Exploring Glacier Ridge Metro Park and the Honda Wetland Education Area

Glacier Ridge Metro Park, located in Plain City, Ohio, is a 1,031-acre park managed by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. Named after the ancient glaciers that shaped the region, the park offers a diverse range of activities and educational opportunities for visitors of all ages. The park is full of little gems that make it extra fun for kids!

A Park Shaped by Glaciers

The park is named after the glacial end moraine, or terminal moraine, that formed the ridge-like accumulation of glacial debris when the glaciers retreated approximately 12,000 to 17,000 years ago. The "ridge" within Glacier Ridge Metro Park is a subtle and gentle rise of about 100 feet, heading north from the wetlands to the northern boundary at Brock Road. The rise is most easily noticed if viewing the park from State Route 33. It’s part of the natural topography of the park and is the result of glacial deposits when the last glacier in Ohio, the Wisconsin Glacier, retreated from central Ohio about 15,000 years ago. The park sits on the Powell Moraine, one of numerous bands of east to west glacial deposits of sand, gravel, and boulders left by the retreating, or melting, glacier.

History and Development

Before its establishment as a metro park, much of the land that now comprises Glacier Ridge Metro Park was utilized for agricultural purposes. Metro Parks planners had begun to talk about a Northwest Park as early as 1995. This was separate to a plan already in place to open Prairie Oaks Metro Park (the 12th Metro Park), located in the southern section of this northwest quadrant. After numerous indepth discussions with representatives from the City of Dublin, Union County and Jerome Township, Metro Parks drafted a Memorandum of Understanding, highlighting the principles of an agreement to open a new Metro Park in Jerome Township. It was signed by all the parties to the agreement in December 1997. As part of this ‘initial’ agreement, (and subject to the availability of funds), Metro Parks promised to commit $7 million for land acquisition and park development through the year 2010, and the City of Dublin committed to provide $5 million for land acquisition during the same time period. Metro Parks included its commitment to open a Northwest Park in its promises while drafting its Levy proposals, due to go to the voters of Franklin County in May 1999. After passage of the Levy, land acquisition began in earnest. Emphasis was placed on acquiring large contiguous areas of land.

An Advisory Group was constituted in February 2000, to oversee the planning process for the new park. The 15 members of the advisory group included community volunteers along with representatives from the City of Dublin, Union County’s Soil and Water Conservation District and Engineering departments, and Metro Parks. Three concept plans were developed and were presented as consultation documents at public meetings held at various Dublin locations in September of that year. Using feedback from those consultations, Metro Parks produced a Conceptual Master Plan, which was unveiled at a public meeting at Dublin Recreation Center in January 2001.

The Advisory Group had put forward a great many naming ideas for discussion. Among the favorites were Indian Run Metro Park, Coyote Hills Metro Park, White Oak Metro Park and Pheasant Run Metro Park. But the chosen name, of Glacier Ridge Metro Park, came from Advisory Group member Charlie Bynner. Glacier Ridge Metro Park opened with a grand public celebration on September 22, 2002. It became the 14th Metro Park.

Getting There and Navigating the Park

There are two entrances to the park, the Main Entrance and the Honda Wetland Education Area Entrance. Both entrances are on Hyland-Croy Road. If you bike, there is a trail between the two entrance areas. The Ironwood Trail is 2.8 miles long and connects to both ends of the park. Otherwise, driving is between the two is your best bet! There is ample parking at both entrances.

The address of the Main Entrance at Glacier Ridge Metro Park is 9801 Hyland Croy Rd, Plain City OH 43064. The address of the Honda Wetland Education Area Entrance is 7825 Hyland Croy Rd., 43064.

Trails for All Skill Levels

Glacier Ridge has 4 hiking trails within its 1,037 acres. There are 10 miles of trails that are all ranked EASY. Ironweed and Marsh Hawk trails are both paved, making them stroller and wheelchair friendly. These wind through some wooded areas but are mainly open fields and they are great for viewing the plentiful deer and beautiful birds within the parks boarders. Red Oak and Savannah Trails are natural trails, meaning they area not improved and are grassy, dirt, and sometimes quite muddy. Red Oak winds its way through the growth of an old forest and is only 0.8 miles long, its short but it is sweet! Savannah Trail is a special one within the Columbus Park system because it is horse friendly and it can also be used for cross country skiing in winter.

