Olentangy Water Trail
Kayaker, November 1998
© George C. Anderson
FLOW worked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the City of Columbus to create the Olentangy Water Trail. The trail was created in 2007 with the passage by the Columbus City Council of a resolution sponsored by Council Member Priscilla Tyson. The resolution designated a water trail on the Olentangy River from Kenney Park to the confluence with the Scioto River. In 2013 the Olentangy River Water Trail was designated a state protected water trail by ODNR.
In addition to the water trail designation the City has created a detailed map to help boaters plan their routes and has installed large signs to warn boaters of hazards such as lowhead dams.
Olentangy River Water Trail Map and Guide
Ohio Water Trails
Current stream flow on the lower Olentangy River
USGS Real-Time Water Data for the Olentangy River near Delaware
Boating on the Olentangy River circa 1910.
Postcard of Lake House at Olentangy Park on the Olentangy River, circa 1910.
Boaters have long explored the Olentangy River’s many bends and heavily wooded reaches. The links below show canoeists on the Olentangy River, and the boat house at Olentangy Park. Olentangy Park was an amusement park in Clintonville that was open in the early part of the 20th century.
These links open historic photos at OhioHistory.org.
Olentangy Park Canoe Club
Canoeing on the Olentangy River in 1915
Regatta Day at Olentangy Park