A Guide to Outdoor Recreation in Licking County, OH
Licking County’s outdoor areas are an adventurer’s playground, offering a perfect blend of thrill and tranquility. Whether you’re seeking high-energy action – from hiking and trail running to boating, kayaking and fishing – or the peaceful solitude of an arboretum, nature preserves and ancient earthworks, there’s an experience curated just for you. Get ready to explore the beauty of the region with this essential list of can’t-miss parks.
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Best for Botany: Dawes Arboretum
This is a favorite outdoor destination. Founded in 1929, Dawes Arboretum has grown from 293 acres to nearly 2,000 with 15,000 plants. Miles of walking trails and an auto tour lead to Japanese, sunken and woodlands gardens, a bald cypress swamp, and an impressive array of trees and shrubs. More adventurous visitors should explore Arboretum East, a vast woodlands area.
Best for Family Fun: Everett Park
With a riverside location and a playground, picnic pavilion, dog park, community garden, baseball fields and 18-hole disc golf course, there’s fun for every family member at this park. And if you’re into wheels, there’s no place better to ride a skateboard, BMX bike, scooter, in-line skates, roller skates or wheelchair than at the 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Newark Skatepark, located inside Everett Park.
Best for Environmental Education: Spring Valley Nature Preserve
Just up the road from Infirmary Mound, this 45-acre park is another natural gem. With woodlands, a dozen marked, unpaved hiking trails and access to Raccoon Valley Creek, it offers many different environments for studying nature. There’s also a reservable shelter house for up to 60 people with a fireplace, electricity and picnic tables.
Best for Swimming & Boating: Buckeye Lake State Park
Licking County is home to another one of the state’s most spectacular and historic attractions. Buckeye Lake is Ohio’s oldest state park, first operating as a feeder lake for Ohio’s canal system during the early 1800s. Today, visitors flock to the 3,100-acre lake to swim, boat, fish, hike, picnic and enjoy the numerous restaurants located on the lake.
Read more: Relax on Buckeye Lake in Licking County, Ohio
Best for Hiking: Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve
Long ago, the Licking River began carving a gorge through a large sandstone formation. Today, 10 miles of hiking trails wind along the river, through the gorge and into the woods. The paved 4.3-mile Blackhand Trail is also popular for running, biking, skating and skateboarding. Look for spring wildflowers and remnants of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which once ran through the gorge.
Best for Equestrians: Infirmary Mound Park
A Native American earthwork lies within this park, although it’s barely visible after years of plowing. Now protected from farm equipment, this countryside park is popular with horseback riders. Seven miles of trails pass through mowed grasslands, prairies and wooded areas with wildflowers and frequent wildlife sightings. The trails are great for walkers, bikers and leashed pets, too. There’s also a lake for fishing and canoeing and a specially designed playground focusing on nature.
Best for History: Newark Earthworks
In 2023, the Great Circle and Octagon earthworks near downtown Newark became UNESCO World Heritage sites. Lying a short drive apart, they are two of eight earthen enclosure complexes in Ohio built by the Hopewell culture some
2,000 years ago. Interpretive displays explain each structure’s near-perfect geometry and significance. The Great Circle encloses one of North America’s most sacred Native American sites while the Octagon Earthwork was built to follow the moon.
Earthworks Attract Historians and Inspire Generations
Built 2,000 years ago by the Indigenous Hopewell culture, the Newark Earthworks are the world’s largest earthen enclosure complex and part of the broader Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Licking County’s commitment to preserving the site helps attract and retain a specialized, workforce of historians, archaeologists and cultural experts.
Marti Chaatsmith (Comanche/ Choctaw) is the associate director of the Newark Earthworks Center, which aims to support research and engagement in Indigenous culture. “The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks were communal projects that took generations to learn, understand, design and build,” Chaatsmith says. “This knowledge was sustained over time and passed across time, geography and cultures. Learning about these places has inspired people and encourages all of us to consider our communities and our actions on future generations.”
Chaatsmith has been involved in several initiatives, including launching the first Tribal Outreach Project, which brought tribes who were removed from Ohio in the 1800s back to research their history and participate in activities. She was also involved in the UNESCO recognition, contributing Native perspectives and content, and developing culturally centered tours. “Now visitors want to know more,” she says. “They come to see the Earthworks and leave wanting to know more about the lives of the builders.”
Best for Multiuse Trails: T.J. Evans
For 14.3 miles, the T.J. Evans Trail parallels Raccoon Creek as it travels east from Johnstown to Alexandria and onto Granville and Newark. The paved route is designed for biking, running, walking and rollerblading with spur trails leading to Raccoon Valley Park, the Ohio State University at Newark/ Central Ohio Technical College campus and downtown Newark.
Best for Sports & Events: Thomas J. Evans Foundation Park
This large, 78-acre city park is a sports paradise with soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds, basketball court, two playgrounds and three shelter houses. There are also 22 acres of pristine woodlands, a fishing pond and two walking trails. This community gathering spot hosts a variety of activities, including Easter egg hunts, the Antique Power Show and Outdoor Adventure Day.
Top Tees: Golf Courses in Licking County
Cumberland Trail Golf Club
This 18-hole course in Pataskala is designed for every skill level. It features five sets of tees making the course play between 5,000 and 7,200 yards. The course features numerous water hazards and more than 60 refurbished bunkers. There’s also a restaurant, Cumberland Trail Bar & Grill, and golf shop on-site.
Denison Golf Club
Many consider this 100-year-old course in Granville to be one of the finest public golf courses in the Midwest. Set in rolling, wooded terrain, it was designed by famed Scottish golf course architect Donald Ross. The 18-hole, par 71 course has a 6,559-yard layout with 63 sand bunkers and elevated greens.
Licking Springs Country Club
North of Newark, this private course is another enduring gem. It opened in 1963 and was designed by Jack Kidwell, an influential architect who crafted more than 100 Midwest golf courses. The 18-hole, par 72 course has a park-style layout with broad fairways, elevated greens and strategic bunkering for thoughtful play.
The Range & Club at Forest Hills
This fun, family-friendly golf experience in Heath features a covered driving range and restaurant serving classic American menu items and craft cocktails. There’s live music on the weekends.