Here's a breakdown of the trails:

Ironweed Trail: 2.8 miles, Easy, Hike, Bike, Pets, Paved, ADA accessible. Goes through woods and fields and leads to Honda Wetland Education Center.
Marsh Hawk Trail: 3.7 miles, Easy, Hike, Bike, Pets, Paved, ADA accessible. Goes through woods and fields.
Bluestem Trail: 0.6 miles, Easy, Hike, Bike, Pets, Paved. Encircles the 3-acre challenge course.
Cardinal Trail: 0.3 miles, Easy, Hike, Pets, Grass. Mowed trail through the meadows and a reforested area.
Red Oak Trail: 0.8 miles, Easy, Hike, Natural. Passes through an old forest.
Savannah Trail: 5.2 miles, Horse riding, Grass and dirt. Loops through woods and fields (cross-country skiing when conditions permit)

The Honda Wetland Education Area: A Haven for Wildlife

Within the 1,000-acre Glacier Ridge Metro Park lies the Honda Wetland Education Area with over 200 acres of restored wetland habitat. This site lies 2 miles south of the main park entrance and is connected by a greenway trail for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Honda Wetland Education area has been at Glacier Ridge for quite some time and it is teeming with life. Tadpoles, deer, and all kinds of birds and water fowl make this their home. Meandering through the wooden boardwalk peering down into the wetlands might seem like it would be boring, but when you pause and really look into it, you can see it is teeming with life.

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Honda of America contributed funds to the development of the Wetlands Education Area and Union County Soil and Water Conservation District helped Metro Parks with habitat restoration projects. The education area opened in 2005 and is a wonderful birding spot in central Ohio. The Honda Wetland Education Center is a barn-like structure that offers information about the inhabitants of wetland areas. It’s definitely more striking when wet, but it’s interesting to see how it can change based on how much precipitation we have had and what season it is when you visit.

Wetlands provide many vital functions including habitat, recreation, biological production, flood control, sediment traps, and groundwater recharge. Both plants and animals who make wetlands their home have adapted to environments that can be both aquatic and terrestrial. As a result, some species migrate to other areas, while others have physical or biological adaptations that allow them to live in wetlands. Shallow water combined with the high levels of nutrients creates a biologically productive habitat that forms the basis for the diverse, complex food web that is known as a wetland ecosystem.

The Boardwalk Trail is a short walk (.2 miles one way) from the Honda Wetland Education Center. It is an easy and picturesque trail to do with kids.

Recreation and Activities

Glacier Ridge has become one of the top places to get out and push yourself physically. They have built an amazing challenge course where you can run, jump, climb and crawl your way to a stronger you.

Challenge Course: The 3-acre obstacle course features 12 challenging stations surrounded by a half-mile paved trail. Visitors can crawl through tunnels, climb poles and ropes and go over logs and more. The Challenge Course at Glacier Ridge Metro Park offers 13 obstacles like the Tire Run, Frog Jump, Tunnel Crawl and more. For the record, this course is designed for those who are age 12 and up.
Natural Play Area: Just behind the wooden “play forms” that is a Natural Play Area consisting of stick forts and tree trunks. Kids can be king (or queen) of their own wooden castle! The play area features cedar structures with tall towers, sloping ramps, knotted ropes, wooden ladders and a zipline. It was designed with kids in mind and was built by students from the Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture.
Disc Golf: The course here at Glacier Ridge is one of the reasons I have the burning desire to pick up this sport. The course has 18 link style targets on 20 acres of rolling terrain, winding through quiet woods and open fields with some trees. Bring your own discs to play the 18-hole disc golf course, free. The 6,000-foot course features six holes in the woods and 12 in mostly open fields. The course is free and open year-round.
Dog Park: Here at Glacier Ridge you can use the picnic shelters for a family picnics, find clean restrooms with flushing toilets and places to play and adventure till your hearts content. What a great place to bring your best friend to run and play. It has a safe fenced area to let Fido loose.
Observation Tower: This 25-foot observation tower has binoculars and is fun to climb. It’s great to view the park from the top! It’s also a great place for kids to play pirates and soldiers!

