Discover the 10 Largest City Parks in Ohio

Four Ohio cities boast of having the largest city park areas. Expansive regional Metro Parks call many cities home, too, but they’re funded by state or other organizations rather than cities. Explore the rankings of Ohio’s cities with the largest percentage of land dedicated to their city parks.

• Cincinnati – 17%
• Columbus – 11%
• Cleveland – 7%
• Toledo – 6%

It’s worth mentioning that Columbus has 14,513 acres of city parks, while the smaller Cincinnati’s city parks cover 8,057 acres. Where are the 10 largest city parks in Ohio located, and what animals or features make each one unique? I am aiming exclusively for city parks and skipping regional Metro Parks.

1. Mt. Airy Forest – Cincinnati (1,459 acres)

Cincinnati’s Mt. Airy Forest originally covered 168 acres in 1911, but it’s grown a lot. As adjacent farmland was added to the initial park, volunteers planted hundreds of acres of hardwood and evergreen trees to reforest the area. It’s home to an abundance of wildlife, including red foxes and owls.

The man-made forest spans 1,459 acres with 168 trails, including paved trails that are wheelchair-accessible and a mountain biking trail. One trail leads to Ohio’s only wheelchair-accessible treehouse. Visitors also find many restrooms, Mt. Airy Arboretum, a disc golf course and shop, a playground, picnic areas, gazebos, a lake, and the Doris Day Dog Park.

Address: 5083 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati

2. Ottawa Park/Jermain Park – Toledo (370 acres)

Ottawa Park and Jermain Park connect and form the biggest city park in Toledo. Referred to as Ottawa-Jermain Park, the total area falls just shy of 370 acres. It has a lot to offer, including having the only open-air ice rink in Northwest Ohio and the Toledo Police Museum.

Ottawa Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same architect who designed Mount Royal Park in Montreal, Canada, and Central Park in New York City. Publishing giant Henry Holt hired Frederick Law Olmstead to landscape the property surrounding one of the largest homes in Vermont.

Address: 2201 Ottawa Parkway, Toledo

3. French Park – Cincinnati (275 acres)

The 275-acre French Park stands out due to the historic French House, a two-story brick home built in the early 1900s. It’s available for private events, but the gardens and meadows surrounding it are equally charming.

Cincinnati’s French Park also has a playground and miles of trails through the hillsides, meadows, and along the park’s creek. The park’s pollinator gardens attract honey bees.

Address: 3012 Section Road, Cincinnati

4. Big Run Park – Columbus (272.85 acres)

Columbus acquired 272.85 acres of land in 1961 and established Big Run Park. It’s a mix of streams and woodlands, which makes it a popular spot for viewing Ohio’s wildlife. One thing that stands out at Big Run Park is Derby Hill, one of the nation’s only soap box derby hills that isn’t open to traffic.

Address: 4205 Clime Road, Columbus

5. Lou Berliner Sports Park – Columbus (228.587 acres)

Covering 228.587 acres, Lou Berliner Sports Park is best known for its 31 softball and baseball diamonds. It’s also home to the Berliner Singletrack mountain bike trail and the Greenway Trail Access, which leads to another 230 miles of trails throughout Columbus and Central Ohio. Overnight camping is offered at Lou Berliner Sports Park.

Address: 325 Greenlawn Avenue, Columbus

6. Tawawa Park – Sidney (226 acres)

Tawawa Park offers 220 acres of woodlands in Sidney, a city that’s about 40 miles north of Dayton. Two lakes call this park home, and fishing is available by permit and only when the park is closed. The park also has sports fields, bike paths, walking paths, and Sidney Water Park.

Address: 12 Tawawa Drive, Sidney

7. Oakes Quarry Park – Fairborn (217.66 acres)

Oakes Quarry Park, part of the Beaver Creek Wetlands, is a newer park in Dayton’s suburbs, and it’s one that developed as a means to give new life to an older city quarry. The park has trails ranging from easy to moderate difficulty, and hikers have been known to find limestone fossils from time to time. It’s also a great choice for catch-and-release fishing.

Address: 1267 East Xenia Drive, Fairborn

8. Community Park – Fairborn (204.587 acres)

Fairborn is a suburb of Dayton, and its Community Park covers just over 204.5 acres with miles of walking paths. Multiple sports fields, playgrounds, an amphitheater, fishing, and a disc golf course round out the attractions here.

Address: 691 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, Fairborn

9. The Scioto Mile – Columbus (175 acres)

Downtown Columbus offers just over 175 acres of waterfront land that spreads from the Arena District to the Whittier Peninsula along the Scioto Mile. Highlights of the Scioto Mile include the Scioto Mile Fountain, a 15,000-square-foot, 200-foot-long fountain that interacts with visitors.

As businesses are open day and night, the Sciota Mile doesn’t have set hours or a set address.

10. Rockefeller Park – Cleveland (130 acres)

Cleveland is in the top four cities with the largest amount of park acreage, but its largest park isn’t as big as the others. Rockefeller Park is a delight, however, with indoor and outdoor attractions.

The Rockefeller Park Greenhouse is open year-round and features themed gardens, seasonal plants, and some exotic ones, too. The park outside extends for two miles and provides additional gardens, a fishing lagoon with a playground and splash pad, and seven lighted tennis courts.

Address: MLK Jr. Drive between Superior Avenue and St. Clair Avenue

A Summary of the 10 Largest City Parks in Ohio

The photo featured at the top of this post is © zenzeta/ via Canva.com