnight sites by reservation only.

It is a gentle, close-to-home overnight, with creek views and bison grazing in a pasture near the nature center.

The hike

BackpackOhio’s trail guide, from a November 2021 hike, starts at the Little Darby Picnic Area parking lot on Gardner Road, a paved lot with a latrine, where hikers check in with the park ranger. The trail is marked with yellow blazes and splits into two loops.

The short loop, 3.7 miles, starts across the road from the trailhead and passes Camps 1 and 2. BackpackOhio says both sites are open and close to the trail, with some road noise. The long loop is a 7-mile figure eight with an out-and-back section along Little Darby Creek, and it passes Camps 3 and 4. Around 3.1 miles on the long loop, a Sensitive Area sign asks hikers to stay on the trail.

The guide calls the route mostly flat, with no climb over 100 feet, through floodplain forest and large grasslands near Big and Little Darby creeks. The Metro Parks blog says the Battelle Darby trail is longer and has more topography than the backpacking trail at Scioto Grove Metro Park, and that part of it is reserved for permit holders only, with views of Big Darby Creek. BackpackOhio points out bison in a pasture near the nature center.

The sites are deliberately rustic. Metro Parks’ blog says there is no electricity, no drinking fountains, and no flush toilets, and that campers carry everything in and hike out the next morning. Columbus Navigator adds that dogs are allowed on a leash and that hikers should bring all their gear, including drinking water. The park’s Outdoor Adventure staff run introductory backpacking programs, usually in spring and fall, and lend equipment.

BackpackOhio warns that the trail can be closed in bad weather and that floodplain sections may change after heavy rain.

For a longer trip with more camps, try the Twin Valley Trail near Dayton.

Tips

Reserve ahead. All four sites are by reservation only.
Check in with the ranger at the Little Darby trailhead, as BackpackOhio describes.
Bring your water. The sites have no drinking fountains; treat creek water.
Pick the long loop for quieter camps; the short-loop sites hear road noise.
Check the weather. Floodplain sections can change after heavy rain.
Keep dogs leashed.

Camping

Camping is allowed only at the four designated backpacking sites, and only by reservation (Metro Parks). BackpackOhio says a free permit is required even to hike the backpack trail. Each site has tent locations, a picnic table or seating, and a fire ring; Camp 3 has poles for hammocks, and Metro Parks says hammocks are welcome at some sites. Campers hike in, stay one night, and hike out the next morning.

Inside Intel: BackpackOhio’s guide steers backpackers toward the long loop’s camps. Camp 3 sits about 350 feet down a side trail beside Little Darby Creek, with two tent pads and hammock poles, and a portable toilet about a quarter mile away. Camp 4, about 3.4 miles into the long loop, is tucked into the trees with two tent pads. Camps 1 and 2 on the short loop are open and close to the trail, with road noise.

Trail facts

Distance: 10.7 miles in two loops (BackpackOhio); about 10 miles (Metro Parks)
Route type: Short loop (3.7 miles) and figure-eight long loop (7 miles)
Difficulty: Easy
Campsites: Four reservable sites (Camps 1 to 4)
Water: None at the sites; seasonal elsewhere in the park
Permits: Reservation required
Dogs: Leashed
Trailhead: Little Darby Picnic Area, 3711 Gardner Road
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Floodplain loops along Little Darby Creek:

BackpackOhio warns the trail can close in bad weather and that floodplain sections may change after heavy rain. If showers catch you between camps, see whether the Arc'teryx Beta SL is worth it over two cheaper shells.

See what testers found →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.