Other Activities

Picnicking: Non-reservable shelters are available free to use on a first-come, first-served basis.
Wildlife Viewing: The 200-acre wetlands at Glacier Ridge have developed into wonderful habitat for shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl, plus many other species of wildlife.

Metro Parks

As the 20th century entered its dotage, the map of Metro Parks’ locations showed a distinct lack of presence in the northwest. There were 11 Metro Parks in 1998, totalling a little over 16,000 acres in area. Seen as a circle with the city of Columbus at its center, the northwest quadrant lay almost empty. The southwest quadrant had only one park, but this was Battelle Darby Creek, already more than 3,500 acres in size before the millennium, and which would continue to grow to twice that size during the first two decades of the 21st century.

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By 2002, the Northwest Quadrant had three additional parks in the heart of the quadrant. In 2015, Homestead Metro Parks was added to the quadrant, as the 18th Metro Park. Homestead Metro Park is unique, amongst the 20 Metro Parks, in that it existed as a park before it became the 18th Columbus & Franklin County Metro Park in September 2015. The Washington Township Trustees acquired the land in 1990 and were supported by Brown Township and Norwich Township in a mission to create a park for families to enjoy and to provide a historic monument to Midwestern rural agricultural life.

Supporting Education and Community

Honda's commitment extends beyond environmental stewardship to encompass education and community support. In 1993, Honda opened Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center in Estes Park, Colorado to promote educational opportunities. Eagle Rock supports disengaged students with a unique environment focused on community, integrity, and citizenship. The Professional Development Center advises educators on new teaching approaches.

Honda has also supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for over three decades, providing over $14 million in grants for education programs and facilities. Additionally, Honda celebrates Manufacturing Day by inviting students to Honda facilities for tours and hands-on activities.

Team Honda Week(s) of Service involves associates, suppliers, and dealer employees in volunteer activities. These activities include virtual drives for food and school supplies. The Honda Canada Foundation Community Relations team also holds a Back to School Backpack Campaign.

Honda continues to support the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, and McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama, to help bring their programming to youth of all ages. Acura auctioned off the first serial production 2022 NSX Type S during Monterey Car Week, with proceeds benefiting STEAM education programs for underserved youth in partnership with COSI.

Environmental Initiatives

Honda and the Ohio chapter of The Nature Conservancy have partnered for nearly 30 years to preserve the Big Darby Creek watershed, known for its biological diversity. Honda’s Ohio Transmission Plant in Russells Point has been awarded the Gold Star Adopt-A-Highway designation from the ODOT. Earth Day Indiana holds an annual festival in Indianapolis, Indiana designed to celebrate and educate the community on environmental topics such as recycling, conservation of natural resources, and sustainable living. Honda continued its partnership with Earth Day Indiana by providing sponsorship to support the festival. Honda Canada Foundation has partnered with Earth Rangers for over 10 years, supporting environmental education programming for children.

Safety Initiatives

Since 2003, Honda in Ohio has supported Dayton Children’s Hospital in its pediatric injury prevention initiatives. One initiative focuses on child passenger safety, performing car seat checks and providing safety seats to families in need. Dayton Children’s Hospital also distributes free helmets and educational information regarding bike safety to children in the community. Honda is also building on its “Safety For Everyone” approach with several new initiatives targeting young driver safety.

Diversity and Inclusion

Honda participates in Pride-related activities, aligning with its philosophy of respect for the individual. Honda also supports the National Urban League and celebrates Black History Month. ENABLE (BRG) is dedicated to creating a more inclusive environment at Honda by promoting disability awareness and empowering people with disabilities.

Community Support

Honda is committed to helping communities recover from disasters, contributing humanitarian aid to organizations supporting those impacted. Honda is offering a taxable $400 cash incentive for any current associate who voluntarily provides proof of vaccination. Vaccinated associates can elect to waive the cash incentive. For each associate who provides proof of vaccination and waives the incentive payment, the company plans to make a $600 donation to Feeding America.

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